Ms. Brittany White
Edgecombe County

“After a weekend of being a “tourist” its back to work. I donned my business casual and prepared to learn more about education in the Netherlands. We met with a panel of educators from the primary, secondary, and university level. They discussed some of the highlights of their careers as well as some of the challenges. Honestly, teachers in the Netherlands face many of the same challenges we do: burn out, apathy in students, high stakes testing and its associated issues, AI and cell phone use, and so much more. It was eye opening to know that teachers around the world are facing the same problems and are trying to find viable solutions.

After this we went to a sustainable agriculture center. The center was home to a nonprofit and a university that focuses on applied biology. Both organizations have a common goal: to make healthy food more easily available to the population. The tour of the agroforestry gardens has been my favorite prescribed activity. It was both functional and whimsical. That truly captures the whole Holland aesthetic… Function with a splash of whimsy.

When I boarded the plane to Amsterdam, I knew I was stepping into something life-changing—but I didn’t realize just how transformative the journey would be. Thanks to Go Global NC and the generous support of the Simple Gifts Foundation, I had the opportunity to spend 10 days in the Netherlands alongside a cohort of passionate educators, immersing myself in a culture that prioritizes autonomy, sustainability, and collective well-being.“

Mrs. Ali Sigler
Cumberland County

“I woke up refreshed by the weekend and the adventures that I took. My favorite part of every morning is walking out of the hotel and into the crisp, refreshing breeze that Amsterdam seems to always offer. I always take a deep breath and that instantly increases my excitement and readiness to learn. 

We began our day back at the TOO (The Office Operators) Building, which serves as a space we have been using to meet with various educational representatives. Today we heard from 3 educators here in the Netherlands: Mitchell, who teaches in primary school, Marco, who teaches in secondary schools, and Eric, who teaches at the university level. The gentlemen shared their perceptions of challenges facing education in the Netherlands. I was surprised to learn that many of their troubles are also experienced by my colleagues in the U.S. These challenges include the public perception of schools and members of society not being pleased with the work and practices, acceptable use of technology by students, consistent decline of test scores, and the impact that testing can have on the bland-ness of instruction therefore contributing to lack of student engagement. I enjoyed speaking with Mitchell and found that a lot of his passions and concerns for education resonate with my own. I also learned he got married this past weekend…congrats Mitchell!! 

After our educator panel, we had time to roam a small area of the city. We climbed to the top of the Nemo Science center and enjoyed some amazing sandwiches. All the locals said the food was just “ehh,” but even the simple sandwiches at a fast grab-and-go location seem more nutritional and tasty in Amsterdam. 

After a bus ride to the city of Almere, we found ourselves in the more rural part of the Netherlands. Buildings were few and far between and the greenery seemed much more native and natural to the area. We began our Almere visit at Flevo Campus where we learned about initiatives to encourage healthy, plant-based, sustainable food resources to the city. Next we walked to the Aeres Hogeschool (University). Along with being a beautiful building, it was interesting to learn about post-secondary university opportunities. We finished our visit with a tour of an agroforestry and educational garden called Utopia. This walk through the woods was made even better by the cool temperatures and nice breeze…which at some points was a rather aggressive wind. We were able to try wild, naturally-growing berries! 

All of our days at the Go Global Netherlands Experience have been similarly jam-packed with fun adventures, new learning opportunities and networking with peers who are passionate about education. I am so grateful to my funders, the Simple Gifts Fund. Although, I do feel like the name of the organization is quite misleading…to me, the funding of this experience is no “simple gift.” For me, it has been the ticket to a country I would have never thought could be so eye-opening, whimsical, and refreshing. I am loving my time in Amsterdam, the educators I am meeting, the friendships I am building, and the practices I am learning. Thank you Simple Gifts Fund for affording me this luxury!“