Never doubt that a small group of concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
Education
Potential Projects - Connect & Learn
School Projects: As part of just about any subject curricula or as a classroom or school project, Voices for International Alliances allows students to get involved with different cultures and it related people and personalities. It also allows for a student who is a recent (or not so recent) immigrant or refugee to be showcased as the school or “class ambassador” for his or her country of origin. Especially in the middle grades, this, itself, is, both a positive learning experience for the class as well as a comfort for the teacher-chosen (post-discussion) child.
Process: Ideally Grades 6 & Up...
Teacher Direction-Where a class project is concerned, it is important that the teacher have an introductory section on both basic geography, some history, (diluted) contemporary politics and (superficial) global economics. The class will let the teacher know how far to go in terms of politics and economic disparities. Questions formulated to ask students what they have learned from television about catastrophes and life in general in foreign countries can spark useful discussion. As the discussions progress, the teacher can take a “foreign” student aside and determine his or her degree of comfort with what will be introduced as the role of “student ambassador”. When the time comes, this student makes the first contact and identifies an enthusiastic translator at the far end of the connection, Once this part of the project has been introduced, the role of the ambassador is explained to the class and an e-mail is sent from the class as a whole explain ing that the class wants to know them. In addition, the teacher should email the informal translator on her own to explain and make loose plans for the cyber-exchange. The teacher can email once a week (if a problem occurs, more) to update the individual or family, as well as to ask or let her know that certain areas of lifestyle, work, income...ETC be opened up for discussion.
Ideally, An Afternoon A Week should be devoted to discussion, reading and interpreting emails and sending agreed upon responses. If there is potential for age appropriate relationships between individual students, parents should be made further aware of the connection and Voices for International Alliances and become and remain attuned to the conversations and developing relationship.*