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| November 2009 Volume 4, No. 1 |
1. Feature Articles
2. The Book Corner
3. On the Web: Resources for November
4. Local Events and Resources
5. Calendar of Events
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| Susan Quinlan, principal of Stephen Foster Traditional Academy, welcomes the Mayor of Tamale, Ghana Alhaji Abudulai Hurruna, to her school. The mayor visited Foster to thank the students for sending school supplies and equipment to Dahin-Sheli Primary School in Tamale. Read more about this project in the Feature Articles section. |
Feature Articles
"Building Blocks for Cultural Competence Within JCPS: Part I" by Aukram Burton
In the first of two articles, JCPS Diversity/Multicultural Education Specialist Aukram Burton discusses the concept of "cultural competence" and how it is addressed in the district. Click here to read the article.
"E-Corps Summer Experience at Blackacre State Nature Preserve" by Bryan Thompson
A work crew from the YouthBuild Louisville E-Corps program had the opportunity to work at Blackacre State Nature Preserve this summer. Click here to read the article.
"History: A Lens on Our Future" by Susan Graseck
The history of slavery in the United States has often been taught within the confines of the "southern plantation/northern abolitionist" narrative. Graseck's article discusses how current academic research is sheding light on the complex history of slavery in the New England states. Click here to read the article.
"Ghanaian Mayor Visits Foster Academy, Thanks Students for Friendship" by Susan Quinlan, Aukram Burton and Catherine Collesano
The Mayor of Tamale, Ghana, Alhaji Abudulai Hurruna, visited Stephen Foster Traditional Academy in October to thank the principal and the students for donating school supplies and equipment to Dahin-Sheli Primary School. Click here to read the article.
"NAAEE 38th Annual Conference: The Power of Partnerships" by Kevin Garner
The North American Association for Environmental Education held its 38th annual conference in Portland, Oregon on October 7-10. Kevin Garner, an intervention specialist at Portland Elementary Shool, attended the conference. He discusses the environmental education topics that were at the center of the conference and how the event addressed the relationships between diversity, equity and environmental education. Click here to read the article.
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The Book Corner For a full description of these books, click on the Wild About Reading link on the JCPS Center for Environmental Education Web site. All of these books are currently available. |
 Harcourt Children's Books 1997 |
Flute's Journey: The Life of a Wood Thrush by Lynne Cherry ISBN:0-292853-7 |
 Harcourt Children's Books 1990 |
Winter Danger by William O. Steele ISBN: 0-15-298037-7 Grade Level: Middle Environment: People and the Environment Reading: Literary This is the story of a father and son who live off the land in the 1800s. |
 Houghton Mifflin 2004 |
Walden by Henry David Thoreau ISBN: 0-618-45717-8 Grade Level: High Environment: People and the Environment Outdoor Classroom: Reflecting on Nature Social Studies: Geography Reading: Informational Practical Living: Community & Environment Thoreau's classic work describes his reflections on his experience of spending a year in a cabin near a pond. |
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On the Web: Resources for November
Earth911.com: Making Every Day Earth Day
http://earth911.com
This Web site has creative tips on how to recycle, as well as articles on some of the latest environmental news.
Michigan State University Libraries: Multicultural/Diverse Children's Literature
http://staff.lib.msu.edu/corby/education/multicultural.htm
This Web site contains links to numerous resources on multicultural/diversity literature for children. Some of the resources offer advice how to identify literature that is inclusive and that avoids stereotypes of certain cultural and social groups.
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Local Events and Resources
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Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest will host activities for adults and children this autumn. Below is a list of activities planned for November through December. All of these activities are free except where noted.
ECO Kids
First and third Saturday Discovery Days, anytime between 1 – 4:00 p.m. at the Visitor Center. There will be naturalist-led plant and animal Discovery Stations, activities, and crafts.
Saturday, November 7 - Searching for Seeds and Nuts
Saturday, November 21- Seeking Winter Shelter
Saturday, December 5 - Orbs on the Eye Spy Trail
Saturday, December 19 - Discovering Winter Tree Secrets
ECO Kids: Bernheim Snow Day
Saturday, December 19
Time: anytime between 1 – 4 p.m.
Place: Visitor Center
On this day, the Frost King and Snow Queen beckon you to bring a child to Bernheim to celebrate everything snowy! Inside and outside
adventures and activities await you!
ECO Kids: Winter Break
Sunday, December 27 - Saturday, January 2
Time/Place: Visit www.bernheim.org for more information on daily activities. There will be special winter break environmental activities daily in the Visitor and Education Centers and outside in the Arboretum. Both adults and kids can enjoy entertaining discovery experiences.
Stories in the Stars
Friday, December 18
Powerful telescopes reveal constellations, stars, and stories in the winter sky above Bernheim.
Time: 5:30 – 9:30 p.m.; no admittance after 8:30 p.m.
Place: Garden Pavilion
Fee: $5 per car, members; $10 per car non-members
For more information on these and other programs visit www.bernheim.org or call (502) 955-8512, M--F between 9 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
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International Education Week 2009 will take place November 16-20. IEW is an annual event jointly sponsored by the U.S. Departments of State and Education and is always observed during the week before Thanksgiving. The event is an opportunity for educators, businesses and community organizations to explore the benefits of international education and cultural exchange.
Schools can create a variety of IEW activities that range from simple to elaborate and that allow students and their parents to participate. Examples of IEW activities include inviting Peace Corps members to your school; creating international cafes; having "international dress" days; initiating a pen-pal program with a school in another country; studying the music, art and literature of another nation; having students write essays about their lives in the United States and sending them to students in other nations; and having students and teachers greet one another in a different language every day during the week.
Liberty High School, for example, will observe IEW with an international fair for grades 8-12 on November 18 from 8 am until noon. Presenters will set up displays in classrooms that represent different countries. The displays will include topics such as arts and crafts, language and literature, maps, music and dance, cuisine, traditional dress, games, photos and artifacts, historical facts, traditions and flags. Organizers hope that the event will give students the opportunity to travel the world without leaving the building, and encourage students to learn about other cultures and people around the world.
Visit the IEW Web site http://iew.state.gov for more information. The site offers ideas and provides descriptions of activities in schools around the world.
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Join the World Affairs Council of Kentuckiana on the second Tuesday of each month for Global Nights, a program for Louisvillians interested in world travel and international diplomacy. Participants will meet at local restaurants to sample international food, engage in cultural conversation, and to learn about new cultures and world events. All Global Nights events are held from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm and are free and open to the public. Reservations are not required.
Upcoming events:
French Cajun culture, November 10 at Bourbons Bistro
Vietnam, December 8, location to be announced.
For more information, contact WACKY/IN at (502) 561-5422, or visit their Web site at www.worldkentucky.org.
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Nominate New American for MOSAIC Award
The Jewish Family and Career Services is currently seeking nominations to honor new or first-generation immigrants and refugees who excel in the fields of:
- medical/health care
- education
- technology
- business/commerce
- entrepreneurship
- government
- sports
- arts
The honorees will receive the MOSAIC Award, an artistic representation of Multicultural Opportunities for Success and Achievement In our Community. The deadline for submitting a nomination is December 1, 2009. Nominations can be made by individuals or organizations, and a review committee of community leaders will select the honorees.
Click here to download the 2010 MOSAIC Award nomination form.
The MOSAIC Awards dinner event will be held on Thursday, April 15, 2010 at The Henry Clay. This is the fifth anniversary for the awards, and there will be special recognition of past honorees. WLKY will serve as Media Sponsor. A reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the dinner/program at 6:15 p.m. For information about tickets or sponsorship, contact Beverly Bromley, Director of Development at JFCS Louisville, at (502) 452-6341.
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Volunteer to Be a SPAVA Mentor in JCPS
In our world of beauty, conflict and hope, can you help kids learn nonviolence to help create a more peaceful community here at home? The Society for the Prevention of Agressiveness and Violence Among Adolescents (SPAVA) needs volunteer mentors to work in JCPS classrooms with students grades 1-12 and their teachers following a ten-session curriculum guide. If you enjoy working with young people and get along well with them, or know someone who does, please contact SPAVA for more information at 485-3710. Please visit the SPAVA Web site at www.spava.us.
Click here to read an article about SPAVA from the January 2009 issue of Global Connections.
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Calendar of Events
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Global Connections: Staying in Touch with Culture and Environment is a monthly publication of the JCPS Office of Equity, Diversity and Multicultural Education and the JCPS Center for Environmental Education. All submissions to the newsletter must be sent to Catherine Collesano, Editor, at catherine.collesano@jefferson.kyschools.us or fax (502) 485-3762 the Monday before the publication date. If you are interested in becoming a subscriber or a contributor to Global Connections, please contact the editor at the above email address.
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