Publication Date
Spring 2025
Abstract
This paper explores the role of cross-cultural, nature-based education in fostering intercultural understanding and environmental awareness among children through my internship completed at Hanoi EduFarm, a farm school located in the countryside of Hanoi, Vietnam. While initially intended to focus on sustainable and regenerative agriculture, the internship evolved into a teaching role, where I designed and led lessons in English centered on environmental topics, geography, and intercultural exchange.
Drawing from in-class participant observations, reflective journaling, and informal discussions with staff and faculty over 120 hours of the internship period for SIT Vietnam, this paper examines how shared experiences with nature can create meaningful connections across cultural boundaries. The findings highlight the farm school as a space not only for environmental education, but also for cultivating empathy, curiosity, and a sense of global belonging. The intercultural exchange that is such a significant part of the students’ education is facilitated by international volunteers, like me, who go to teach at the school. In highlighting my work experience, observations, analysis, and conclusions, this paper contributes to conversations around informal education, sustainability, and the potential of experiential learning to promote global citizenship in practice–even in brief, localized engagements. In addition, it highlights the need to expand access to such teaching methods, underscoring the value found in nature-based learning.
Disciplines
Arts and Humanities | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Patel, Shreeya, "Connecting Cultures Through Nature Exploring Cross-Cultural Environmental Education and Global Citizenship at Hanoi EduFarm" (2025). Vietnam: Culture, Social Change, and Development. 4.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/vnr2/4