Our impact.

In their words.

What the numbers can’t say.

• If you want to feel like a whole different person at the end of the course, you should give it a try.

• I noticed when I watch or read something I ask questions unconsciously now. I do think this short course really affected the way I think.

• I am not someone who enjoys confrontation, so I always used to just agree with the other person. After this course and after making my project, I always try to be respectful, but I do speak up for myself more.

• We’ve seen students become more open, more engaged, and more connected with their peers during the sessions and afterward as well. James has brought a unique kind of energy to the valley that feels new and refreshing…

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  We’ve seen students become more open, more engaged, and more connected with their peers during the sessions and afterward as well. James has brought a unique kind of energy to the valley that feels new and refreshing, and the students are genuinely drawn to his teaching style and the environment he creates.

• Nowadays it's really complicated for me to pay attention to something fully and lay aside everything else. The course has definitely helped with my attention span. It has also sparked a necessity for me to keep reading.

• I have never been in such a diverse environment and all course participants from different countries really affected me. I understand now how people are affected by where they are born and how they are raised. I feel…

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  I have never been in such a diverse environment and all course participants from different countries really affected me. I understand now how people are affected by where they are born and how they are raised. I feel like the course made me a more open-minded person and gave me a better understanding of the world's diversity and its importance. This course is not just an option to me. It is a world where I can raise my voice like a normal human.

• Even if I disagree with someone’s interpretation or thinking, I try to follow their way of thinking and try to understand them better.

• Comparing opinions with other people you couldn’t relate to in the beginning kind of felt a bit scary at first but then I got much more confident.

• I consider myself a shy and timid person, but thanks to this course, I have learned to be more comfortable with sharing my opinions with other people.

• At the end, we had a calm and comforting discussion that wasn't tied to any reading. It was more of a post-course reflection and small talk. What surprised me was the sense of closeness I felt to those people.

• There are great teachers everywhere, no matter the education system. Kanstantsin and Amir gathered a wonderful group of teachers for their project. I learned from them as much as they learned from my experience in the…

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  There are great teachers everywhere, no matter the education system. Kanstantsin and Amir gathered a wonderful group of teachers for their project. I learned from them as much as they learned from my experience in the St. John's classroom.

• First of all, thank you so much for your work, dedication, and effort. Aroa has learned a tremendous amount -she even watched all the movies!- She has absolutely loved the experience and is delighted to have had the…

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  First of all, thank you so much for your work, dedication, and effort. Aroa has learned a tremendous amount -she even watched all the movies!- She has absolutely loved the experience and is delighted to have had the opportunity to get to know both of you, as well as the other participants. Once again, thank you for this initiative. It's truly fantastic.

• One of the seminars took a topic I had a very strong and one sided view about and turned it into a much more open minded opinion.

• This was my first experience having conversations with people from different countries and backgrounds. I used to think I already understood different perspectives, but the course gave me the chance to experience it in…

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  This was my first experience having conversations with people from different countries and backgrounds. I used to think I already understood different perspectives, but the course gave me the chance to experience it in real life. I learned to look at things from another person's perspective and understand that our values and principles are often shaped by where we come from.

• My son, Mark, absolutely loved today's seminar. This is the first time he's been excited about non-tech class ever. I guess it's a miracle in today's age of 30-second clips competing for teens' attention, to see my son…

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  My son, Mark, absolutely loved today's seminar. This is the first time he's been excited about non-tech class ever. I guess it's a miracle in today's age of 30-second clips competing for teens' attention, to see my son reading classical literature for hours, in anticipation of discussions with Svet's literary group. The atmosphere of openness, interest in teens' opinions, gentle encouragement of interest, and deep love and knowledge of literature contributed more to my son's enjoyment of previously intimidating classics than any of the previous academically rigorous programs. I think Kanstantsin has a great and rare gift of not just teaching literature, but integrating it into his students' lives and making them not afraid of exploring on their own.

• I was always shy and thought my question was ridiculous. But then I'd see that the question I thought was ridiculous was the one everyone was asking, and the seminar was built on it. I realized I was too shallow in…

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  I was always shy and thought my question was ridiculous. But then I'd see that the question I thought was ridiculous was the one everyone was asking, and the seminar was built on it. I realized I was too shallow in thinking they were ridiculous, they were actually very deep.

Students appear under a first name only.

What comes next.