How the pandemic changed the way we work: access for all in a virtual world
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Middle School Virtual Journeys at the Holton-Arms School
Throughout the pandemic, “silver linings” were a common theme in our check-ins with students, faculty meetings, and how we persisted through the state of the world. Students and faculty alike reported more time with family, more time to engage in activities that brought them joy, and more sleep! Throughout the world, we saw a decrease in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and cleaner water in many places around the globe. And for those with a hopeful outlook, the pandemic has created opportunities for new discoveries and innovations in medicine, environmental protection, industry, and in some cases, greater social cohesion and a sense of community.
For our global programming, the pandemic gave many of us an opportunity to reevaluate our curriculum and put into practice what we have always asserted: that global competence is not only built through travel abroad. In many ways, the virtual setting has allowed us to build stronger partnerships and more authentic and meaningful peer-to-peer dialogue. So, as the excitement grows for “return to travel” let us not forget the important lessons we’ve learned through our virtual programming. Perhaps the most important of these is that virtual programming provides access for all students to participate in global education. For many, prohibitive costs hinder students from participating in our in-person international programs, be it through program fees and/or a necessity to work during the summer. Although we all do our best to provide financial support to help ease this burden, questions of equity still persist (as they should).
In March of 2021, Holton, in collaboration with World Leadership School, launched its Middle School Virtual Journeys, an extension of our middle school grade-level projects on sustainability and activism. Not only did every student in the 7th and 8th grade have the opportunity to participate, they were also able to make connections between local and global communities. The following year, we worked with GEBG to enhance our peer-to-peer dialogue and connect with other GEBG schools. Through a two-and-a-half-day immersive journey, students had an opportunity to collaborate with peers from Gredos San Diego (Costa Rica) and the Westminster Schools (Atlanta) to: recognize influences that have shaped their own perspectives and gain a greater understanding of the views of others; actively listen and engage in dialogue that promotes growth, connection, and agency; and examine how SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities impacts local, national, and global communities, specifically focusing on the key characteristics of successful communities: Inclusive, Safe, Resilient, and Sustainable.
All students began the journey with an exercise in defining those four key characteristics, then created a visual representation of a successful community, and finally evaluated how our own school was doing in the four categories. Seventh grade students then focused on creating questions for dialogue with their Gredos peers, played the “lighthouse game” to practice active listening, observing, and speaking (all essential components for dialogue), and participated in a story exchange with their Gredos peers, sharing a time that they encountered a perspective that differed from their own. In 8th grade, students participated in a photo scavenger hunt around the school finding evidence of the four characteristics of sustainable communities, created a compare/contrast jamboard with images reflecting D.C. and Atlanta in the four key areas, and shared current events happening in their cities. To reconnect and share their experiences, the 7th and 8th grade students from Holton presented their learning to each other.
By engaging with their peers living in different regions of the world, students learned about the interconnectedness of local and global issues. More importantly, they also made connections with each other.
Reflections from students:
“It is important to participate in conversations about a certain topic with others to learn about multiple perspectives and opinions.”
“No matter where someone is from, you can connect with them easily by talking about communities and what is well and what needs improvement.”
“To have a flourishing community everyone needs to do their part to help and care for their community and they need good leaders that listen to the communities needs and wants.”