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About Oral History
Digital Identifier
RPCV-MR-2009-065-001
Interviewee(s)
Thompson, Bernadette
Interviewer(s)
McLaughlin, Wendy A.
Access Restriction Status
Open
Use Restriction Status
None
Description
Bernadette (Bunny) Thompson (nee Spanuello) served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia from 1965 to 1967 on an educational television project. She heard about the Peace Corps from working as a secretary for Brother Leo Ryan in Milwaukee who was preparing prospective volunteers to serve in Brazil. As she had previously had taught school for seven years, Thompson was invited to join the Educational Television Program that aimed to incorporate televised instruction into classrooms. She was one of 42 teachers who received training at California State College at Los Angeles in language and culture, then another month of training in Puerto Rico on the school system. During her first year, Thompson lived in Ibague, the provincial capital of Tolima, and helped to develop the content and methodology for delivering educational television. She also assisted local teachers with incorporating lesson guides sent from the production studio in Bogota. During her second year, she did similar work in Bogota, in both city and rural schools. She subsequently married a fellow volunteer (William Thompson) and established a career in interior design. Interviewed and recorded by Wendy McLaughlin, July 11, 2009. 1 tape (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Date(s) of Materials
11 July 2009
Extent
1 audio cassette (mono; 73 minutes)
Deed Status
Deeded
Copyright Status
Public Domain (Donated to the United States Government)
Collection
Series
020. Colombia.
Preferred Citation
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection. Colombia. Thompson, Bernadette (Spanuello) (1965-1967): Oral history interview
Subject(s)
Organization(s)
Place(s)
Use Restriction Note
Consult with archivist to determine copyright holder.
Accession Number
MR-2009-065
Transcript
Page Last Updated
October 28, 2023 9:18:57 AM EDT