CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVITY

We started the day by driving to Birmingham, a focal point of the Civil Rights Movement. There we had a program at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, site of a KKK bombing in 1963 during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement that killed four young girls, and a tour of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, a world-class museum focusing on the Civil Rights Movement in the South. After that we returned to Huntsville for a chili supper at the Powers’ and to watch the 2015 movie Selma, a film about one of the most important events of the movement.

Group pic in front of 16th Street Baptist Church

Bombingham!

The World is Watching!

GATLINBURG

About 30 CIEE students from Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia spent the the weekend of January 26 through 28 in Gatlinburg. We went skiing, skating, and visited the Aquarium of the Smokies and the Guinness Book of World Records Museum. There was also free time to explore Gatlinburg and enjoys the hot tubs and indoor/outdoor swimming pool at the hotel.

 

GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY

On January 11 students participated in an activity to learn about American municipal and federal forms of government. We met with Congressman Mo Brook's Huntsville office staff and City Council Woman Jennie Robertson and attended a Huntsville City Council meeting where Mayor Tommy Battle presented each of the students with an official certificate of recognition from the City of Huntsville.

Students at Congressman Mo Brooks office

After meeting with her, students pose with City Council Woman Jennie Robinson

Waiting for the Huntsville City Council meeting to begin

Students show off their certificates just presented to them by Mayor Tommy Battle

CIEE CHRISTMAS PARTY

We got together to celebrate the holidays on December 10, the day after several of us did community service work at Christmas Charities Year Round. The students brought a dish from their home countries to share.

Students pose for a photo

Students play a game of Jenga

Ben makes a move

Vishvam plays Dirty Santa

Dig in

CIEE HALLOWEEN PARTY

Everyone had a great time at the CIEE Halloween party at Jim and Mary's! Amazing costumes!

HUNTSVILLE WEEKEND

CIEE students, host families and LCs from Georgia and Tennessee joined us in Huntsville for the weekend of October 14 and 15. First, we visited the U.S. Space & Rocket Center where we toured the exhibitions, rode Space Shot and the other simulators and watched a captivating IMAX movie about space exploration. Next we visited the Huntsville Botanical Garden, one of the top ten attractions in the southeastern United States. We wrapped up our Saturday at Bridge Street Town Center where everyone enjoyed a wide variety of shopping and restaurants.  The weekend concluded Sunday morning with a tour of nearby Cathedral Caverns, one of the largest and most beautiful caves in the world.

Students pose for a picture under the Saturn V

Space Shot

Three students enjoy the beautiful weather in Space Park

Zahid and Vishvam climb the rock wall

Vishvam turns his head for a photo

Students pose for a photo at the entrance to the Botanical Gardens

Friends from around the world 

Artistic pose in front of area set up for wedding

Mary and Hank in Butterfly House

Students pose for a picture at the entrance to Cathedral Caverns

Goliath

Waterfall

Cathedral Room

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL A BIG SUCCESS!!

CIEE participated in iFest, UAH's annal international festival that celebrates the diversity of cultures in our area.  We set up a booth to promote CIEE's high school program and to recruit future host families.  Students earned community service hours as the promoted CIEE and enjoyed the festival. Thanks to the good work of the CIEE representatives, fourteen families requested that we send them information about becoming a host family!