Traveling Classrooms Take Lee Burneson Students to Kenya, Costa Rica

Students at are stepping out of the classroom and spearheading some innovative projects in Costa Rica and Kenya. To follow up on trips in the last two years, teachers and students are planning their return visits for next summer.

In 2010, nine students in the Environmental Club, led by Daniel Grigson, visited the Maasai people in Kenya. Working together, the students and the Maasai people recorded a CD of original music now available at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and iTunes. Right now, they're working on music for a new CD promoting environmental stability as well as a field guide— the first ever to be published in English, Maasai and Swahili.

"This has literally changed my life," said student Justin Godfrey. "I've made new friends and I've gained confidence."

Just last year, another group of Spanish students flew to Costa Rica to learn about the language, dance, culture and more. The 12 kids learned salsa and meringue, tried new foods, made new friends and soaked up the sights and sounds of a foreign country.

"It is a chance of a lifetime to travel to Costa Rica as a middle school student," said teacher Claudia Vakos. "Those students return with a better understanding of world economics and other cultures."

Students raised thousands of dollars for the trip and even donated $500 and school supplies to a school in Costa Rica.

"These are not field trips," said Lee Burneson Principal Paul Wilson. "These are educational, life-changing experiences. The teachers have such a desire to help these kids get a world view instead of just sit in a classroom and learn."