Ibis Gardens

After finishing the 3-day Homestay program, participants then travel to Ibis Gardens where they have time to relax, recharge, and reflect on all they have learned. Ibis Gardens is a nice lodge/resort type area where participants are eased back into their own world again. Time is given at Ibis for them to relax and spend time reflecting on their experiences. However, there is other work that is done at Ibis Gardens as well. A typical day at Ibis Gardens involves morning sessions with Regional and Cluster administrative people. This is where we share some things with them about strategy, finance, administration, etc. which will be more specific to their individual circumstances. After the administrative sessions, participants go through a few hours of PILAT language learning training. The PILAT program is designed to help them learn how to learn a language. Again, PILAT is experiential in that we do mock sessions with African helpers, so that participants will understand how to set up their own language-learning program when they get to their assignment. The afternoons are free, but on one afternoon, each participant has a time of debriefing with the program director and regional staff. This is an opportunity for the participants to evaluate their own 40/40 experience and put everything together at one time. This is also an opportunity for the participant to examine the question of “what is next?” and consider how they will apply what they have learned when they arrive on their particular field. Then they are put on the plane and head off, hopefully better prepared, to their chosen assignment.
I'll add some pics. later.