Colombian Pen Pals

For the third straight year, students in Senora Johnsen’s Spanish classes have participated in a special cultural pen pal program. The pen pal Program provides students with a meaningful opportunity to connect with peers from Colegio Colombo Americano (CAS), a school located in Bogotá, Colombia, through authentic cultural and language exchange. For the past three years, students from both schools have participated in this experience by exchanging thoughtful letters, creating a real-world communication experience. Through these exchanges, students share their interests, favorite foods, music, traditions, hobbies and interesting personal facts while strengthening their writing skills in the target language. More importantly the program encourages interpersonal connections and cultural understanding, helping students recognize the value of communication and learning beyond the classroom. Last week, several members of Senora Johnsen’s class were able to Zoom with students and teachers from CAS and actually speak about how the program has impacted their study of language.