BY Laura Pol
John W Decas School
Project Description
Wareham Public School’s International Night has been a hugely popular community event since 2003. We usually have 300-500 community members in attendance including students and their families. Volunteers such as teachers, parents, students (especially Wareham High School Key Club, and Global Education students), Mass Maritime Academy cadets and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe make this event possible. International Night includes cultural displays, activities and food from many different countries and cultures. Numerous cultural performances by students, teachers, community members have historically taken place throughout the evening. Learning about the rich diversity of cultures that make up our community is awesome at International Night. Bringing Bridgewater State University’s Project EarthView to the evening will add a deeper level of learning about the world around us. The addition of Bridgewater State University’s Project EarthView would allow families to sign up to enter this giant inflatable globe. Project EarthView is an immersive geography learning tool providing a great dramatization of the world around us. Participants will learn all about where in the world the many cultures represented at International Night are located, in addition to so much more. We are eager to bring the study of geography to our town’s youngest students using this unique and effective tool.
How will the project be evaluated (e.g. how will you gauge its success)
Success will be measured by the level of community engagement as indicated by families signing up to enter the globe. For many students entering the EarthView Globe may be their first experience with learning geography explicitly. The level of enthusiasm and engagement demonstrated by students and their families will serve as an indicator of the impact we are having on students, the school, and the community.
Benefit to the students and the school
Success will be getting and booking families to enter the amazing Project EarthView’s globe at International Night. International Night has been a wonderful community event in the Wareham Schools since 2003. The addition of EarthView’s globe to this popular community event will help students and their families better understand the geography of the world around us through an exciting immersive experience while building a foundation for lifelong geography learning.
Timeline of Project (when will you do the project, if applicable)
Wareham Public School Global Education’s International Night on Thursday, March 19, 2020.