The ruffles on Veronica
Salazar's black dress flare as she twirls around the room.
The dancer's dark eyes shine. Her braided hair, intertwined
with flowers and ribbon, struggles to escape from its plait.
"This is a flirting dance," the University of Arkansas
student tells her partner, Brendan Matthews of Green Forest
Middle School. The 11-year-old takes her comment in stride,
struggling to keep up with Salazar's movements as his classmates
dissolve into giggles.
Salazar is an international student from Peru, one of nine
university students who visited the Green Forest school during
the UA spring break in March. The students are part of the
International Culture Team, a volunteer outreach program sponsored
by the UA International Studies and Scholars Office.
"Our motto is bringing cross-cultural learning to life,"
said Cynthia Smith, office outreach coordinator. Team members
visit schools, nursing homes and civic clubs throughout Northwest
Arkansas, sharing first-person accounts of the history, geography
and culture of their homelands.
"It's a good way for our students to put a name and a
face with a country," said John Pipkins, principal of
the rural middle school 130 miles east of Eureka Springs.
"It helps them realize the diversity that exists in the
world."
Green Forest schools have hosted an International Day for
14 years. The tastes, sights and sounds of other cultures
mesmerize the students, the principal said.
"You can't get that in a textbook or on the Internet,"
he said as a Jordanian woman in a long colorful dress and
white head covering walked past with a baby in her arms.
Smith said team members try to appeal to all the senses, using
visual materials, hands-on activities and food and drink samples
to get pupils involved. Salazar carried a suitcase full of
props to her presentations, pulling out ethnic dolls, toys,
instruments, fabrics and figurines.
"It's cool," said middle school pupil Buddy McIntare
about the Peruvian percussion instrument he was allowed to
play. "I like (learning about) the way people do things
and the cool toys."
Erin Robertson, a seventh-grader assigned to guide Ling Tong
of China around the school, agreed the day was an experience
to remember.
"It's really, really fun," Erin said, as she andTongshared
a lunch of chicken sandwiches and baked beans in the school
cafeteria. "I like learning little things about what
they eat and what they wear."
The exchange is a two-way street, Tong said, seemingly enraptured
with the middle school culture he discovered.
"I will memorize this," Tong said about the day.
"My two commanders (his word for the student ambassadors
who guided him throughout the day) make a good impression
on me."This is very good for kids," continued Tong,
the father of an 18-month-old child. "It's a chance for
culture and communication, better than misunderstanding and
war."
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Team members
appreciate the opportunity to break down stereotypes and open
doors, Smith said.Natalia Pizarro, a student from Colombia,
said schoolchildren generally have one answer when asked what
they know about her homeland: drugs. That's the type of negative
stereotype Pizarro and other international students want to
dispel.
"I love my country," the journalism student said.
"I'm proud to be Colombian. This is an opportunity I
have to make a difference and show children what they didn't
know about Colombia."
Many international students view the outreach work as one
of the richest parts of their university experience, Smith
said.
"It's very affirming to them to share about their countries."
The program also opens international students' eyes to one
another's heritage, she added.
"It stretches them," she said. The approximately
50 international students taking part in the outreach program
this year can tap in at whatever level they're comfortable
with, Smith explained. Some attend one or two functions a
semester, while others dedicate more time.
Events team members volunteer for classroom presentations,
international festivals, dance and theater performances and
demonstrations of native cookery, dancing and crafts.
"It's interesting to us," said Ghazi Magableh of
Jordan, spending the day in Green Forest with his wife, Maryam
Nuser, and their two young children. The outreach program
allows international students to observe U.S. culture, practice
their English and clarify misconceptions Americans might have,
Magableh said.
"Children are curious about other cultures," he
said, as he shared information about Jordanian music, religion
and lifestyle.
Classroom teachers were fascinated, too. They bombarded Magableh
with questions about the Jordanian educational system. No
topic was taboo, including adultery, birth control and the
current political climate in the Middle East.
"This is just fantastic," said resource teacher
Coleen Blevins. "It brings their culture in. We find
out that they're a lot like us, with family values, customs
and traditions like ours."
Green Forest teachers planned to follow up on the presentations
by asking pupils to write short essays comparing cultures
they learned about, Pipkins said.
Cross-cultural education is particularly important in times
of international turbulence such as these, the principal said.
"The bottom line is, we're all human. We need to learn
about and appreciate each other."
The Culture Team is just one way for international students
to share their heritage, Smith said. The International Studies
and Scholars Office sponsors other programs, including a spouses
support group, an English language conversation club and Friendship
Families, a program that pairs international students with
local families.
Smith hopes to expand the impact her students can make, she
said. A pilot program at Root Elementary School in Fayetteville
matches international students with various parts of the third
grade social studies and reading curriculums. The goal is
to enhance textbook lessons with cultural presentations, games
and crafts. |
