BRANDON — During the first two weeks of August, Otter Valley Union High School and many local host families opened their doors for 32 students and two teachers from Kunming, China. The goal of the visitors was, as head coordinator Jeff Jeskie put it, to “speak English!” The program was sponsored by Spiral International.
Each weekday during the visit consisted of taking classes taught by three American teachers, interacting with the American ambassador students, and then going on afternoon field trips to several Vermont hotspots before returning home to their host families for more adventures.
A short list of destinations on these trips included Shelburne Farms, Church Street Marketplace in Burlington, the Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, Billings Farm, the Statehouse in Montpelier, and the Vermont Maple Museum. Not only did these students and teachers improve their English, they left Vermont with a sense of small town community, everlasting friendship, and a better understanding of the American culture.
The students and their hosts held a farewell dinner and talent show on Aug. 9 at the Brandon Inn. 
Editor’s note: This story was provided by Marley Zollman, a rising senior at Otter Valley Union High School.