Spanish I and II students have started a Pen Pal program with students in Columbia, South America.

A Pen Pal Program works when students of two different cultures and countries befriend each other by writing letters, emails, or even video chatting back and forth.

Kassondra Biggerstaff, foreign language teacher, assigned students Pen Pals at the Institucion Educativia Tenica Agropecuaria de vila Rosa (IETA); a school in Villa Rosa, Columbia.

“I have done Pen Pal Programs with other schools. I feel like Pen Pal Programs are very helpful for connecting why we’re learning what we’re learning with people connections,” said Biggerstaff.

Biggerstaff found the IETA by posting a message on Facebook asking if anybody was interested in being a part of a Pen Pal Program. A friend of Biggerstaff’s introduced her to Carrie Shoults. Shoults works with high school students at IETA and teaches English with the Peace Corp. Peace Corp is a volunteer program run by the United States government; their stated mission is to provide technical assistance, help countries outside America, and understand our culture and vice versa.

In November, Spanish I and II students sent out letters and a video of themselves  reading their letters; IETA received them in January.

IETA students received letters and videos, and have sent Spanish II students a 5 minute video holding their letters and saying thank you.

“It was very heartwarming,” said Riley Brawn, junior, in Spanish II.

While Spanish II has received their video, they are still waiting on letters along with Spanish I.

Amirah Bauder, freshmen, in Spanish I is excited. “I’m excited to see their reactions, but more excited to see how they respond,”

IETA is going to send out their letter in February; the two Spanish classes may get their letters by April, if there are no issues with mailing.

“They’re really excited,” said Biggerstaff.

If the letters from IETA don’t end up here by April or before the end of the school year, Biggerstaff plans on carrying it along to next year; hopefully assigning the same students from IETA and the Spanish classes together again, as well as assigning new coming Spanish I  students to new IETA students. Next year the program will move on with written letter, video chats, and also emails to let the students talk to each other more often.