Children from the Year 1 class of Little English School in Vicenza, Italy, listen as AFN Broadcaster Sgt. Matthew O'Neill explains the operation of the radio studio. Children were visiting the installation March 14, 2013, as part of a project on "Peo...
Caserma Ederle Firefighter Manuel Pavan helps Riccardo Susti and Daisy Howarth as Fire Captain Joseph Brewer looks on. The 18 children from Little English School in Vicenza, Italy, visited the fire department and AFN Vicenza studio March 14, 2013, as...
VICENZA, Italy- Students from the Little English School of Vicenza visited Caserma Ederle March 14 to find out something about their American neighbors. The children in Year 1 (a and b) visited the installation's Fire Department and the Armed Forces Network Vicenza radio and TV studios as part of a class project titled "People who serve the community."
What better place to start than a visit to a fire station.
"The core mission of the fire department is to help our fellow man," said Assistant Fire Chief Joseph Brewer. "Introducing children to this ideology early provides a solid foundation for their development in the future."
The 18 visiting children attend Little English School, an international English school located in Vicenza that offers early childhood, elementary education and after school programs.
At the AFN broadcast center, Sgt. Matthew O'Neill said, "I had a great time showing the kids around the station. They got to learn a little about what we do here, and they even got to stand in front of the blue screen and see themselves in front of our virtual studio."
O'Neill recorded several of the children talking and demonstrated how people's voices can be changed for radio spots. "They got quite a chuckle when one classmate's voice came out sounding like a robot," he said.
Teacher Jennifer Winfield said, "Both Year 1 classes at the Little English School had a blast and learned so many new things. Year one are writing a thank you letter currently. They are using all their best skills."
O'Neill said, "I just loved seeing their smiling faces and knowing that they enjoyed the chance to see inside a real TV and radio studio."
"The Little English School provides instruction in both Italian and English, and this interaction gives the children the opportunity to use their English skills and be exposed to the American children and community," said Jeff Gliedman, a U.S. Army Africa staff member whose wife Stefania helped arrange the visit in her role as translator/interpreter at ACS.
He said it was the third time in two years that a trip had been organized to Caserma Ederle. Past visits included an exchange between Vicenza Elementary School and Little English School fourth-grade classes, he said.
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