CHCA’s Lower Elementary students took a trip abroad from the comfort of their own classrooms and shared their newfound knowledge of international cultures during Edyth B. Lindner Campus’ (EBL) Week Around the World and concluding World’s Fair.

 

“For years EBL has celebrated International Week in May where each grade level studies a different country,” says Julie Nicholas, Lower Elementary Enrichment and Chapel Coordinator. “In the fall of 2023, Kimberly Kane and I attended an ISACS conference session on schoolwide enrichment. We were excited about all the ideas we heard, and, when we returned to Cincinnati, began meeting over Wednesday lunches to start brainstorming how we might begin to incorporate some of the ideas into programs that were already in place at EBL. International Week seemed like a good place to start.”

 

A revamp of International Week, Week Around the World—the new name crafted and selected by students for this culturally immersive learning experience—saw each grade delve into the history, traditions, cuisine, and more of countries in North America and beyond. Student-led learning encouraged organic curiosity about each grade’s country and spurred further research into the similarities and differences between life at home and abroad.

 

While kindergarten traveled to the Outback of Australia, Grade 1 traversed the terrain of Germany, Grade 2 took a festive trip to Mexico, and Grade 3 made a royal pit stop in England. Even the school’s littlest learners at the Blake Lindner Thompson Early Childhood Learning Center joined in on the fun and learned about Italy, enjoying a special performance of Vivaldi’s “La Primavera” by Upper School students in CHCA’s orchestra.

 

The week culminated in the World’s Fair, where students and visiting parents traveled to each “country” to view performances and take in the grade’s hard work.

 

“Week Around the World is about helping students understand that God’s love is for all people, not just for those in the United States, and that we can and should share what we know about God’s love with others,” says Sandy Breitholle, Principal at EBL.

 

From expanding students’ research and communication skills to engaging in real-world problems, Week Around the World and the World’s Fair helped students acquire tools for academic and social success in an engaging way.

 

“Kimberly and I hope this is just the beginning in moving toward new ways to nurture and grow whole-building enrichment and engagement,” says Nicholas.