Second, 3rd, and 4th-grade students from Southgate Elementary in Austin, Minnesota, traveled the world as Global Minnesota international volunteers Mariana, Gabriel, Moinak, and Daehan shared their cultures and perspectives on Brazil, Ghana, India, and South Korea with 15 classrooms.

This World Cultures Day event is part of Classroom Connection, which brought together Southgate students and teachers with international volunteers for interactive cross-cultural lessons that promoted international understanding, global perspectives, and connections. Through the program, the Austin Public Schools District aimed to celebrate the growing cultural diversity in classrooms as well as in the community by having learning opportunities available for its students. “This is an opportunity for our school to learn about different cultures and celebrate our students for who they are,” said Principal Katie Baskin. “We wanted to celebrate the different cultures that exist in our building. This is amazing. This opens the door to the world for them.”

Classroom Connection and World Cultures Day in Austin was funded in part by support from Hormel Foods Corporation, a member organization of Global Minnesota.

Celebrating Cultures: Global Minnesota opens doors to the world for Southgate students, Austin Daily Herald

Photo credit: Eric Johnson, Austin Daily Herald