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Article from Ms Karen
Shipley
Fairview Middle School Geography Teacher
Tallahassee, Florida
A couple of years ago our principal announced to
our faculty the desire to instill in our 11 and 12 year old middle
school students the understanding of diversity in the world.
Being a part of the MYPIB (Middle Years Pre International
Baccalaureate Program) at our school, we were already doing a lot of
this kind of study of different cultures. He explained that
during our middle day class (lunch periods) we would be given an extra
10-15 minutes each day in which we were to choose a country of the
world and share with the children the results of the research we were
able to find.
For my classes, this was as easy
task, as we had been a part of a program with Florida State University
Economics Professor, Dr. Tim Lynch and his participation with in the
Tallahassee-Sligo Sister City Program. We started several years
ago and continue to correspond with our “sister” middle school –Mrs
Maisie McNabola’s Irish Middle School class in Scoel Ursula,
Strandhille, Sligo Ireland. This program of exchange of letters,
poetry, drawings, and art work and more has been in action for about
five years now, and each year the kids seem more and more enthralled
to find out more about kids in another part of the world – in this
case Sligo Ireland.
We have had Dr. Tim Lynch come in
on a once or twice a year to share information, music, pictures,
videos, and works from Mrs.McNabola’s Sligo Middle school class.
The students have so enjoyed receiving letters, pictures, and artwork
from the girls across the ocean. They have also enjoyed being
able to have pen pals and know that there is actually someone on the
other end who is very similar to them. It’s incredible to see
the looks of joy and pride they have whenever they receive a response
from abroad. They are constantly asking me when we can have Dr. Lynch
come back.
I think the one thing that has
stood out most in my memory with this relationship was the letter we
received not long after the tragedy of September 11, 2002. The
chills that ran up my arms and spine were those of joy and respect for
the support we received from Ireland. They reached out to us to
tell us they loved us and supported us in our efforts to repair our
torn country and help us mend our broken hearts. It was a time I
will never forget.
In order for educators to teach
our students that there is more out there to life than just what they
see in the world around us we need to expose them to life in different
parts of the world. I feel that this program has indeed touched
my students in a way that will enable them to continue to grow in
acceptance of diversity and understand that their way of life is not
the only way of life, and that that’s alright.
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