Students in the 9th Grade Academy at Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School recently logged in to Skype for an international discussion with students in Soweto, South Africa. They talked about everything from pop culture to geography. The session was made possible by the Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement (CSLCE) at Tennessee State University and facilitated by CSLCE Program Coordinator Neyka Young. .
According to Pearl-Cohn Library Media Specialist Jeannette Lambert, the students were astonished to learn how much they had in common with the students from South Africa. When asked the names of their favorite singers, students from South Africa replied, “Chris Brown! Rhianna! Jay-Z! and Lil Wayne!” Students from South Africa, on the other hand, wanted to know things like: Are U.S. parents strict? Are school uniforms required? What sports do you like?
The Nashville to Soweto Experience dialogue was made possible by a grant to CSLCE, which devoted $15,000 of its funds to the 9th Grade Academy during this school year. Mr. Glenn Paschall, lead administrator at the school, was excited about the opportunity that his students had to broaden their knowledge of a different country beyond textbook information. The class had recently finished a unit on Africa.
