Group Leaders, Drivers & Local Experts: The Cornerstones of Learning Adventures
- Road Scholar Phil P. recently returned from an Italian learning adventure. Along the way, he was struck by the benefits that a good Group Leader can offer.
- Group Leader Kharen Dell'Arciprete offered local insight for the group, and Phil noted that this could make or break a program, like last-minute learning opportunities in case of bad weather.
- Drivers could also make a big difference in the success of a program, based on their expertise of local roads and traffic.
The day’s itinerary was already pretty full as we reached the village of Calascio on the fifth day of our Hidden Medieval Villages of Abruzzo Road Scholar program last April. But Group Leader Kharen Dell'Arciprete had nonetheless decided to add an unplanned stop. She led the way up a path to a nearby farm where local villagers were in the process of shearing a dozen not-too-willing sheep.
Millions of sheep once grazed in this region dotted with hilltop villages surrounded by the Apennine Mountains, but the rise of synthetics and other factors long ago destroyed that social and economic engine. In fact, explained the villagers, these piles of fresh wool were now unsellable and would be just discarded. One more detail to add to the Road Scholar factoid pile — and another demonstration of the critical role Group Leaders, local experts and drivers play in not only helping to develop Road Scholar itineraries, but in being prepared to make adjustments on the ground, often on the fly.
One Group Leader, Countless Connections
Kharen, for example, learned about the sheep shearing from Lorenzo Baldi, a local expert who just hours earlier had given a fascinating talk about the region’s history to our group. He happened to mention to Kharen that his son was helping with the sheep shearing that day — and off we went.
“As a Group Leader, our job is not only to lead according to the itinerary, but to collaborate with our local experts, our drivers and others to make each program as successful as possible,” said Kharen. That’s especially true in a region as vast and relatively undeveloped as Abruzzo.
“Someone not familiar with the region could look at Google Maps and see that it's just 40 kilometers to a certain village, so they assume that the drive will take only 45 minutes,” she said. “But we check with our local drivers who know it will take much longer because of the road or other conditions. Or I might know that there are no restrooms on that particular route, so we must find another way to get to the same place without losing time.”
During this program, Kharen regularly consulted with driver Carlo Rossi, who was with us the entire time. “That collaboration is very important because we are a team,” she said. “The importance of drivers to the success of a program is often underestimated.”
The Importance of Group Leader Insight
The Abruzzo program is a relatively new one for Road Scholar, who consults with local experts as it puts together new itineraries. “Myself and another colleague, who also has many years of experience with the region, worked together with Road Scholar to help in the construction of the program. The idea was already there, but the specifics and practical details are very important. So we gave them tips and our opinion for some things.”
Group Leaders must also be prepared to make on-the-ground decisions. Sometimes bad weather means visiting a local museum rather than driving to an isolated village. Or a traveler might need medical or other assistance, requiring sudden schedule adjustments. “When such things occur, it’s important that we explain things to the participants so that they understand what's happening. As Group Leaders, we have to find the best possible solutions without interfering with the overall program.”
The Ultimate Purpose
As the program neared its end, Kharen and Carlo said to the group that they hoped it had been successful. “As locals working in the area, we wish for our participants to return home with a complete understanding of the territory,” she said. “Not just of the history or the geography, but of how people live. We want this to be an opportunity for people to see the real Italian life, not the one full of tourists or like you only find in the movies.”
Mission accomplished.
Phil Primack is a Boston-based writer whose work has appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country. His latest book is "Put It Down on Paper: The Words and Life of Mary Folsom Blair: A Fifty-Year Search."