Why we promote the exchange with Canada - Ken's, Education and Values
As we have mentioned in other blog entries, something that defines us is that we are good people and that we like to surround ourselves with other people who share those same values.
Since our inception, when we were just a language school, our mission statement has been instilling youngsters with values to help them as a basis for their education, not only because we are teachers, but also because of our commitment to produce active, tolerant and respectful citizens.
As the years passed and we started organising study abroad trips, we realized the importance of values for international recognition. Spanish culture can be spontaneous, open and even a little chaotic, but if those qualities are worked on, they can help educate active, curious citizens with great leadership skills. Canadian culture is quite different from ours. The way we would describe it would be: respect, tolerance and good manners. Canadians are typically more introverted than Spaniards, and though it may seem at first that these cultures may clash, they actually complement each other perfectly and bring out the missing components of these youngsters in each country.
If we educate tolerant and respectful people, the exchange will enrich us all and will allow us to develop those skills which, on account of our upbringing, we may not have the chance to develop that much.
After a few years of organizing exchange programs, we realized how much we can benefit from Canadian culture, and how much we can contribute to Canada. We Spaniards are able to become more respectful about personal space, more polite and more free when accepting ourselves the way we are, even if that clashes with the Spanish social stereotypes. In turn, Canadians become more sociable and open, they develop their spontaneity, and learn to see life in a simpler way. They learn to enjoy life and find a balance.
Whenever they ask us why Canada, the answer is simple – because it’s a country with outstanding values and the perfect complement to our own culture. When asked why you should bring your children to Spain, our answer remains simple-the culture here can open up their eyes to the world, to adapting to situations, to becoming more mature, independent and reliable and to showing them who it is that they really would like to be. This is the phrase most used by our Director of International Projects “travelling teaches us who we want to be without the pressures of everyday life and society. Students learn what they really enjoy studying, what they like about life and their own country without the presence of their friend group or parents. Travel is the entry to the soul and it is time to let them soar.”