Haley Reimbold '06 (Roosevelt, N.J.) spent much of her summer abroad, first in Sweden, as she wrapped up her spring semester there, and then in Germany for two months. Spending time in foreign countries was not merely for enjoyment and travel —Reimbold had a specific purpose, to research and observe the degree of equality within the education systems of these nations for an Emerson project she is creating, titled "Equal Opportunity for All: A Comparative Study of Education in Germany, Sweden and the United States."
A women's studies major with a minor in education, Reimbold has been interested in the possibility of equality of opportunity within education since high school.
"By equality of opportunity, I am referring to how strong the correlation is between students' socioeconomic backgrounds and their academic achievement," Reimbold explained.
Reimbold says she became interested in applying for the Emerson grant after she studied the educational system in the U.S. in a course titled "Theory and Politics of Education," with Vivyan Adair the Elihu Root Peace Fund Associate Professor of Women's Studies, who is also her Emerson advisor. While abroad in Stockholm, Sweden, Reimbold, who is interested in educational policy and welfare policy, conducted an independent study on the educational system with Professor Susan Mason.
"While in Sweden, I was able to see how inequalities can be better equalized through adaptable curricula, redistributive funding structures and innovative teaching methods," said Reimbold.
Her Emerson Grant has allowed her to expand her study to Germany and compare the three countries. "Germany has a unique educational system, as students are placed into a distinct track at an early age, which profoundly decreases the equality of opportunities for students," she said.
In May and June she interned at a German school, where she conducted participant observation while interviewing teachers and students. Since classes have ended, she has been reading about Germany's educational system and has been comparing the educational systems of Sweden, Germany and the U.S.
Hamilton students have been awarded Emerson Grants to collaborate with faculty members during the summer on topics ranging from forgery in the arts to Nietzsche's influence on the Harlem Renaissance.
-- by Katherine Trainor
