A few weeks ago I had a chat with a Grade 12 student who is very excited about her upcoming trip to Zambia. For the past year-and-a-half, she and her fellow classmates have been communicating with a youth centre in Zambia. All the students in the Grades 9-12 AVID program participate in the Zambia Project at some level. For the past few years, the students have been paying the tuition for approximately 8 students in Zambia so they can attend school.
When the student I chatted with was in Grade 11, she had a Social Studies teacher who had actually been to Zambia. Her class made shoeboxes with supplies that were sent to the students at the youth centre at Christmas. Another time a digital camera was sent to the centre so that the Zambian students could share images of their world with their partners back in Canada. Lastly, the Canadian students purchased i-pods and downloaded their favourite music for the youth centre to loan out to students.
Photo Courtesy: Photos found on Creative Commons 1. Globe, 2. Sliced Digital Camera, 3. I ♥pod, 4. shoebox project - boxes
At the end of Grade 11, the students were so excited about the connections they had made, they started pressuring the teacher to plan a trip. The students began fundraising at the end of the school year. Their biggest fundraiser was a Barefoot Walk for Zambia, where the students collected pledges then completed a 10 killometre walk around two of our local lakes - barefoot. During Spring Break, five of the students will be going to visit Zambia to meet their buddies, work in the youth centre, and visit the countryside.
At the end of Grade 11, the students were so excited about the connections they had made, they started pressuring the teacher to plan a trip. The students began fundraising at the end of the school year. Their biggest fundraiser was a Barefoot Walk for Zambia, where the students collected pledges then completed a 10 killometre walk around two of our local lakes - barefoot. During Spring Break, five of the students will be going to visit Zambia to meet their buddies, work in the youth centre, and visit the countryside.
All 4 grades have been involved in activities to provide the travelling students with items to take and share with the Youth Centre. Some of the classes learned to knit and sent those items. Also, blankets, quilts, soccer jerseys, boots, and flip flops were packed into about 16 pieces of luggage to be shared with their Zambian friends.
This is such an amazing opportunity for the teens involved. Some factors that needed to be in place for this initiative to be successful:
- A teacher who is passionate about Zambia, and had prior knowledge of the community as she had visited there before.
- Students who were excited about the project, and wanted it to continue.
- The school was supportive, and had a team approach to the project.
- Students chose to share what they were interested in with their buddies. The exchanges were meaningful to them making for authentic involvement.
- Without parent support, and school fund-raising initiatives, the technology items could not have been purchased, and the trip for five of the students would not be happening.
What glimpses have you had into Global Education (in your own classroom, or those around you)?
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