Farther Alumnae Heading to College

Farther Foundation recently received the news that the first member of our inaugural alumni class (2010) has been accepted to college. Not only will Diamond be heading off to University of Wisconsin – Madison in the fall, but she was awarded a Posse Foundation Scholarship. The Posse scholarship is a full four-year scholarship that offers the best and brightest urban high school students the opportunity to excel at top-tier colleges and universities.

In 2009, Diamond was awarded a Farther Foundation scholarship to travel to Costa Rica on a one-month service program with Putney Travel. Here is an excerpt from the essay Diamond submitted to Farther Foundation after her experience abroad:

When I stayed in Costa Rica for a month, I lived in a small three room house with eighteen other people. We all slept and sheltered ourselves from the rain there, but most of our time was spent outside. An average day consisted of waking up, working on a community project, and spending the rest of the day however we chose. No one went home and watched television, or talked on their cell phones, or used a computer because none of that was accessible. Instead everyone spent their time outside enjoying the weather and each other’s company. Because of this lifestyle that exalted the simple things, I think about my life and community differently now.

The townspeople in Costa Rica were the most simple-living, friendliest people I’d ever met, and the town itself had an undeniably positive energy about it. This was possibly because everyone knew each other and they spent their time together, playing soccer or talking at the town store. Or maybe, it was because the people there lived so simply that they didn’t have trivial things to waste their time on, like electronics. Either way, I was taken by how I managed to cope with such a simple lifestyle and enjoy every moment of it. This led me to think;  if the people in Costa Rica can live so simply and be the most happy and free people I know, then why can’t we? Why must we squander our precious moments in life on trivial things instead of spending quality time with each other? Why is it that there, everyone knows everyone else in their town but here we don’t even know all the neighbors on our own block? The answers never seem to come to me, but I personally have grown so much from witnessing such a remarkable lifestyle. I don’t need a cell phone, or television, or computer to make my day, I count on the people I surround myself with daily to do it for me. After living without these material things for a month I came to the realization that many of our “necessities” we have aren’t always that necessary.

Ultimately through this enlightening experience I learned what no book in the world could ever teach me. It’s the simple things in life, which we tend to forget, that truly make us happy. My outlook on life has been altered tremendously, and I now understand the difference between the things we want in life and the things we truly need. The less time we spend indulging ourselves in useless activities, the more time we have to spend with each other. If we took the time to enjoy the simple things in life, then I truly believe we would be happier with life, and more importantly with ourselves.

Go Farther!

Farther Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization providing scholarships to low-income students to inspire them to reach their highest aspirations through educational travel experiences.

www.fartherfoundation.org.

Educational Travel and College Applications

Like thousands of high school seniors around the country, my daughter just finished submitting her college applications. The process of exploring and applying to colleges has been filled with introspection, discovery, excitement, anticipation and anxiety. The whole process was made easier however, thanks to two travel experiences my daughter had this past year. First she spent a month in Paris on an academic, cultural and language program sponsored by Oxbridge Academic Programs. Then she joined the rest of our family on a trip to Kenya.

How did these travel experiences help?  Travel has intrinsic value, it broadens the mind and exposes the traveler to new cultures, languages and points of view. But more specifically and pragmatically it gives the student a unique experience to put on their college application and often something meaningful on which to base their application essay.

Farther Foundation provided scholarships to 16 students this past summer which they used to participate in programs on five different continents. They studied language, volunteered in service projects, lived with foreign host families, climbed mountains and took college level classes. I’m sure many of these activities formed the basis for their application essays.

My daughter had to write several essays in her application process – one for the common application and then several shorter ones for individual college’s supplemental applications. Her main essay recounted her experiences studying photography on the streets of Paris. It spoke of her growing self confidence, lessening of inhibitions and increasing awareness and appreciation for new surroundings and experiences. A secondary essay focused on her perception of and reaction to the income disparities that she witnessed in Kenya.

Apart from the essay, the entire process of researching travel programs, filling out applications and in many cases applying for financial aid provided students a dry run and a level of familiarity and comfort in the application process.

At Farther Foundation we truly believe that travel is singular in its ability to open the eyes and unbind the aspirations of students. But we know that apart from these intrinsic values, there are some very practical benefits to those students looking to get a leg up in the college application process.

Go Farther!

Farther Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization providing scholarships to low-income students to inspire them to reach their highest aspirations through educational travel experiences.

www.fartherfoundation.org.

When Rudolph is unavailable, get a tractor

Farther Foundation took time off for the holidays but learned travel lessons none-the-less.

We left Chicago in our minivan loaded like Santa’s sleigh heading west to spend the holidays on the plains and rolling hills of Nebraska. Our ultimate destination was the town of Spencer, population of about 500, and the home of my in-law’s in-laws. The weather was excessively wintery and white but we learned to rely on and appreciate the knowledge and resourcefulness of our local hosts to make Christmas merry.

The trip started auspiciously with clear skies and clear roads, traveling music on the ipod and a sighting of a bald eagle perched regally in a tree beside interstate 80. Before joining family, we spent a couple nights with friends in Lincoln, Nebraska. Though most of our time was spent pursuing domestic holiday activities such as eating, making gingerbread houses, eating, reminiscing and eating again, we did make time for a tour of the State Capital building with its striking art, architecture and view of the city; It is a well spent hour should you ever find yourself in Lincoln with time on your hands.

The snow was already falling as we arrived in Spencer and the forecast called for more of the same punctuated with high winds. We dropped off the kids at their cousin’s house to settle in while my wife and I went to check in at the motel.  As you often see in small rural communities, either to make ends meet or to meet the needs of the community, people will engage in more than one line of work. Such was the case at our motel where the office also served as a Christian book and gift shop. The motel was clean, comfortable and conveniently located just two and a half blocks from the in-law’s house.

Soon, the falling and drifting snow began to make even the shortest trips difficult. We might have been able to drive the minivan the two blocks over to the house on Christmas morning had we not gotten stuck in a drift on the way out of the motel parking lot. The kids were held at bay, away from the presents, while our brother-in-law, Paul, came with his pick-up to pull us out of the drift. By the time we negotiated the two blocks down to the house, Paul, a volunteer firefighter, had been called away on another emergency forcing the kids to wait even longer before opening Christmas presents.

When Paul returned, apparently having made a stop at the family ranch outside of town, he was driving a snowplow equipped tractor rather than the pick-up truck. This turned out to be the decision that saved Christmas. The interstates had been closed down, and only 18 of the anticipated 30 or so family members were able to make it to town for Christmas dinner, but with Paul leading the way and clearing the roads we were all able to reach the community hall of the fire house where we were gathering for the feast. The prime rib made it as did the ham, potatoes, beans, corn, carrots and a green salad that drew very little interest. Dessert was stranded elsewhere in the state, but my wife, who is herself resourceful with a rolling pin, baked a couple apple pies to provide a delicious finish to the meal.

After the meal, Paul in his tractor pulled two more vehicles out of drifts and led our well fed family back to our homes and motels. We spent two more nights in Spencer than expected waiting for the weather to calm and the roads to be passable. On our way out of town we spotted four or five tractors out on Main Street clearing the roads and parking lots as life got back to normal. Our lesson learned this Christmas is that whether you have traveled half way around the world or not even left your own time zone, what might look like a disaster or an impossible circumstance to you is just a minor inconvenience to local residents who have the knowledge and experience to cope in their environments.

Go Farther!

Farther Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization providing scholarships to low-income students to inspire them to reach their highest aspirations through educational travel experiences.

www.fartherfoundation.org.

This Year’s Gift is Next Year’s Promise

On behalf of the students we support, please consider making a contribution to Farther Foundation this holiday season.

Farther Foundation provides opportunities for economically disadvantaged students to travel worldwide and interact with individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences. They are immersed in new cultures and experiences, learn and develop skills, provide service, cultivate leadership potential and attain personal growth.

It is said that the longest journey begins with a single step, and a great first step it was. In our first program year, sixteen eager and deserving students had life changing experiences on five different continents with Farther Foundation scholarships. But no journey is truly taken alone. None of this could happen without the support of many people like you making contributions large and small.

One of our scholarship recipients, Diamond, lived in Costa Rica for a month learning Spanish and serving the local community. Upon her return she said, “I feel I can do anything now.” Another, Eddie, learned documentary arts while challenging himself with a month-long wilderness adventure in the Pacific Northwest.  After his return, Eddie reported, “I’ve matured and view my goals in a whole different perspective. I take responsibilities more seriously than I ever have before.” They, like all our students, returned from their experiences more mature, confident and determined to be successful. This is the difference we are making and it is evident. You can see more photos, comments and stories on our website and appreciate the impact we have on our students’ lives.

Now is our critical fundraising season when we will determine how many students we will be able to support with scholarships in 2010. Help change a life by sending a check or going to our website now to contribute via credit card.

Please contact me with any questions or if you would like to discuss ways of becoming more involved in the mission and programs of Farther Foundation.

Happy Holidays,

David Weindling, Founder & Director

On behalf the students we support, please consider making a contribution to Farther Foundation this year.

Farther Foundation provides opportunities for economically disadvantaged students to travel worldwide and interact with individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences. They are immersed in new cultures and experiences, learn and develop skills, provide service, cultivate leadership potential and attain personal growth.

It is said that the longest journey begins with a single step, and a great first step it was. In our first program year, sixteen eager and deserving students had life changing experiences on five different continents with Farther Foundation scholarships. But no journey is truly taken alone. None of this could happen without the support of many people like you making contributions large and small.

One of our scholarship recipients, Diamond, lived in Costa Rica for a month learning Spanish and serving the local community. Upon her return she said, “I feel I can do anything now.” Another, Eddie, learned documentary arts while challenging himself with a month-long wilderness adventure in the Pacific Northwest.  After his return, Eddie reported, “I’ve matured and view my goals in a whole different perspective. I take responsibilities more seriously than I ever have before.” They, like all our students, returned from their experiences more mature, confident and determined to be successful. This is the difference we are making and it is evident. You can see more photos, comments and stories on our website and appreciate the impact we have on our students’ lives.

Now is our critical fundraising season when we will determine how many students we will be able to support with scholarships in 2010. Help change a life by sending a check or going to our website now to contribute via credit card.

Please contact me with any questions or if you would like to discuss ways of becoming more involved in the mission and programs of Farther Foundation.

Sincerely,

David Weindling, Founder & Director

Scholarship students win essay prizes

Elizabeth works on a community service project in Vietnam

Farther Foundation provides opportunities for economically disadvantaged high school students from the Chicago area to travel worldwide and interact with individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences. They participate in programs where they are immersed in new cultures and experiences, learn and develop skills, provide service, cultivate leadership potential and attain personal growth.

In Farther Foundation’s first program year, sixteen eager and deserving students had life changing experiences on five continents with Farther Foundation scholarships. Upon their return, students wrote essays about their experiences.  Each had a unique and inspiring experience — and each described it in their own way. Prizes were awarded to the students who submitted the top four essays.

Here are excerpts from the top four essays:

Anna, a senior at Marist High School, spent three weeks in Peru where she hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Pichu. Anna described her journey in dramatic terms, “Together, we traversed the green tangles and reached – what seemed to me– the top of the world. Every day was memory-rich; every day was a miracle.”

Maritza, a senior at Proviso Math & Science Academy, went to Rome, Italy for six weeks where she studied Italian and lived with a host family. Maritza’s self-confidence grew with every challenge she overcame and she relishes her new international friendships, “I am so grateful that I got such a loving and accepting [host] family. I don’t think they will ever know how much they taught me or what I have learned from this experience. Going on this trip was the best thing I have ever done.”

David, a senior at St. Ignatius High School, spent a month living, learning and developing a great passion for justice and the people of El Salvador. David wrote, “As a [citizen of the] United States, I am privileged because I can speak for those facing death threats. Therefore I plan to spread awareness and do more than just tell my friends at lunch. I have to make injustice public. This is justice. It is more than treating everyone equal; it is fighting for others and fighting those who are not just.”

Elizabeth, a senior at St. Benedicts High School, lived in Vietnam for a month with a host family, worked with children and volunteered on a community building project. Elizabeth learned to communicate and appreciated the similarities between family and community life in Vietnam and back home in Chicago, “The best thing to do when you’re bored is tell jokes. On our daily breaks we would pull out our translation books and tell jokes. There were many times when I laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe. As we told jokes, we taught them English and they taught us Vietnamese.”

Farther Foundation founder and director David Weindling said, “These experiences have such a great impact on students’ self-confidence and aspirations. It is a joy to read their reflections.”

Farther Foundation is a nonprofit organization supported by tax deductible donations. To support Farther Foundation and to see more photos and stories from these and other students, visit its website at www.fartherfoundation.org.

Service Learning in Hawaii

Paula received a Farther Foundation scholarship to travel to Hawaii where she provided volunteer service to the community and challenged herself physically with outdoor adventure activities. Here are excerpts from her essay about her program.

My experience in Hawaii has inspired me to make changes in my life and my plans for the future. After being in Hawaii for three weeks I have become much more aware of my surroundings.  I have learned a lot about the negative affects people can have on the environment and I would like to make a conscious effort to have less of an impact.  Coming into contact with native peoples of the islands has helped to expand my horizons and to be a little more patient. The trip has also encouraged me to take initiative and volunteer whenever I can.

Reading about the negative effects people have on the environment out of a text book is nothing compared to experiencing it with your own eyes.  The growth of invasive species that have taken over Hawaii is devastating.  Trying to restore its natural beauty is also not the easiest work.  On the trip I learned a lot about the problems the Hawaiian Islands are experiencing with garbage and landfills and the importance of recycling.  Being mindful of recycling and producing unnecessary waste has prompted me to be more conscious with the choices I make that effect the environment.

Learning about the Hawaiian culture was one of the advantages of this trip.  I not only learned about their culture I also learned to be mindful of the affect my presence could have on them and to respect the customs and traditions of the place we were in. It was truly an intriguing experience to give thanks for our food in Hawaiian! Even though that is not something I am accustomed to, it is a part of Hawaiian culture and was much appreciated. Reflecting on this trip I feel that I have become even more open and understanding to people and other cultures.

I was excited to get to volunteer to help the people and the community of Hawaii. As soon as the labor began though, it was sweat and physical labor like I had never done before; working with Habitat for Humanity was a demanding job. Working to restore indigenous species at Waipa was not any easier, while strenuously working in the summer heat, the pleasure in volunteering can be hard to find. At the end of each day though, when we could see the result and look at it with pride, we all felt rewarded for the effort we had put in and we each knew that we had made a difference in someone’s life. I admire the people who work that hard every day. It has inspired me to seek out volunteer work to help the people and communities around me.

I met so many new people and learned many things about myself. I pushed myself to test my limits, I surfed and kayaked and saw a whole other world in what the United States calls their fiftieth state. Hawaii is so much more, and it has shown and taught me more than I could have hoped for.

Student traveler returns inspired

Farther Foundation helps deserving students learn, serve, grow and thrive through educational travel. Elizabeth was awarded a Farther Foundation scholarship to travel to Vietnam with Putney Student Travel. Here are excerpts from Elizabeth’s essay for Farther Foundation.

Before my trip to Vietnam, I believed that people’s lives from the other side of the world were entirely different. I was convinced that their sense of style, their taste in music, the food they consumed, the parties they held, and their telling of jokes was different from what I’m accustomed to. But after my one month stay in Vietnam, I was surprised at how similar people’s lives are compared to where I live.

“This looks like what my mom makes back home,” is what I told my group every time I ate or saw food that looked like my mom’s cooking. I was stunned at the number of times Vietnamese food reminded me of the cultural foods I’m use to eating. But to my surprise, the food wasn’t the only thing that looked familiar. Their clothing wasn’t much different. The village people wear more conservative clothes than the city people. Yet both of their styles are similar to what I wear on an every day basis. We even bought ourselves t-shirts, skirts, and dresses to take home.

The things they do for fun are not much different from what I do. The best thing to do when you’re bored is tell jokes. On our daily brakes we would pull out our translation books and tell jokes. There were many times when I laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe. As we told jokes, we taught them English and they taught us Vietnamese. We even got as far as teaching them Spanish and French!

The people are not much different either. Take for example Tien. Tien is a little Vietnamese boy that I was helping build a house for. He reminded me of my nephew. It was the way he smiled and played with people. Then there was a little girl who reminded me of my niece. The little girl had a little brother and she was really protective of him, the way my niece is towards my nephew.

Anne Frank once said, “We all live with the object of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.” The lives of Vietnamese people are the same compared to where I live, with just a little twist. I noticed more similarities than differences. We all have goals, expectations, jokes, fears, needs, desires and strive to live a happy life. I use to say that part of home was in Vietnam but now I say that part of Vietnam is here at home.

Travel Off the Radar

Farther Foundation is proud to have been recently featured on Off the Radar with an interview of Farther Foundation founder, David Weindling. Most of our supporters are avid travelers and we are pleased to have this opportunity to inform more travelers about our organization, its mission and programs.

Off the Radar is an online magazine and newsletter for adventure travelers providing reliable information about destinations and companies that offer guests a genuine, personal experience. It is also a lively and informative publication with striking photography.

This past week was highlighted not only by my Off the Radar interview, but my daughter also received good news about her SAT college exam scores and then departed for Paris to take part in a month-long language immersion program.

Our family is proud of my daughter’s success and grateful that we have been able to help her participate in an educational travel program. Both these factors will help her be accepted at the college of her choice when the application and admissions process starts next year. We don’t take for granted her successes or opportunities, but our family does live in a socio-cultural environment where it is reasonable to have these expectations.

At Farther Foundation, we support students who are as eager and able as my daughter, but do not enjoy the same socio-economic opportunities. The cost of educational travel programs is out of reach, and research has indicated that standardized test results may be affected by socio-economic status. Farther Foundation seeks to address both these factors by not only providing student scholarships for educational travel programs, but by partnering with schools and community organizations that are actively supporting students with tutoring, mentoring and college preparatory work.

With our support, deserving students will have every chance to succeed that my daughter has, and their ultimate success will be based upon their own initiative and ability.

Go Farther!

Farther Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization providing scholarships to low-income students to inspire them to reach their highest aspirations through educational travel experiences. www.fartherfoundation.org.

Old School, New School

Farther Foundation Founder, David Weindling

I read where a travel magazine sent travelers out armed with either a trusty, old-school guide book or wired up with modern electronic communications, and asked them to accomplish a set of typical tourism tasks. Turned out, the guidebook wielding traveler more often than not completed their tasks more quickly than their wired counterpart.

One reason postulated for the success of the guidebook toting traveler’s success was that they relied more on the local people for help. At Farther Foundation we are fond of programs that give our sponsored students the opportunity to engage the local people and culture. This is often accomplished via home-stays with local families, classes with local instructors and service projects in local communities.

I’m not one to disparage technology. My daughter is traveling on her own this summer and we will be able to communicate with her in so many ways we never could before, including face-to-face via webcams. The rest of the family is preparing to travel to Europe and the internet has allowed us to plan so much of our trip with the confidence that we will get what we expect. But, it’s often the unexpected that provides the most interesting experiences and durable memories.

We’ve been asked to do a favor in Copenhagen, Denmark. A colleague of mine lived there for a period of time and would like to be remembered to a friend whom he is no longer able to reach via phone or internet, so we have the rather old-fashioned errand of delivering a letter. Perhaps we’ll stop by and nobody will be home, but maybe we will get to meet a resident of Copenhagen and have one of those unexpected experiences. If so, it will be because we unplugged from technology for a while and said hello.

Go Farther!

Farther Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization providing scholarships to low-income students to inspire them to reach their highest aspirations through educational travel experiences. www.fartherfoundation.org.

Making it work for hard-working students

A couple of weeks ago Farther Foundation had the honor of attending a celebration dinner for the graduating class of one of our Education partners HighSight.

Diamond is a HighSight Scholar and a Farther Foundation scholarship recipient

We are pleased to be working with HighSight and its students again this year. Diamond, a junior with a 3.6 grade point average at a highly competitive high school, will be travelling to Costa Rica this summer to experience the language and culture of a new country and to engage in service projects in a community she will call home for 30 days.

HighSight’s mission is to provide academic and social support to Chicago high school students. HighSight provides scholarships, tutoring and mentoring to enable its students to attend and succeed at the high school of their choice. HighSight, like Farther Foundation, also believes in giving its students the opportunity for personal development by participating in unique educational travel programs.

At the celebration dinner we had the pleasure of meeting and hearing from the 29 students in the graduating class. As each student reminisced about their key moments and awakening experiences at HighSight, many thanked their own families and made special mention of their family of tutors, mentors and supporters at HighSight. But especially meaningful to us at Farther Foundation, was that many were particularly grateful for the opportunity they had to step into new worlds, new activities and new relationships through their summer travel programs.

All of the 29 seniors we met that night are going on to higher education. Twenty-seven of the 29 are going to four year colleges, several to highly selective and competitive institutions such as Pomona College, Carleton College and Notre Dame.

Farther Foundation partners with organizations like HighSight so that we can work with students who are well supported and prepared to take advantage of rare and unique opportunities. We list on our website many Chicago area schools and organizations that are supporting hard-working and well-deserving students every day. If you are not among those listed, we are happy to visit with you to learn more about your programs.

Go Farther!

Farther Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization providing scholarships to low-income students to inspire them to reach their highest aspirations through educational travel experiences. www.fartherfoundation.org.