Student Exchange Program

Croatian Students Visit CCC

Nine students and two faculty members from the language school IV Gimnazija UNESCO High School in Zagreb, Croatia arrived in Florida last Friday, to experience seven days of education, entertainment and fun.

On Sunday, March 8th, CCC students and visiting students from Croatia traveled to Orlando and spent the day at Disney's Epcot Center.

___________________________________________________

Croatians Visit Clearwater Central Catholic High School (CCC) Through Intenational Exchange Program

Clearwater, Florida, February 29, 2008…As part of Clearwater Central Catholic High School’s (CCC) “International Exchange Program”, ten students and two faculty members from the language school IV Gimnazija UNESCO High School in Zagreb, Croatia arrived in Florida on Friday, February 15 to experience seven days of education, entertainment and fun. A program specifically designed to expose our guests to various aspects of our culture had our Croatian friends shadowing classes with their CCC student hosts, exploring our beautiful beaches, dining at local favorite restaurants and visiting Clearwater City Hall, Pinellas County Courts and Commission, Busch Gardens and other area attractions.

On Monday February 18, the Croatians spent the day shadowing their CCC host student, attending classes and having lunch with them. Because Croatia is the newest country in the European Union, democracy is a very interesting subject to them. State Representative Janet C. Long coordinated a visit to local Government Agencies on Tuesday, February 19. The day included attending a Clearwater City Council Workshop Session, a tour of the Pinellas County criminal court facility, a visit to The Honorable Judge Pam Cambells’s courtroom, and a trip to the County Court House to meet with the County Commissioners where they toured the facility and received a Proclamation presented by Commissioner John Morroni, a current CCC Parent.

On Wednesday, February 20, Great Bay Distributors and Anheuser Busch generously provided the opportunity for CCC host students and our Croatian visitors to enjoy the day at Busch Gardens. On Thursday, February 21 was a trip to the Miccosukee Indian Village where our visitors experienced an airboat ride through the Florida Everglades. Friday, February 22 the host families chose activities for their Croatian guests, which included visits to Disney theme parks, Prime Outlet Malls and International Plaza.

Our hospitality is returned each Fall over Thanksgiving break, when CCC students and faculty travel to Croatia to visit the IV Gimnazija UNESCO High School. The International Exchange Program begun seven years ago by Dr. Fred Butler, a former Clearwater Central Catholic High School World Language department chairperson, emphasizes international understanding and world peace, which enhances CCC’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB).

___________________________________________________

(2006-2007)

CCC Welcomes Croatian Friends

CCC's Media Center

Disney World

Busch Gardens

Croatian Students/Teachers with Gov. Charlie Crist and Rep. Janet C. Long in Tallahassee, Florida

As part of an “International Exchange Program”, eight students and two faculty members from IV Gimnazija UNESCO High School in Zagreb, Croatia arrived in Florida on Friday, March 9th to experience eight days of education, entertainment and fun.

A program specifically designed to expose our guests to various aspects of our culture had our Croatian friends shadowing classes with their CCC student hosts, exploring our beautiful beaches, dining at local favorite restaurants and visiting Tallahassee, Busch Gardens and other area attractions. On Tuesday, March 13th they traveled to Tallahassee where the group was formally recognized by Representative Janet Long in an education committee meeting and toured the House, Senate, and Capitol Complex, meeting Governor Charlie Crist, Chief Financial Officer, Alex Sink, Senator Dennis Jones and other government officials. Because Croatia is the newest country in the European Union, democracy is a very interesting subject to them. Croatian students find it fascinating to observe the American legislative process and had the opportunity to participate in a mock Senate session. On Thursday, March 15, Great Bay Distributors generously provided the opportunity for CCC host families and our Croatian visitors to enjoy the day at Busch Gardens that included a “behind the scenes” tour of Sheikra, Busch Gardens’ newest roller coaster.

Our hospitality is returned each Fall over Thanksgiving break, when our students and faculty travel to Croatia to visit the IV Gimnazija UNESCO language school. The International Exchange Program which began six years ago by Dr. Fred Butler, a former CCC World Language Department Chairperson, emphasizes international understanding and world peace, which enhances CCC’s International Baccalaureate Programme (IB).

CCC Students Visit Croatia

Photos courtesy of Karen Johnson

The sixth annual cultural exchange between Clearwater Central Catholic High School (CCC) and the IV Gimnazija UNESCO language school in Croatia took place in November 2006. Croatian families hosted 10 CCC students and 3 teacher-chaperones for one week and we were treated to a wide variety of experiences which enriched our knowledge of Croatia’s history, culture, and people.

We gathered on Sunday and traveled by bus to the northernmost region of Croatia known as Zagorje, an area of villages set in the mountains, which provide a backdrop for the existence of Croatia’s rural population. The scenery afforded a passage to our destination including tours of the 13^th century fortified castle at Trakošćan, a Pauline order monastery and a lacemaking school in Lepoglava, the baroque architecture in the town of Varaždin, and the pilgrimage site of Marija Bistrica, where in 1998, Pope John Paul II beatified the Croatian Archbishop Alojzije Stepinac.

Monday was a day of official visits starting at the compound of the head of state in Croatia, President Stjepan Mesić. The U.S. Ambassador greeted us and we spent about 20 minutes with President Mesić where he gave a short talk on his hopes of Croatia’s eventual entry into NATO and the European Union. The official exchange of gifts at school capped our day as we were treated to a variety show of music and dance along with a hilarious take on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in English. We stopped next in various classrooms and talked about CCC and life in the U.S.

We took an early flight on Tuesday morning to Dubrovnik, a massive, century’s-old fortification town. Although people still live inside the walls as evidenced by laundry hanging on lines in the stairways, commercialism and a hefty $1,100 per square meter price pressures its citizens to sell and move outside the walls. Because of its location on the southernmost coast on the Adriatic Sea, Dubrovnik exudes Mediterranean charm and is dubbed the “Pearl of the Adriatic.”

On Wednesday, in celebration of our Catholic faith, we were treated to a visit to the Kaptol, the Zagreb Archbishopric, where we visited with the archbishop’s assistant, took a tour of the Zagreb cathedral and its treasury, and learned the background of Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, the beatified Archbishop, who was so influential during the upheaval of World War II and who sought the independence of Croatia from Yugoslavia.

An interesting sidebar to our visit was a teacher’s strike which affected all schools during the latter part of the week. In Croatia, salaries for teachers, doctors, and lawyers are set by the government. No picket signs were in sight but each teacher wore a round blue tag declaring their strike for better wages. (Note: a late-night settlement was worked out the Saturday we departed guaranteeing a 20% raise over the next six years).

The students spent the remainder of their visit making new acquaintances, eating new foods, and living the life of an urban Croatian teen. No matter the distance or cultural differences, the friendships made cross all boundaries and we look forward to March when Croatian students and teachers come to Clearwater.

Written by Karen Johnson