We Made the DVC Newsletter!

Well, actually we made the newsletter for the whole district (Contra Costa Community College District). Appearing in the April 2007 newsletter is an article about this very blog, complete with quotes from some of its readers.

Here's a link to the entire newsletter: "The News" for April 2007 (.pdf file)

And here's the text from article:

Study Abroad Program Blog a First

Carolyn Seefer is a full-time faculty member in the Business Division at DVC and is teaching in Florence, Italy, this semester for the DVC Study Abroad program.

Seefer is excited about the blog she is keeping of the experiences: preparing for the trip, arriving in Florence, orientation, the start of classes, class activities, special excursions and classes, etc., which began in the Fall 2006 semester. The blog is filled with descriptions and photos and will serve as a complete chronology of the trip.

Recommendations on related books, films, and websites appear on the blog. As readership has grown to include students’ families, who were among Seefer’s original target, comments give important feedback to the blog’s effectiveness.

Below are recent comments from parents of two current program students:

“Your blog is fantastic! My husband and I have been enjoying reading it and of course seeing photos of our son and the other students. It is very reassuring for a mother to see her ‘baby.’ We have all been so busy we have not communicated much by phone. I try to e-mail every other day and write cards when I travel so your blog really fills those gaps.”

“Thank you so much for the opportunity to see pics of my daughter and her best friend. Wow, an opportunity of a lifetime! We appreciate your passion and feel comforted knowing that you are there to help them navigate their way through this journey. You appear to be wasting little time; what a schedule of activities. Seeing the girls brought tears of joy to my eyes.”

Visit the Study Abroad program blog at http://www.dvc-in-italy.blogspot.com.