(Developed in association with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts)
National Roster with The Kennedy Center
Content: (Music/Social Justice-Social Studies)
Teachers: 3 hours of Instruction Time for each workshop (may be presented alone or as a pair)
Maximum Number of Workshop Participants: 35
Grade Levels: 1-6
Students: 45 – 50 minutes per class
Residency Length: Minimum of 5 days
Maximum Number of Students per Class: 25
Workshop I: India, Senegambia (a West African region), and Brazil
Workshop II: The Yoruba people of Cuba, Ga people of Ghana, West Africa and
Shona people of Zimbabwe, South Africa
Workshop III: Native Americans (Cherokee, Hopi, and Crow)
These are culturally-responsive workshops that give teachers a tremendous new way to bring young people into the living, breathing vitality of other cultures. Teachers examine ways to help students learn about the rich diversity of cultures from Asia, Africa, South America, and North America. All workshops reflect the importance of global awareness and support collaboration, creativity, and cross-cultural learning skills. Teachers are guided in an immersive and authentic learning process to explore the vibrant variety of cultures through traditional children’s songs (using call & response), rhythms, stories, and artifacts. Students learn about the lifestyles and values of children in these faraway countries and come to appreciate the similarities and differences between these cultures and their own. Bringing this type of cultural integration into the classroom strengthens students’ sense of identify and promotes curiosity in acceptance of other cultures with a better understanding of how we are all connected.