Pupils from Williamson learn firsthand about ethnic diversity

Various ethnic cultures with local connections were featured at the fair.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Pupils at Williamson Elementary School took a trip around the world Friday but never left their building.
The Mahoning Valley's rich cultural heritage was explored during the school's first Cultural Fair, featuring displays from local ethnic groups representing cultures around the world.
"One of the strengths of our area is the diverse representation that we have, and we wanted to present that to the kids," said Sandi Carson, elementary mentor coordinator for the school district's Mentoring from the Heart program, which helped sponsor the event.
"It's very important to me because I want people to know what my country is about and the culture," said Elsa Munoz, a native of Puerto Rico now living in Youngstown.
She prepared one of the 25 "stations" representing various countries and cultures set up in the school gym.
How this was done
Pupils got to "tour" each station, and each child carried a passport that was stamped when they visited a country.
It's important for the children to learn about different countries and different cultures, Munoz said.
"I feel it's really important for all the kids to know we have a lot of ethnic groups right here," said Esperanza Cabrera, a native of Mexico and an English as a Second Language assistant teacher at Williamson. The children should be aware of that background, she said.
She helped set up tables depicting scenes and artifacts from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Peru and even a rain forest.
Planning on the event started in November when the new Williamson school opened, said Pat Gaia, interim principal.
The teachers jumped right in and the project took off, he said, noting that the second-grade class of Laura Campana even went so far as to put on a short play for the event.
The children made their own costumes, with some adult assistance, Gaia said, calling it an educational project that spread across the curriculum.
Subjects covered
The children used math, social studies, reading, music and even science to complete their project, he said.
Carson said Amy Crawford, an Americorps VISTA volunteer working with Mentoring from the Heart, was responsible for coordinating the event.
"We were just looking for a way to educate the children about different cultures," Crawford said, pointing out that children of this age seldom get exposure to other cultures.
When the call went out to the community for help, the response was tremendous, both from various ethnic groups as well as the Arts Council of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley Historical Society, Crawford said.
The fair featured displays from a wide variety of backgrounds, including Irish, Italian, Greek, Chinese, Amish, Indian, American Indian, Egyptian, black, Hispanic and Canadian.
gwin@vindy.com