Summer School Elka Prechel ’26 was inspired by a Spring Term Abroad to explore her passion for teaching in France and Italy this summer.

By Kelsey Goodwin
August 29, 2024

“Beyond a career in the classroom, the experience taught me the importance of leading a group of any age through an inquiry-based approach and the benefits of encouraging critical thinking from a young age.”

~ Elka Prechel ’26

Elka Prechel ’26 managed to spend most of her summer in Europe without ever leaving the classroom.

Prechel, a cognitive and behavioral science and studio art double major and education minor from Corvallis, Oregon, spent four weeks teaching at the ICS Paris International School, an International Baccalaureate (IB) school in Paris, before traveling to Italy to conduct research with an organization called Base Camp, which facilitates international education experiences for undergraduates. Prechel, who spent her previous summer working as a camp counselor, was inspired to pursue her summer plans after her experience with a 2023 Spring Term Abroad course. Education studies professors Haley Sigler and Eric Moffa taught the course, titled “Educating for Global Citizenship: Policies, Practices and Purposes in the U.S. and Italy.” The group spent most of their time at Base Camp in Castiglione Fiorentino, Italy. Prechel said the experience, which was her first foray abroad, made her excited to explore teaching internationally as a career possibility, and she approached her professors about how to find more opportunities to do so.

“Elka was enthusiastic about gaining more experience teaching internationally, and we knew we could make that happen,” said Sigler.

Many European school systems continue their academic year through the end of June, which allowed Prechel to go directly from her Spring Term Abroad this year in Spain, an art history course called “Modern Art in Barcelona: From Gaudí to Dalí,” and gain a full month of teaching experience at ICS before students left for summer break. Prechel said the cultural differences between the U.S. and French education systems initially presented some challenges, including the schedule and structure of the school day. ICS had more than 85 nationalities represented in its student body, resulting in students bringing varying cultural norms from their home countries’ school systems into the classroom. However, Prechel found it to be a valuable learning experience that provided insights into teaching in an international, multicultural environment.

“My experience in Paris showed me different educational structures and methods used in IB schools,” Prechel said. “Beyond a career in the classroom, the experience taught me the importance of leading a group of any age through an inquiry-based approach and the benefits of encouraging critical thinking from a young age.”

After her tenure in Paris, Prechel spent most of July in Italy working with Base Camp, which partnered with Sigler and Moffa for their 2023 Spring Term Abroad. Prechel completed over 40 pages of informational writing, including a student handbook, a document of key cultural differences, a comparison of the IB program and the American school system and a potential program design for other students or interns interested in a student-teaching experience abroad. She also assisted in a weeklong English summer camp for elementary students in Italy.

Prechel would like to see W&L offer an approved IB certification program, which would allow future education students to obtain their IB teaching credentials as part of their undergraduate studies. She enjoyed the educational writing she completed while in Italy and is open to exploring other writing or research opportunities. Although she is still in the early stages of decision on a career path, she knows that working with K-12 students somewhere in the world is in her future — all she needs to decide is where.

“I’ve considered Spain but have also heard good things about teaching in Dubai,” Prechel said. “And I have ancestry in Germany, so I would love to consider Germany as well. We’ll see!”

Prechel received a summer grant from the Center for International Education to participate in this experience and said that the financial support and mentorship she has received at W&L have far exceeded her expectations.

“The professors who met with me and gave me feedback every step of the way were the key to organizing the entire opportunity. W&L also gave me a CIE grant to fund the internship experience, which was the only way I was able to participate since it was unpaid,” Prechel said. “The support of W&L made this opportunity possible for me; it was an experience of unmatched personal and professional value.”