It is crazy to me the lack of knowledge that my own students have when it comes to their local communities. They do not possess, at their age, the skills and capabilities of where and how to look at community. By starting with local studies of culture, economy and contemporary issues, we can begin to strengthen our students as participating citizens of their state, nation and world. So where to start? I looked back at my travels for an answer for ideas and kept the Four Global Competencies I learned about in a global education course in mind when creating something new.
My trip to Kazakhstan introduced me to an organization that would have a huge impact on me. As previously spoken about on this blog, the Assembly of peoples of Kazakhstan was integral to the formulation of a new program I offered to students in my community this year. I will introduce you to the Assembly, discuss what I learned about it and finish with how I used that information to create something for my own students.
THE ASSEMBLY
One Sunday our hostess, Yelena took us to The Assembly of Kazakhstan’s Nationalities and Ethnic Groups in Zarechny.
Upon entry the first thing I saw was a huge wheat stalk with flags of all nationalities that make up Kazakhstan's population represented.
WHAT I LEARNED
Representatives of different nationalities and ethnic groups of Kazakhstan had their office centers in this one building. The building was well lit and cheery. We toured offices of Kazakhs, Russians, Uzbeks, Ukrainians, Tajiks, Azerbaijanis, Greeks, South Koreans, Germans, Tatars, Uyghurs, and Armenians. In the Azerbaijani office we met with two women who served us tea and snacks while discussing aspects of their native culture. We met with a Greek man next who did the same thing. On the wall in one of the hallways was a picture of President Nursultan Nazarbayev with children representing Kazakhstan's ethnic groups.
Native country embassies send literature and financial support to preserve traditional cultures through language instruction and projects to benefit the whole community. Representatives meet, discuss and plan events that celebrate individual cultures that exist in local community. Religious leadership will also come here and meet together to discuss issues and collaborate on solving problems that exist in their community of faithful. Community resources that highlight all ethnic groups are given to the population through mailings and community festivals.
President Nursultan Nazarbayev also created The Congress of World and Traditional Religions which has leaders of the world religions that meet in Astana Kazakhstan once a year to come to common understanding.
WHAT WAS CREATED OUT OF MY EXPERIENCE
Our community saw the arrival of Somali families in early 2000. With an influx in immigration to this area, the community developed a wide divide and although it narrowed a bit as time went on, there still exists many misconceptions and lack of communication among community leaders and members. These misconceptions exist among our youth to varying degrees.
My teenage students do not know why their Muslim peers wear hijab and my Muslim students do not identify with secular tendencies of some of their Christian counterparts. This is reflective of society in this area.
Often I wonder how many people in this neighborhood walk into any of the numerous Somali businesses that played a role in revitalization efforts in our area. I questioned how many Somali members of our community were familiar with the history of this area and the cultures in it? Lack of communication between cultures in this area became the local problem I wanted to tackle.
I facilitate a program called AVEC Contemporary Issues which affords 40 students from 5 area high schools the opportunity to study relevant local, state, national and international issues.
I chose to revitalize this program this year with global education pedagogy using what I learned in Kazakhstan. Our theme: Preserving Culture & Forging Community and National Identity.
I designed the course to strengthen student's global competencies. Globally competent students investigate the world, recognize perspectives, communicate effectively and take action.
Students Investigate The World
To affords students opportunities to get to know cultures that make up our communities, we took field trips to local heritage centers and Somali businesses. We heard lectures on Somali & Franco American culture by Bates College professors and French and Somali community leaders. An international field experience to Canada at the end of the program was offered to study Franco culture first-hand.
Students Recognize Perspectives
Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Fatuma Hussein came to Atlanta, Georgia, at age 12, after living in a Kenyan refugee camp during the civil war in her home country. Years later, seeking a quieter and less populated environment, she and her family relocated to Maine. Fatuma came to speak to the students about the immigrant experience and while doing so also provided insight into Somali cultural perspectives about a myriad of subjects. For example, our students learned that the Somali community is a tight knight and collaborative one. We learned about the struggle of younger Somalis who try to fit into two worlds and parents who fear loss of culture through assimilation of their children. Hussein also addressed the numerous stereotypes that exist and provided students with the opportunity to ask any questions they wanted to and answered them respectfully with sincerity and humor. She was stellar.
Students Communicate Effectively
AVEC students were expected to work collaboratively and thus had to communicate among five school districts. Students designed fundraisers and worked together to design a Digital Community Resource to Preserve Culture. As part of the project, they built their communication skills by interviewing community elders and presenting informationand work to create a finished community resource guide. They will have to study how to market it well.
Students Take Action - Students will create the digital resource and present it to community and school administration.
To make the entire project come alive - we want to also introduce them to international travel. An offering of a 3 day 2 night trip to Quebec City Canada will be offered.
Cost 300.00 per student
Includes: travel, accomodations, 2 meals per day, tickets into numerous attractions (museums, skating, parks, basiclicas, and ice hotel).
Students have speaker from the Lewiston Passport Agency set up to discuss the passport process (although we only require passport cards), and for further reference, the visa application process.
I created a digital global education resource guide for any teacher that is interested. The guide was created with teachers from Maine, USA in mind and they include local and state organizations that can assist teachers who want to bring more of the world into their classrooms. However, each state in the US has organizations dedicated to the same.
My trip to Kazakhstan introduced me to an organization that would have a huge impact on me. As previously spoken about on this blog, the Assembly of peoples of Kazakhstan was integral to the formulation of a new program I offered to students in my community this year. I will introduce you to the Assembly, discuss what I learned about it and finish with how I used that information to create something for my own students.
THE ASSEMBLY
One Sunday our hostess, Yelena took us to The Assembly of Kazakhstan’s Nationalities and Ethnic Groups in Zarechny.
Upon entry the first thing I saw was a huge wheat stalk with flags of all nationalities that make up Kazakhstan's population represented.
WHAT I LEARNED
Representatives of different nationalities and ethnic groups of Kazakhstan had their office centers in this one building. The building was well lit and cheery. We toured offices of Kazakhs, Russians, Uzbeks, Ukrainians, Tajiks, Azerbaijanis, Greeks, South Koreans, Germans, Tatars, Uyghurs, and Armenians. In the Azerbaijani office we met with two women who served us tea and snacks while discussing aspects of their native culture. We met with a Greek man next who did the same thing. On the wall in one of the hallways was a picture of President Nursultan Nazarbayev with children representing Kazakhstan's ethnic groups.
Native country embassies send literature and financial support to preserve traditional cultures through language instruction and projects to benefit the whole community. Representatives meet, discuss and plan events that celebrate individual cultures that exist in local community. Religious leadership will also come here and meet together to discuss issues and collaborate on solving problems that exist in their community of faithful. Community resources that highlight all ethnic groups are given to the population through mailings and community festivals.
President Nursultan Nazarbayev also created The Congress of World and Traditional Religions which has leaders of the world religions that meet in Astana Kazakhstan once a year to come to common understanding.
WHAT WAS CREATED OUT OF MY EXPERIENCE
Our community saw the arrival of Somali families in early 2000. With an influx in immigration to this area, the community developed a wide divide and although it narrowed a bit as time went on, there still exists many misconceptions and lack of communication among community leaders and members. These misconceptions exist among our youth to varying degrees.
My teenage students do not know why their Muslim peers wear hijab and my Muslim students do not identify with secular tendencies of some of their Christian counterparts. This is reflective of society in this area.
Often I wonder how many people in this neighborhood walk into any of the numerous Somali businesses that played a role in revitalization efforts in our area. I questioned how many Somali members of our community were familiar with the history of this area and the cultures in it? Lack of communication between cultures in this area became the local problem I wanted to tackle.
I facilitate a program called AVEC Contemporary Issues which affords 40 students from 5 area high schools the opportunity to study relevant local, state, national and international issues.
I chose to revitalize this program this year with global education pedagogy using what I learned in Kazakhstan. Our theme: Preserving Culture & Forging Community and National Identity.
I designed the course to strengthen student's global competencies. Globally competent students investigate the world, recognize perspectives, communicate effectively and take action.
Students Investigate The World
To affords students opportunities to get to know cultures that make up our communities, we took field trips to local heritage centers and Somali businesses. We heard lectures on Somali & Franco American culture by Bates College professors and French and Somali community leaders. An international field experience to Canada at the end of the program was offered to study Franco culture first-hand.
Students Recognize Perspectives
Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Fatuma Hussein came to Atlanta, Georgia, at age 12, after living in a Kenyan refugee camp during the civil war in her home country. Years later, seeking a quieter and less populated environment, she and her family relocated to Maine. Fatuma came to speak to the students about the immigrant experience and while doing so also provided insight into Somali cultural perspectives about a myriad of subjects. For example, our students learned that the Somali community is a tight knight and collaborative one. We learned about the struggle of younger Somalis who try to fit into two worlds and parents who fear loss of culture through assimilation of their children. Hussein also addressed the numerous stereotypes that exist and provided students with the opportunity to ask any questions they wanted to and answered them respectfully with sincerity and humor. She was stellar.
Students Communicate Effectively
AVEC students were expected to work collaboratively and thus had to communicate among five school districts. Students designed fundraisers and worked together to design a Digital Community Resource to Preserve Culture. As part of the project, they built their communication skills by interviewing community elders and presenting informationand work to create a finished community resource guide. They will have to study how to market it well.
Students Take Action - Students will create the digital resource and present it to community and school administration.
To make the entire project come alive - we want to also introduce them to international travel. An offering of a 3 day 2 night trip to Quebec City Canada will be offered.
Cost 300.00 per student
Includes: travel, accomodations, 2 meals per day, tickets into numerous attractions (museums, skating, parks, basiclicas, and ice hotel).
Students have speaker from the Lewiston Passport Agency set up to discuss the passport process (although we only require passport cards), and for further reference, the visa application process.
I created a digital global education resource guide for any teacher that is interested. The guide was created with teachers from Maine, USA in mind and they include local and state organizations that can assist teachers who want to bring more of the world into their classrooms. However, each state in the US has organizations dedicated to the same.
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