Budding Global Experts from Korea and India Discuss Geopolitics

Hanil High School and Mahaveer Public School respectively from Korea and India, met virtually on Wednesday, May 24 in order to discuss issues and conflicts which have persisted over the course of history and still influence international relations. During their live presentations, the students assessed together the historical, economic and geopolitical reasons behind international conflicts such as the territorial disputes over Kashmir or the sovereignty of the Dokdo island.

As real history experts, the students were very detail-oriented when conducting research and sharing with their IVECA partners their possible solutions to mitigate the negative impact of these conflicts on global relationships.

Students found this two-month partnership was a very rewarding learning experience for both schools, as exemplified by the farewell letters they exchanged:

“….we learned a lot about your culture, customs, and especially about you. Thank you for having us as your partner, and we sincerely hope that we could meet again as proud global leaders. Thank you.” “Only a few months have passed since we have communicated by IVECA, and this virtual classroom [live video class] became the last activity between classes…. the time spent together was useful and valuable.” - Letters from Hanil High School  students to their friends in India.

Indian and U.S. Students Embrace Joy of Cultural Diversity

During their three-month partnership, students from Bellows Free Academy (Vermont, USA) and their IVECA friends from St. Mark’s Sr. Secondary Public School (New Delhi, India) showcased intercultural dialogue, respect for diversity, and openness to learn from others – all critical in a world that is becoming ever more connected.

Using IVECA’s platform, these children spent their semester discussing the similarities and differences between the cultural wardrobes of the United States and India. Of course, this partnership, a first for the New Delhi school, went far beyond an exchange of information about clothing.

The children also learned about the effects of geographical features on the ways people live, work and celebrate. For example, the Indian students presented Diwali, a festival celebrating happiness and lights, while the US students shared their tradition of Halloween, a popular celebration involving lights. Additionally, the students explored the role indigenous plants play in their economies. St. Mark’s students illustrated how spices contribute to India’s international trade.  Likewise, students from BFA  explained how Northeastern states benefit from the production and sale of Maple syrup.

On January 31, this collaboration concluded with a fashion show that highlighted traditional costumes worn during festivals, athletic uniforms, and everyday clothing.  This one-hour virtual exchange celebrated their friendship, joy of learning about new cultures, and the importance of intercultural understanding.

The farewell letters the children exchanged demonstrate the power of their experience:

“…. it was the first time I had been a part of such program and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I learned that the differences in our cultures make this world an exciting place to be, but our similarities make us understand each other in a better way. This understanding is required to make this world a better place to live in.” –  A student from St. Mark School in New Delhi. “… I just have to say that it has been a great time doing IVECA for two years and I really hope that I get to do this again. I have really been happy to meet different people from other cultures.”   “I hope that you had just as much fun as I did!  I know that most schools do not get the opportunity to communicate with people from separate countries and one thing that I learned from this experience was that we have a lot of similarities.”

Brazilian and American Students Cut Across Language Boundaries

When one wants to learn a foreign language, one is often advised to go abroad to be in contact with native speakers and their culture. However, throughout this semester, students from Oswaldo Aranha Middle School and their IVECA’s partners from Sunderland Elementary School experienced this journey to multilingualism without actually leaving their classrooms in Esteio (Brazil) and Massachusetts (the US).

These students took on a bilingual trip together where they worked on engineering, geography and language projects. During their travel, they sometimes got some fuel via assisted auto-translation. This has facilitated them to achieve progress on the path of intercultural communication and to take part in a very positive experience, as reminded by Oswaldo Aranha English teacher (Miguel Antônio Machado). He believes this type of exchange is essential for his pupils as it gives them the opportunity to connect directly with students with a different mother tongue and a different cultural background as well.

View full article here: Alunos interagem por videoconferência com estudantes dos Estados Unidos