Upper School Language and Cultural Studies department chair Lorin Pritikin is known for her jumbled classroom, filled to the ceiling with books on just about any subject you can imagine, and her passion for French culture. Her most recent expedition into all things French, funded by an enrichment grant from the school, was a five-day research trip to Acadia National Park and Rockland, Maine.

Acadia National Park, spanning 47,000 acres mostly on Maine’s Mount Desert Island, is known for its sprawling mountain ridges, serene lakes, and, during autumn, an array of abundant colors. Two hours away from the national park lies a historic French-speaking community.

The Acadian community descends from groups of French settlers who established themselves in the murky area between the U.S. and Canada in the early 1700s. Centuries of dispute resulted in a dwindled number of French-speaking people and discrimination towards those that remained. The descendants of the once-thriving Acadian community now reside in the areas near and around Maine such as Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick. Acadians work diligently to keep the French culture and language alive, while attempting to separate themselves from the French identity of those in Canada and France.

Pritikin has been teaching the history of the Acadians in her curriculum for years, both in her regular French classes and in her French Cultures courses. “It was really fun to learn about Maine and about the Acadian culture,” junior Jacob Levy, a teacher’s assistant to Pritkin and a French student of several years, said. “Because I never knew about it before Ms. Pritikin taught us.”
After years of teaching the history, Pritikin decided that she should see the place for herself. “Going to Maine was something I’d always wanted to do, and it was the right time for me to do it,” Pritikin said. “I just found it fascinating. There is a very rich French culture, even from signage and names on trucks and seeing lots of French family names.”

While in the Maine sister cities of Rockland and Rockport, Pritikin discovered a vibrant French community, as well as the beauty of Acadia National Park. Pritikin also remarked on how the colonial, maritime feel of the town still exists. During her trip, she met with Ben Levine and Julia Schulz, co-creators of “Speaking Place,” a program that utilizes media sources to create collaborations across economic classes and lifestyles. Through her discussions with these two, Pritikin was able to better understand how the French community was stripped of their culture by outsiders — and their struggle to slowly gain it back.

For example, Pritikin learned about the subtle discrimination French people in Maine faced, from restrictions on speaking their native language in schools and public spaces. Pritikin hopes to apply this new knowledge, both of the French language and culture, to her curricula when teaching about the Acadian community in Maine.

This isn’t the first time Pritikin has taken gone on an extended research trip. Last year, she visited New York for a conference on bilingual schools. In years prior, Pritkin has visited New Orleans and Quebec to study other French communities, all of which were funded by the school.

Pritikin is one of a number of teachers in the Upper School who regularly make research trips in order to advance their curricula. Faculty members and administrators form a committee that awards yearly grants and sabbaticals to any teacher whose proposal is deemed worthy. “We try to issue as many grants as possible based on the funding we have for enrichment grants that year,” Vice Principal Ruth Jurgensen, who has been a part of the selection process in the past, said. “We encourage all faculty to participate in the program.”
In Pritikin’s view, the funding provided for research trips is a distinctive trait of the school. “One of the amazing perks of working in a place like Parker is they encourage teachers to do professional development,” she said. “And then they provide resources for teachers to actually do that.”

Pritikin sees clear benefits for the educator as well as the students. “You get to share and exchange ideas,” Pritikin said. “The most exciting part is you get to bring back new ideas to try on in your classrooms, and your students benefit from you being able to revitalize your curriculum.”