ISLE Program

Welcome to the ISLE blog for the Fall 2012 program! Follow along with students during their semester in Sri Lanka and keep up to date on their activities through the photos and descriptions below.

Before meeting their host families, the students spent two days in a hotel nearby the ISLE Center. Below you can see a view of the hotel patio.

The students are treated to a breakfast of eggs, toast, and delicious tropical fruits at the hotel their first morning.

Later, the students met their Learning Partners for a hike around the University of Perediniya gardens. Here are some of the ISLE students and their Learning Partners.

Here, Sarah and Alex enjoy the view from a bridge at the University overlooking the Mahaweli River -- the longest in Sri Lanka.

The students were then introduced to their host families at the ISLE Center.

Below are Emma and Eva with their two host families, both named the Rajagurus:

Molly met her host parents, the De Silvas, and their young child:

Here is Sam with his host father:

Rachel was all smiles as she met her host family, also named the De Silvas:

Here is Sarah with her host parents, the Ekanayakes, and their two young children:

Maddie (below) posed for a photo with her host family, the Wansekaras:

Below, Charlie meets with his host family for the first time:

Here is Amiya with her host family, the Abeyratnes:

Angela (below) meets her host parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kaluarachchi, and their two daughters ages 3 and 9:

Here is Alex with his host family, the Meethalawes:

Below, Kallie meets her host parents and their twenty-year-old daughter:

Later, the students attended the Hanguranketa Perahera where they saw the elegant elephant below:

Angela snapped a photo of the dancers going by:

The parade also included drummers, flame throwers, and the young dancers dressed as butterflies seen below.