Carrying out its mission to challenge and empower the next generation to create lives of authenticity, abundance, and altruism, the US-based NextGen Academy sent students to five Asian countries in the spring of 2008 to serve as interns in UPF's Character Education Initiative.
Team Nepal, consisting of Laura Hinkle, Teddy Sylte, and Rita Asaoka, discovered as they left teeming Kathmandu that the scenery in Nepal was "soooooo beautiful!" It was full of green mountains and valleys and fresh with unspoiled air. The interns did a lot of teaching in classrooms at four different schools, all of which begged them to return. They also went to a school for orphans that was built by a sister organization, The International Relief Friendship Foundation, and taught character education lessons on teamwork and gratitude and did a cleaning service project. 
The team was in Nepal on Election Day, and although there were government precautions in case of riots, and some polling stations were closed down due to roughness by the Maoist and Communist Parties, the interns saw no violence or problems at all. It was an exciting time to be there. The interns learned enough Nepalese to campaign for the Family Party, whose family-centered platform they supported.
In spite of peaceful elections, intern Laura did get mugged and robbed-by a monkey! The monkey pulled her hair and stole her ice cream! However, she was unhurt except for her pride.
The heart of the Nepali people made up for the rudeness of the monkey. Laura said, "All I have to do is give a smile to anyone on the street and I will receive the warmest, most genuine smile in return. I really admire the Nepali people for their hard work, honesty, and giving hearts. They are truly the friendliest people I've ever met. It is in Nepal that I experience the hope and reality of world peace."
NextGen Interns Promote Character Education in Nepal
- Written by: Office of Character Education