This summer, two seniors in Samford University’s Orlean Beeson School of Education spent a month teaching in Indonesia, gaining invaluable cultural insight and professional experience. Adeline Sylvester and Mckenna Connelly participated in a program at Sekolah Pelita Harapan (SPH), a Christian network of schools in Jakarta, where they helped elementary students strengthen their English skills while building relationships across cultures.

Both students were placed at different SPH campuses, giving them unique perspectives on education in Indonesia. Over the course of the month, they also traveled to other SPH schools and participated in cultural excursions that deepened their understanding of the country’s people, history and traditions.

Anna McEwan, dean of Orlean Beeson School of Education, and a group of Samford administrators previously traveled to Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH), a private Christian university in Indonesia, in the fall of 2022 to renew an existing partnership between Samford and UPH.

“During the visit, we learned about the Pelita Harapan Education Foundation, whose vision for quality education in Indonesia supports short-term and long-term internship opportunities for future teachers,” said McEwan, “The fact that two Samford students participated this year is a testament to Samford’s ongoing UPH connection.”

Adeline Sylvester: STEM-Based Learning with a Cultural Heart

Sylvester, an elementary education major, spent her first two weeks in Lippo Village, exploring the community and participating in cultural events. One highlight was teaching students from Papua for a day—students who had limited English proficiency and had been given scholarships to study in Lippo Village.

“They were all so eager to learn and hungry for knowledge, and they definitely shaped the way I view education,” Sylvester said.

At the main SPH campus in Lippo Village, Sylvester taught third and fourth graders during a two-week summer camp focused on exploring the world through STEM-based activities. The students, already proficient in English, were curious and highly engaged.

“The people of Indonesia are hardworking, diligent and selfless,” Sylvester reflected. “These attributes overflowed into all of us in this program, which made us become more selfless and work harder.”

While the program stretched her comfort zone, particularly with its day-by-day planning, Sylvester embraced the challenge. Observing co-teachers allowed her to see best practices in action, such as zones of regulation and accommodated seating.

“There were so many best practices being applied in the schools, and it was cool to recognize those due to the classes I’ve already taken at Samford,” she said.

Her experience underscored the importance of intentionality in the classroom and the value of hospitality. “The readiness of the Indonesian community to give and make this the best experience we could possibly have was really, really special,” she said.

Mckenna Connelly: Building Confidence Through Public Speaking and Creative Writing

Connelly, an early childhood special education, elementary and collaborative education (ESEC) major, felt a strong calling to join the program and was placed in an urban SPH school in Jakarta, teaching first- through third-grade English as a Second Language students. Most of her students spoke Korean, with Indonesian as a secondary language and English as a third language.

Because the camp was new, Connelly created all her own lesson plans, developing public speaking lessons around show-and-tell activities and creative writing lessons focused on simple “tell me about you” sentences.

“I quickly realized that the preparation of the other college students in the program was great, but not as great as the preparation Samford gives us,” she said. “The School of Education has given me so much more knowledge and preparation of teaching that I didn’t realize how advanced I was compared to the students at other colleges.”

Connelly’s clinical experiences at Samford helped her step into the role of lead teacher with confidence. Adapting her plans to the students’ language abilities taught her the importance of flexibility, while forming connections with her students reinforced her belief in the value of relationships.

“Going through this program and teaching in this way has lessened my fear of going into student teaching this year as a senior,” she said.

“I always knew that building relationships and fostering community with students was important, but experiencing it firsthand in an Indonesian classroom, seeing the interactions and the impact on students, showed me just how essential it truly is.”

A Month of Growth and Gratitude

In addition to their classroom work, Sylvester and Connelly joined a four-day cultural trip to Yogyakarta, where they experienced a jeep tour of an active volcano, cave tubing and batik painting.

The program was an opportunity to serve and a chance to see their training come to life in an international setting. Their time in Indonesia strengthened their teaching skills, deepened their cultural awareness, and prepared them for the next chapter in their journey as educators.

As Samford’s global footprint grows, the Orlean Beeson School of Education remains dedicated to equipping future educators with both professional expertise and a deep understanding of the diverse and complex realities they will encounter, whether in Alabama classrooms or around the world.

To further this mission, the school has established the Global Education Scholarship Fund, designed to expand student access to impactful study abroad and international internship experiences. This initiative supports the university’s commitment to enriching the Samford experience and cultivating globally minded citizens.

GIVE: Support the Global Education Scholarship Fund