Lincoln School: Bringing Cultures to Life for
Children
By Miriam Downey
One of the charters of the Lincoln International Studies School is to
spread cultural understanding. The “Hands across the Border” program
matches students from Lincoln
School with students at IMARC, a private school in Hermosillo in the
state of Sonora, Mexico. Students in both schools apply for the privilege
to participate in the program, and parents and other community members
raise the funds to support the students, pay the airfare, and provide
for the programming in Hermosillo and Kalamazoo.
This year 19 students and 3 adults from Kalamazoo spent a week in Mexico
and the same number came from Hermosillo to visit in Kalamazoo. The Lincoln
6th grade students visited the Sonora Zoo in the middle of the Mexican
desert, played in the Sea of Kortez on a day trip to Kino Bay, and practiced
their Spanish. They also learned about the history, pastimes, traditions,
and holidays of Sonora, Mexico in programs presented by their hosts.
While in Kalamazoo, the Mexican students visited the Air Zoo, Cereal
City, and Warren Dunes State Park. These 6th graders stayed in Kalamazoo
homes, practiced their English, and enjoyed Kalamazoo restaurants, movies,
and parks. One of the highlights of their visit was a Thanksgiving Dinner
prepared for them by the host families and the Lincoln School staff.
Each year, the parents and staff of Lincoln International Studies School
are charged with the responsibility of raising the nearly $20,000 it
costs to sponsor the program. Fundraising efforts continue all year,
this year culminating in a grand concert by the La Catrina Band on May
13. Grants provided the income for the first two years of the program,
but in the past two years, much more individual attention has been needed
to raise the necessary funds. Parents and teachers have worked tirelessly
to provide this cultural exchange opportunity for Lincoln’s students.
Kimberly Parker-DeVauld, the principal of Lincoln International Studies
School, says the exchange program is intrinsic to the cultural studies
program of the school. Students learn that “there is more out there
than they know in Kalamazoo.” It is an “opportunity to eliminate
stereotypes.” Students find practical uses for their Spanish language
skills, and they grow in understanding of the world and their place in
it.
Lincoln International Studies School
912 N. Burdick St.
Kalamazoo
269-337-0640
www.kalamazoopublicschools.com
www.handsacrosstheborder.org
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