Turbat - Opinions are hard to change in this remote area of Balochistan, especially perceptions of the United States. Not surprisingly, the odds were against Shaista Hasil, a science teacher at a local secondary school, of ever reaching America despite an invitation to participate in an educational exchange program supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Her family opposed it, her friends opposed it, and she wasn't so sure herself.

After much soul-searching, Ms. Hasil, 24, decided that the visit would be helpful to her students, and ultimately her community, and managed to garner her family's support. Despite more hurdles, like being overwhelmed by the size of Quetta - the provincial capital where she had to sit for a qualifying exam - and temporarily losing her passport, she found herself on an airplane for the first time headed for Washington, DC.

"I was very frightened about going," Shaista said. "My family is a little strict, and had negative thoughts about America. I thought the people there would misbehave with us, but the people were very friendly. The teachers I met were all very honest and sincere about education."

For Shaista and her colleagues, exposure to the American system of education underscored the benefits American teachers enjoy thanks to the accessibility of a wide variety of resources like multi-media supplies and the latest texts. On a fundamental level, they also learned the importance of promoting analytic thinking and focusing on the needs of individual students - approaches that don't cost any money.

"In the U.S., teachers try to develop critical thinking in the students," said Ms. Roma Akram, an Islamabad-based master teacher of English. "Here our students see only the superficial things, not what is between the lines. The idea of Socratic seminars, where open-ended discussions help students think for themselves, appeals to me a lot."

Zafar Iqbn, a secondary-level teacher in Sihalala, said he was impressed by the student-centered approach demonstrated in the classes he visited. "In Pakistan, students must retain what teachers tell them," he explained. "Rather than impose their plan, teachers should be more flexible to follow the students' interests, and apply concepts they identify together."

Mohammed Qadeem, another secondary level teacher from Jarlai, said he was struck by the way American teachers made the effort to involve all students in the classroom dynamic - especially the slower ones - which is something he would like to see more of in Pakistan.

"We focus on the best students and often leave behind the weaker ones," he said. "Sometimes those students end up leaving school. No child should be left behind."

For their part, the students who went to the States to learn information technology, among other things, were pleasantly surprised by the more workaday aspects of American culture: clean streets, sessions starting and finishing on time, and - the big fear many shared - friendly, gracious hosts.

"I discovered so many new things," said Yumnah Rauf, 17, a pre-med student from Islamabad. "I shared what I learned with my classmates when I returned, and now we can share information from our classes and together understand the material better."

Sixteen-year-old Shamsa Kanwal said her American counterparts were interested in teaching their visitors about their society and history, but they were also eager to learn about life in Pakistan.

"We learned about their culture, society and history, and we also taught them about ours," Shamsa said. "They were so happy to have Pakistani friends like us. We were so much happy to have met them."

Ibrahim Suleman, also 17, said he was struck by the practicality of the American students he met, due in part to the tools available to learn IT. "Students in Pakistan learn principally through memorization, but Americans have the opportunity to apply concepts they learn in actual projects," he said.

Over the last two years, USAID has sent 83 students, more than half from remote areas of Sindh and Balochistan, and 25 teachers to the States as part of U.S. efforts to build "people-to-people" relationships between Americans and Pakistanis.

Shamsa says the experience has left her more confident, given her a new interest in extracurricular activities, and willingness to speak in class and in public. On her latest exam, she got the best score out of the 78 schools in her sector. "I'm more self-assured," she said.

"I am very happy I went," Shaista concluded. "I would love it if more teachers and students got the same opportunity."