![\"\"](\"https:\/\/floc.org\/flocold2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/hello.jpg\")
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For the third year in a row, FLOC Scholars in Washington have been pen pals this semesterhello with FLOC Leaders in Action students in West Virginia. These middle schoolers live less than two hours away from one another, but those 70 miles represent a significant difference between the urban environment of DC and the rural environment of Jefferson County. As program wraps up this month in both places, we thought we\u2019d take a look back at the letters these middle school students have written over the last few months and the relationships they\u2019ve formed in the process.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/floc.org\/flocold2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/dc-scholars-6th-grade-pen-pals-project-2.jpg\")
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The letters begin with lots of questions:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is your school like?\u201d \u201cWhat is your favorite thing to do outside?\u201d \u201cWhat do you want to do when you grow up?\u201d \u201cWho likes Chick-fil-a?\u201d \u201cDo you like to read? Do you like to play? Do you like homework?\u201d<\/p>\n
And continue with requested answers:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I grow up, I want to be an underwater mechanic.\u201d \u201cMy winter break was good. I did watch The Hunger Games. It was good, but it was a bit sad.\u201d \u201cWe\u2019ve missed about a week and a half of school because of snow. We went sledding, snowboarding, and shoveled snow.\u201d <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/floc.org\/flocold2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/group-of-letters.jpg\")
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They\u2019re chatty, inquisitive, friendly, and colorful, punctuated with drawings and P.S.\u2019s and jokes. They talk about their favorite foods and TV shows, video games and YouTube stars, Star Wars and Deadpool and Alvin and the Chipmunks, winter break snow and spring break plans. They shatter misconceptions (No, the West Virginians don\u2019t live in barns. Yes, there are places to sled in DC.) There\u2019s even a little touch of election politics conversation.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/floc.org\/flocold2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/wv-lia-charles-town-middle-school-pen-pal-project.jpg\")
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Most of all, it\u2019s clear that for all these students live in different communities, they have a lot more in common than not. It\u2019s also clear that friendships are blossoming via their writing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been a good experience to communicate with you\u2026 I hope to see you in summer camp.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/floc.org\/flocold2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sap-8811.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
(Elizabeth Metz is the Recruitment and Outreach Manager at FLOC.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For the third year in a row, FLOC Scholars in Washington have been pen pals this semesterhello with FLOC Leaders in Action students in West Virginia. These middle schoolers live less than two hours away from one another, but those 70 miles represent a significant difference between the urban environment of DC and the rural environment of Jefferson County.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[48,62,57],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n