In Search of the Human Spirit

Students in Alaska got to see how the other half lives. Eight graders in the village of Inupiat and Anchorage participated in a student exchange. The students from 30 schools traded places to see what life was like for their counterparts.

Five students from each area were selected based on an essay contest. They then went off with teachers to live with a host family. They ate what the family at, went on field trips, and participated in local activities.

The city kids participated in ice fishing, native dancing, and other activities. They lived in houses up on stilts without indoor plumbing. The rural kids ate at McDonalds, toured the University of Alaska, played at a water park, and found out that prices were much lower for everything in the city.

The experience was good for the kids. They found that although their cultures were different they enjoyed many of the same things. There’s no place like home though. The city kids preferred the lively, less expensive setting they were familiar with and the rural kids found city life too busy.