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When going through the motions of the day, we forget how small the world can be. When Faith and Emmanuel met with me at the start of this endeavor, the beautiful simplicity and significance of their idea hit home. Through Project Connect, students from Ghana and the United States had the chance to speak, read, and dance together all while never leaving their respective schools. Our plans started out rather ambitiously and adapted with the changing situations. First Waddell Elementary was out of commission due to snow days, next, the Apostolic Academy was on vacation during the proposed time of connection. However, as with any good leading team, Emmanuel and Faith never seemed to falter in their convictions. They remained steadfast and determined, travelling immense distances to reach a school with which Emmanuel had had a previous relationship.
The American end was much less dramatic I must say, but the reward I received from looking down at the giggling faces of the second graders post chicken dance and then the pure joy erupting from the webcam while the Ghanaian students joined in was priceless. As the old saying goes, from the mouth of babes truth is spoken. And from the mouths of the Ghanaian students came thoughtful and stirring answers to the discussion questions about The Giving Tree that spurned deeper thinking on morality. The American students would respond with discussion on growth and love thus continuing the volley of ideas bouncing between continents.
Afterwards, the students, myself, the immensely generous teacher of the American class Catie Brown from Central Elementary, and my two helpers Arthur Love and Kaleigh Hinton (class of 2018 Washington and Lee University), discussed the connection period and its effect. The students exceeded every one of my expectations by exclaiming how much they loved the project and hoped to do it again next week. They found it amazing that despite having grown up a mere 18 + hours flight away from each other, the students in Ghana and the students in America had many things in common.
Many of them had the same favorite colors, the same favorite foods (potatoes and rice being big hits), and some of the same favorite sports and hobbies. They both went to school in classrooms with teachers and boards up front learning about similar topics such as geography, history, math, and writing.
Going into the project, both of the student groups had preconceived notions about what the other group would be like. After talking, seeing, and connecting with one another, those notions melted away into a clearer picture of the reality of both classrooms and the people occupying them. The reality being that we are not so different after all.
Personally, I could not have asked for an experience more enjoyable, nor enriching. At every turn, I had the support of Faith and Emmanuel to guide me and assuage any fears so as to minimize potential stressors. Kids are like little scientists testing their hypotheses about the world through each experience. They may have preconceived notions about a thing, but the moment that that notion is challenged, kids are flexible enough to accept and embrace their newfound knowledge with ease. Through Project Connect, I got to witness that process firsthand and I will cherish it forever.
-Camilla Higgins