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Among the passionate and dedicated teachers at Dobbs Ferry School District is Douglas DiStefano, veteran fifth-grade teacher at Springhurst Elementary School. DiStefano has been involved in a wide range of professional undertakings in his career. He has earned a doctorate in education, written journal articles and taught classes on educational research. Among his myriad accomplishments, DiStefano says that no accolade or project has ever been as meaningful as his trip to Limpopo, South Africa, last summer.
“It was life-changing,” DiStefano said. “It was one of the best things I’ve ever done with my life. … We taught for nine days straight from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. I taught 11th grade, 12th grade and college-age students.”
DiStefano, his wife, daughter and a handful of other teachers traveled to Limpopo, one of the poorest parts of South Africa. They went with a nonprofit group called Sumbandila, which brings in children from impoverished villages to learn from teachers like DiStefano. This opportunity for education has a positive impact on the students, who often go on to attend college.
“The kids were so excited to learn. It was just a joy for me to teach them. I asked ‘What do you want me to teach them?’ and they just said, ‘Teach them writing!’” DiStefano said. “I still get goosebumps thinking about it, because I just got to teach them about writing how I wanted to for nine days and they were on the edge of their seats for everything. They were so joyful. We would teach, then we would all eat together, and then they would put music on and they would dance all night.”
Sumbandila provides learning opportunities as well as meals and facilities for students who might not otherwise have them. The cause of education is international, and teachers like DiStefano and his colleagues at Dobbs Ferry School District share a passion for education that goes beyond the job.
“This is what teaching is all about … I learned as much from them about how to live in the moment and the joy of just eating a meal and dancing and being there together. I will go back to do it again next year,” DiStefano said.
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