What in the world is "Vicarious Voyage?" Well, it's a very creative, innovative, educational program that helps students in classrooms back home to participate in this voyage. Lauren's teacher Judy Bosack was eager to participate, and she involved the entire 4th grade at Peebles Elementary School here in the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh. Students on the voyage mail letters and any cultural items of interest to their assigned classrooms, and the children mail questions and interesting letters to the students on the ship. It was great that Christy was able to participate in the program, and she was able to work with Peebles School!

Here are the students on board who corresponded with the Peebles Elementary School 4th graders. From left to right are Chris Pappas, Amy Mariaskin, Christy, and Tim Edwards.
Deborah Harris was in charge of making and grading assignments. Because of the sheer magnitude of the task of assigning grades to dozens of projects and hundreds of students, there were helpers from time to time. I only helped once, but Carole pitched in on multiple occasions. Thanks to husband Jack Harris for this photo.
And here's Peebles Elementary School, newly remodeled last summer. This is a new school for Lauren, as our neighborhood had just been redistricted at the end of last spring. Lauren went from a very large school to a smaller one.
The fourth graders shared one bulletin board in the hallway that included the mailings from Christy (technology), Tim (clothing), Chris (food), and Amy (wildlife).
Inside Lauren's class we find Mrs. Bosack working with the last pin and yarn, marking the return of "lost" student Lauren (the "3-D" lettering was on the board, not superimposed on the photo). She told me that the kids were asking on a daily basis if a vicarious voyage package had been received; this points out how much the children care about the program.
This is the S.S. Universe Explorer under the new name "S.S. Lauren."
And this is Mrs. Bosack and the kids from Lauren's class who corresponded with Christy, Tim, Chris, and Amy.
On January 25, 2000, our entire family visited the school, which is now the host of another vicarious voyage with Lauren now on the school's end! Here's Carole giving her perspective of having "wave days" that gave the same benefits as "snow days!" Notice that the bulletin board now says "Where in the world are the students" (see above).
Here are the kids listening very politely and enthusiastically to our travel talk.
Lauren set up a reprise of her "World Museum" table that she set up on the ship. See the "Trek Home" page; Lauren really wished she could have had display tables nearby staffed by Elizabeth, Emily, and Daniel, as she did on the ship. Here's Mrs. Bosack telling the kids about the display.
At the end, we handed out some international treats. Kids react well to food! Lauren's good buddy Claire tries some Japanese rice crackers.

Photos copyright 1999, Dennis F. Galletta