PTPI Blog

It always makes us smile when we hear news of our members being recognized for their achievements.  Bruce Johnson of La Porte, Indiana USA recently received a very prestigious honor.  Read more about Bruce, his award, his amazing travel experiences and his lengthy history of involvement with PTPI.

1. First things first, congratulations on being named Indiana’s Educator of the Year!  That’s an incredible honor.  Is there anything in particular that you feel contributed to you being nominated for and winning the award – advice you received or a particular outlook you have on life and try to bring to your classroom?

Thank you.  It has been a thrilling experience to be honored locally, in the district, and by the state.  I have been blessed with an amazing life of golden opportunities that I have been able to share with my school and community.  I have enjoyed working on many projects in the community with PTPI, the historical society, the library, my church, and many other organizations.  It has also been exciting sharing my travel experiences with local organizations as well as with my school.  Photography is my hobby, and I enjoy putting together travel documentaries in which I can teach others about the beauty of other cultures through my visits with families, schools, and typical communities in other countries.

I realize that others are not as fortunate to have the opportunities to do what I have done.  Therefore I am thankful I can take them with me for a short adventure to another amazing place in our wonderful world.  My students and members of the community seem to truly appreciate going along for the ride and are left with long-lasting, positive memories.  I am a busy person, but I love doing everything I do. I feel that I need to do my share in getting important jobs done in order to make this world a much better place for all of us now and in the future.  I think that my parents have been a major influence and excellent example in helping me to be a good example for others.

Bruce Johnson on the edge of a glacier in Iceland

2. The article in your local newspaper talks about your involvement in numerous organizations…one of which we know is PTPI.  Tell us how long you’ve been involved and what some of your most memorable experiences have been.

After returning home from my term as a Peace Corps Volunteer on the island of St. Vincent, I became very interested in PTPI.  I joined our La Porte Chapter and have been a member for more than 35 years.  During those years I served as vice-president, president, board of director’s member, chairman of the Great Lakes Council of chapters in Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio, and on the PTPI Board of Trustees in Kansas City.  Some of my most memorable experiences have been hosting homestays from Italy, France, Switzerland, Japan, China, our sister chapter from Scotland, a folk dance troop from Denmark, and a gymnastics team from Denmark, too.  Other special memories include visiting many people I have hosted, meeting Susan Eisenhower and George H. W. Bush in Washington, D.C., singing the People to People song for Mary Eisenhower in La Porte, and making so many wonderful friends over the years from all over the world.

3. The article also mentions the tremendous amount of countries you’ve visited (78!) and how you have taught overseas twice.   How did you become interested in traveling and learning about other cultures?  Is there any part of the world that stands out as a favorite?

I caught the “travel bug” as a child when I traveled with my parents throughout the United States during the summers.  Then after college, I served in the Peace Corps and began doing graduate projects overseas during my summers.  I did research in comparative education, history, and culture in Japan, China, Australia, England, Russia, and France.  I also taught children of missionaries in the bush of Liberia in western Africa for a year.

Each summer I try to visit an area of the world where I have not been.  Last summer I traveled throughout South Africa with excursions to Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Victoria Falls.  This year I explored Honduras, El Salvador, Belize, and Guatemala to experience the Mayan ruins.  When people ask me what are my favorite countries I have two answers.  I love Peru for the Andes Mountains, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, the mysterious line drawings in the Nazca Desert, the ancient Incan culture, and the Amazon rain forest. However, I also love China because of its amazing history and culture and the warm and friendly people.

Bruce Johnson at Machu Picchu in Peru

4. You participated in PTPI’s School and Classroom Program and were paired with teachers in many different countries, correct?  How did your classrooms interact and what do you feel your students gained from being involved in the program?

For more than 25 years my students have written letters to pen pals at Bowhouse Primary School in Grangemouth, Scotland, La Porte’s sister chapter.  We have also written to children in classrooms in Turkmenistan and Jordan because some of my former students have taught in those countries.  We have written to classes in Bulgaria and Romania for several years through the School and Classroom Program, too. Now we are also writing to students at our new partner school in China. Over the years we have exchanged letters, cards, stories, drawings, coins, stamps, photos, pencils, and other small gifts.  In 2006, the teacher with whom we corresponded in Bulgaria came to meet me in Istanbul, Turkey!  It was a major effort on her part because she had to travel by bus all night and had never been to Turkey before.  She was quite frightened but determined to come and spend a day together.  It was truly special.

My students have a new appreciation of cultural diversity.  Children are very much the same throughout the world except that the kids of the USA find that they have so much more than kids in other countries.  They are amazed at how other families live in small apartments, own very little, and work so hard in school for a good education. I hope my students leave my class with a new appreciation for what they have and a better understanding of the differences of other cultures.

5. Do you feel it is important for all people to try and be understanding of cultures different than their own and if so, why?

I feel that most citizens of the US seem to have little interest or concern for other countries and cultures.  Unfortunately, the news media seems to dwell on negative news of unrest, disaster, and hostile governments.  It leaves a bad impression of many countries and cultures.  However, other countries seem to air much of our negative news on the scandals of our celebrities in music and movies and pop culture as well as anything negative in our government, too.  This is why I feel it so very important to share with my students what I know of other countries and cultures and compare them to us.  Then we can realize how much we are the same and how we all truly want to be positive and work together for peace and prosperity.