Rio Visits Wales

In June, students and faculty from Rio made their way to Wales. The trip was organized by the Madog Center for Welsh Studies and Rio’s Education Department.

The trip focused on the education system in Wales and students were tasked with finding differences and similarities in the American and Welsh system. Students were also tasked with finding things that they felt could be implemented in their future classrooms.

The group attended lectures and workshops at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in Carmarthen, West Wales, and visited three Welsh language schools; an elementary, secondary and a grade 3 through 19 “super school.” Much of the visit to UWTSD was led by Kara Lewis, who is a previous Director of the Madog Center for Welsh Studies on the campus of University of Rio Grande. Kara now works at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David as a Senior lecturer and project manager within the Welsh Language Services department.

Although there was an educational drive to the visit, the trip allowed plenty of time to visit castles and well-known locations across Southern Wales including Cardiff Bay, Sain Ffagan Museum, Llansteffan Castle, Llangrannog, Cardigan, St David’s Cathedral, the National Library of Wales and the Three Horseshoe Inn, Llangeitho! The trip ended in London, where the group had a whistle stop tour of the city and a farewell dinner in a private dining room at a steakhouse in the Southwark area.