From mid-May to mid-June, six students from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, United States, had a unique opportunity to experience life, education, and culture in the Czech Republic. They enrolled on an intensive international internship programme organized by the Faculty of Education with the main goal: to provide participants with a deeper understanding of the Czech educational system while allowing them to gain practical teaching experience in various types of schools.
From the very beginning, the students were immersed in Czech culture. They attended a seminar led by Dr. Jana Kořínková from the Institute of Foreign Languages, who introduced them to the Haná region and its rich cultural heritage. They learned about traditional customs, folk festive costumes, as well as everyday life in the 18th century, including gardening, farming, pig slaughtering, baking bread, and making plum jam and fruit liqueurs. At the end of the seminar, the students learned to sing a folk song from the region. The engaging presentation was complemented by a tasting of local specialities, such as kolaches with poppy seed filling, Olomouc cheese, cracklings and homemade plum brandy.
Other seminars focused on the Czech educational system, the legend and other old stories about Prague, life-long learning, a music workshop at the Department of Music, and the excursion at the Support Centre for Students with Special Need. The students also visited Digiden, a center for digital technologies in education, the Sluňákov Ecological Centre, and the universitiry’s Arts Center.
Throughout their stay, the students observed teaching at a variety of educational institutions – from kindergarten to high schools. We greatly appreciated the open and welcoming approach of all the teachers and school principals. Thanks to their generosity and willingness to involve the visitors, the American students had the opportunity to actively participate in lessons and compare different approaches to education, teaching methods, and classroom environments. One of the highlights, was the visit to Maple Bear Olomouc School, where the students greatly appreciated the innovative educational environment and the opportunity to informally interact with pupils.
Beyond the educational programme, the participants explored many of the cultural and historical treasures of the Czech Republic as well as two neighbouring countries, Poland and Austria. They particularly enjoyed the guided tour of Bouzov Castle and the cave system in Javoříčko. Both places were mentioned repeatedly during the students’ final reflective presentations as some of the most memorable places. They also visited the Lednice-Valtice Are and the Comenius Museum in Přerov.
A weekend visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum in Poland was on one hand difficult and emotional, on the other a very moving experience. The visit gave the students a perspective on the horrors of the Second World War that they would hardly have gained in the United States. The day ended on a lighter note with an evening boat cruise through the historic centre of Kraków. Another weekend was spent in Vienna, where the group stayed overnight, and admired many of the city’s remarkable architectural landmarks.
Before returning home, the students spent two nights in Prague. Thanks to a hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour, they managed to see almost all of the city’s famous places. Following the success of the boat cruise in Kraków, they also enjoyed an evening cruise on the Vltava River. The had plenty of fun exploring the Museum of Illusions and gained interesting insights during a guided tour of the Prague Castle complex.
An essential part of the international experience, was the involvement of Czech student buddies. They served not only as guides and companions during excursions and field trips but also as friends who introduced the American students to everyday student life in Olomouc. Together, they spent time in local cafés and gelato shoes, which quickly became the students’ favourite places in the city. On one particularly hot afternoon, they visited the Lake Poděbrady to relax and cool off. Discovering local bars and restaurants also became an enjoyable part of experiencing Czech student life. These informal experiences proved to be an invaluable part of the cultural exchange.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to all the Czech student buddies, teachers, and school staff who supported the group during their stay and shared their time and experience with the American students.
