Three South Dakota middle and high school teachers returned
from a 14-day, 2,000-mile study tour of Turkey sponsored by the Turkish
Cultural Foundation. Shannon Bonner, Douglas High School art; Mary Johnson,
Groton Middle School English, reading and social studies; and Karen Rahn,
Madison Middle School language arts and social studies, spent July 13-27
traveling through an area of the world often called the "cradle of
civilization" because of its important historic sites.
Since 2007, the South Dakota World Affairs Council has
coordinated travel to Turkey for 29 South Dakota teachers to discover
contemporary and historical lessons to enhance their curriculum. The Turkish
Cultural Foundation tour was designed to expose teachers to world-famous
cultural, archaeological, architectural and natural sites. The program included
meetings with cultural experts, educators and representatives of Turkish
society.