Message from ssaito

[Anonymous]

I would like to offer two ideas to help in HS settings that I have seen work in younger settings. First, have a small faculty committee or student group identify international backgrounds on your own campus. Create a series of presenters that help students better understand people's backgrounds and lives. From immigrant staff members to community contacts, early and multiple exposure to those who are different could only have the opposite effect of helping students find commonalities. I have been trying to do a similar thing for college graduates in our middle school. Kids need to hear about experiences and places to help them find their own "place" in the world. I am always fascinated by the stories of my immigrant students and families, similar to my friends and family growing up.

Second suggestions is creating student committees to help set international theme weeks on campus. Similar to ethnic celebrations during the calendar year, such as Black History Month, schools can utilize their student body power to help boost awareness. Similar to the prom committee, this could be something that the school could promote with proper district support. Without the politics and world issues of a U.N. kind of themes, simple give more credence to the beauty of all cultures and histories. Our librarian always does a good job of rotating themes in our library. Imagine if the cafeteria has foods to match the week's themes. The school activities and even the faculty dress could try to match the themes. It could even be in just one academic department. I loved it when our administrators, counselors and faculty wore cap and gowns of their respective degrees as a theme for college day. I think sometimes just taking it over the top just the little bit gets the kids attention, and hopefully lifelong respect and love for other places and people...