User:Alethea Tyner Paradis
Alethea Tyner Paradis, J.D., Adjunct History Professor, Santa Barbara City College Director, Friendship Tours World Travel
Born into the Vietnam-war era, and raised on a steady diet of California activism, Alethea Tyner Paradis loves teaching students why history matters. A popular high school and college social sciences educator since 1997, Ms. Paradis earned a Bachelor's degree in history and teaching credential from the University of California, Santa Barbara (1994). Earning a Juris Doctorate from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College (1998) inspired Ms. Paradis to pursue instructional curricula focused on social justice. Witnessing how student achievement increased with meaningful travel, she has led exciting educational trips through Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa.
"Global Citizens, Beyond War” In 2005 — 30 years after the "Fall of Saigon" and with American forces stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq — pop culture began to reflect on the lessons learned from the Vietnam War. Inspired by the gravity of this inquiry and wishing to pose it to a broader audience of students and teachers, Alethea Paradis built Friendship Tours World Travel, an education abroad, service-learning program for students to travel, learn and innovate in the countries recovering from conflict. Her program has earned popular recognition, featured by ABC News and an Emmy Award-winning documentary film about Vietnam. Ms. Paradis won the Santa Barbara Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award in 2013, honored for her exceptional leadership in the community.
Vision, Action, Results Ms. Paradis’ vision of experiential learning through educational travel expands annually. Friendship Tours World Travel has partnered with many educational and global institutions to provide creative itineraries in countries recovering from conflict: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Rwanda and Cuba. Countless students have traveled with their own teachers on the program, regarding their Friendship Tour as their most "life-changing" experience. Ms. Paradis credits the incredible team at Friendship Tours for the company success. She is happy to live in Santa Barbara, with her wonderful husband and delightful son.