Bridging the Technology Gap in Kenya and Denver

Hello again Friends,

After our first dance exchange between students from HOPE (Hope Online Learning Academy) and ACC (Arts across Cultures) in Denver and Kaaga Primary school in Meru, Kenya via live webinar, we were eager to schedule another exchange in May. The day arrived and our partners at Kaaga had technical problems and couldn’t connect. So AAC and CPRD filmed a 30-minute class with danced and spoken instruction that will be sent to KENYA when the students return to school in September.  We will ask them to send us a recorded class as well.  This is different than the virtual experience but the students can study and replay the recorded class and hone their dance skills.

Denver students were on break during June and July and Kenya students are on break during August. These type of technical and logistical challenges are common when trying to interact across the globe and across cultures.

In addition, Technology Partnership also had a change of leadership in Kenya and our new country director is just getting up to speed connecting with our Meru school and with the technical challenges we reviewed in the May project report.

Opportunities for our future dance collaboration include inviting guest teachers and collaborators Jairo Heli from Guadalajara, Mexico and Mary Ellen Garrett from MIDZI Marimba to join us in the upcoming virtual classes.

As a part of Cleo Parker Robinson's Dancing with The Denver Stars annual gala celebration, CPRD will include images and footage from our collaboration with Technology Partnership Arts Across Cultures and HOPE Online Learning Academy so that the greater Denver community has a chance to see an example of our live cross-cultural exchanges.

One of the ways we have decided to strengthen the cross-cultural experience is for Janelle Ayon, one of our principal leaders, to visit Meru this fall, and hold workshops with our Kenyan participants to teach a series classes in dance and American culture. 

Both of the HOPE learning Centers, IAM Academy and Park Hill Academy, are building the pen pal exchange into their 3rd - 5th grade curriculum. The Denver students have sent their initial letters to their Kenyan pen pals via internet. Once our Kenya director gets stabilized, he will help facilitate the pen-pal exchange responses from our Meru students.

As you can see, this ambitious project is not without challenges but we are committed to working through and around them to provide an opportunity for all our wonderful young participants from both countries to see the world with different eyes and grow in their cultural understanding and personal confidence.

Thank you again for your continued support; you are a key part of our team and will pave the way for our success!

With gratitude,

Barb Bates, Phd

Janelle Ayon artistic director and educator