It's been a month since seven Niceville High students, three teachers and a graduate student from the University of Mississippi returned from Tanzania, but the experience remains fresh in the students' memories and continues to have an impact on how they view the world, their lives and the people around them.

"Those ten days completely flipped everything upside down," stated student Lauren Foy, who is now considering a stint with the Peace Corps or an organization like Doctors Without Borders. She and the others were amazed by the kindness and enthusiasm of the people they encountered, and they marveled at the dedication they showed to their families and their village. "I definitely want to go back there," she says.

The students Foy worked with said they wanted to be doctors, like she did, but their reasons were completely different: "She [her African partner] wanted to be a doctor to better her family, her village and her country. She said it was necessary to better their lives. In America, our reason is that they make a lot of money. The boy wanted to be a doctor to bring honor to the family and said his village needed a doctor. I told them my village doesn't need a doctor."

The Niceville group was invited to train a team of high school students and teachers in the method of collecting and analyzing coastal marine life for a long-term global study known as NaGISA (Natural Geography of In-Shore Areas.) Niceville High School was the first high school to be included in the study, and the research they do is of such high quality that they are now the lead high school for the project.

Their work in Africa involved collecting samples of macro and microorganisms along the shore and up to 30 m off the shore of the island of Zanzibar, where the water is teeming with marine life. "There is tremendous diversity there. They have rocks and sea grass and coral," explained teacher John Paul Jones, who accompanied the students. "Within 30 meters, we found dozens of different habitats. We saw sea snakes, sea urchins, starfish, nudibrachs, oysterderms, sea cucumbers..."

The team spent long hours collecting and classifying the samples - up to ten a day - and the work itself required a great amount of concentration. The classroom where they performed some of the analysis was a sparsely furnished building with tables and a chalkboard. The school has no textbooks, no overhead projectors and not even any electricity, except in the computer room, which has a solar panel. Communication was difficult, because most of the Tanzanian students spoke rudimentary English and only one American - Jones - spoke some Swahili, but through patience and good will, the group was able to finish documenting the multitude of micro and macroorganisms they found.

"They have lots of different little crabs and algae. We used taxonomic guides to help identify them," said Foy. "The graduate student was an expert in sea grass, so she helped with the algae."

Foy said the importance of the NaGISA project was really brought home by the trip. "We have to monitor the microorganisms because they affect the larger organisms. They're a fishing village. If the sea grass is stripped, it's going to affect their food supply."

Senior Cyndi Milum was impressed by the cheerful attitudes of the students. "The African students were so happy when we were showing them stuff," she says, "but they taught us so much. They learn really quickly and they are so eager to learn. They jump in head first. I used to be stand-offish when trying something new. Now I'm like, 'Let's go!'"

Jonathan Lemoel noticed how much respect was accorded the teachers in Tanzania, in contrast with the United States. "I never saw students disrupt or do anything at all disrespectful," he commented.

"It rejuvenated and recharged me as a teacher," commented science teacher Jodi Maker. "There they have no books, but they're not worried about what they don't have. It's about making the most of what you have."

She was very impressed by the African students and their desire to learn. "They were like the ideal students. From the moment you walked in, they were curious. They were bright; they asked a lot of questions and didn't let the language barrier hinder them from learning."

Milum says the Africa trip changed her outlook on life. "I was so glad I got to go. I'm not the same person. I'm a lot more aware of other people. I think I've become nicer. They are so sweet and so thankful for everything - I brought that back with me. My favorite saying now is, 'Hakuna Matata' - no worries. If something goes wrong, I just go with it. I don't go into immediate 'depression-mode.'"

"Going there, you realize that it's not all about you," adds junior Jordan Ezell. "Here, we're so focused on our own personal journey. Going there, you realize that you are a tiny part of a huge story that's gone on way before you and will go on way after you. They work for everything they have over there and use every part of everything they have. They have far less than us, but they don't sit around whining. They aren't about themselves - they're always thinking about their family."

The American students noticed how the young African children were allowed to wander freely throughout the village. They looked out for each other and if anything happened to one of them, they would all bear responsibility. "They were having fun with rocks and dirt. Seeing them fascinated by the little things makes you happier," said Ezell.

"It was very life-changing," agreed Lemoel. "I came back with a better appreciation for little things I didn't even notice before. I have a great appreciation for electricity and some of the other amenities. I feel like I have a better understanding of the world. This [Niceville] isn't the way it is in the rest of the world."