This summer 18 Atlanta public-school teachers will close their classrooms and embark on odysseys around the world.

One, Neville McFarlane will attend a photovoltaic design and installation workshop in Colorado; Natalie Colbert will head to Switzerland, and Terri Dunson plans to volunteer in Chengdu, China.

Each trip is made possible through the Fund for Teachers grants for a total of some $77,000.

The winning essays revealed the teachers' hopes and dreams for their schools and classrooms. Here are some excerpts from their mission statements:

Shemeicka Bean and Langston Longley, Stanton D.H. Elementary

Trip: Japan, to study and learn techniques for teaching math.

Mission: "We would like to learn the strategies used by Japanese educators to motivate their students to reach their full potential."

Reosha Bush and Tiedra Hutchings, Alonzo A. Crim Open Campus High School

Trip: England, to research the founding of Georgia

Mission: "The purpose of this fellowship is to get beyond pictures, mental images and historical documents to real experiences that can be shared."

Sydney Butler, Alonzo A. Crim Open Campus High School

Trip: Spain, for an international conference on special education.

Mission: "My desire is to tap into the rich resources of research based techniques ... of professionals from around the world."

Natalie Colbert, Sutton Middle School; and Reginald Colbert, North Atlanta High School

Trip: Switzerland's Verbier Festival Academy.

Mission: "By immersing ourselves in this artistic environment at Verbier, we will be able to teach in a more holistic and thorough manner."

Terri Dunson, Rivers Elementary

Trip: China, to study giant panda breeding.

Mission: "I want [students] to learn about wildlife conservation and to understand that ... they can indeed make a difference in the life of an animal living an entire continent away."

Beverly Easterling, Kennedy Middle

Trip: South Africa, to study racial reconciliation.

Mission: "My hope would be to ... stop the cycle of violence as a form of conflict resolution."

Sabrina Harris, Bolton Academy Elementary

Trip: Costa Rica, to learn Spanish.

Mission: "Because I have an increasing number of Spanish-speaking students and families every year, I need to be able to communicate clearly with them."

Charon Kirkland, Woodson Elementary; and Lorrae Walker, Scott Elementary

Trip: Dominica, to explore tropical conservation and ecology.

Mission: "[We're] interested in learning innovative ways to teach science, while integrating technology, literacy, and mathematics."

Amy Leonard, Grady High School

Trip: Italy, to explore ancient Rome

Mission: "I want to enlighten my students as to the "gray areas" of another culture, not what they did, but why."

Breverly Littles, Young Middle School

Trip: Spain, to research African influences on Spanish culture

Mission: "I engage middle grades students in the Spanish language and culture every day, and I would love to experience the country firsthand in order to bring authentic instruction to my classroom."

Neville McFarlane, Southside High

Trip: Colorado, to attend a photovoltaic design and installation workshop.

Mission: "I have a deep personal interest in renewable energy technologies and getting students more conscious of clean energy technologies."

Angela Nelson, Garden Hills Elementary

Trip: Egypt and Jordan, to learn teaching strategies and cultural differences related to ESL students

Mission: "I hope to bring back and share my impressions of Islam and the Muslim people, providing insight for my school community into a region and people that I suspect is grossly misunderstood by many in our country."

Xylecia Taylor, Williams Elementary

Trip: Ghana, to help harvest biodiesel fuel and teach English

Mission: "The Youth Institute for Science and Technology [in Agogo, Ghana] is teaching children how to create biodiesel energy from household products, specifically palm fruit."

Traci West, Bolton Academy Elementary

Trip: Ecuador's Equinox Spanish School, to study Hispanic culture and language.

Mission: "The purpose of this fellowship is to enrich my knowledge and passion for the Hispanic language and culture in order to instill this same passion in my students."

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