School-2-School, Understanding Through Exchange

Classroom exchanges started this week between Teacher Andi Webb’s students at Alderman Road Elementary in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and students at the Sukma Bangsa School in Aceh, Indonesia, marking the start of the 2014 School-2-School program’s first phase of cross-cultural sharing and partnership.

            Program activities opened with an introductory Skype session between Ms. Webb’s first grade classroom and students in Aceh on March 21^st   and plans are now being developed for a regular schedule of virtual exchanges over the semester, along with engaging classroom exercises like writing “pen pal” letters, photo exchanges, learning about each other’s homes and communities and plans for parallel science Olympiad and environmental education projects.

            Meanwhile, Ms. Webb is working with Sukma Bangsa Director Victor Yasadhana on a teacher development plan for staff at the school in Aceh to share with them her first-hand expertise in teaching English, particularly English as a second language. At the time of this report, initial training sessions are planned to take place over video conferencing and continue during Ms. Webb’s volunteer service in Aceh later this year.

           Ms. Webb has also begun community based fund-raising activities to support Sukma Bangsa “American Corner” library.  With a goal of $1000 in cash donations and $1500 in in-kind donations of books and DVDs, Ms. Webb has begun a book drive and candy sales to raise funds. You can support Ms. Webb’s drive by donating on the School-2-School Global Giving page between now and May 30.

Thank you again for your support!