Submit your International Education Activities

City/Town: Calgary
School/Organization: Tom Baines School
Website: http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b690/
On November 17th, the students of Tom Baines School (Calgary) celebrated the wonderful diversity within our community. In the afternoon guest performers shared First Nation and Chinese dances. A speaker shared with the students the struggles of immigrants as well as the benefits of becoming involved in the community. Cultural backgrounds were also celebrated through student performances and displays. Students performed traditional Scottish, Iranian, Southern Indian and Chinese dances. Music performances included singing in Sudanese, playing of both the traditional and Chinese piano. Student work from all grade levels were highlighted. Several grade 7 classes, through an inquiry research project, learned about citizenship and identity. In teams, they selected various collective identities such as women through the ages, First Nations, as well as immigrants from several countries around the world. Their projects featured difficulties and opportunities as well as contributions to Canada that these various groups of citizens have made. Grade 8 students presented Worldview of Water. This project had the students research various countries and their water concerns. They focused on their culture, the daily lives of the people affected by water, what factors are causing this and what the future brings to these different people in all parts of the world. Grades 8 & 9 students displayed their own personal Coat of Arms. After examining the values and beliefs that are symbolized in the Canadian Coat of Arms, the students created a Coat of Arms that incorporated symbols and icons of both their Canada and cultural heritage. In the evening Tom Baines hosted Edgemont Cultural Night an opportunity for the community of Edgemont to come together in celebration of its cultural mosaic. Over 1000 community members attended this event. During the evening Tom Baines students were again involved in displays, performances as well as acting as hosts. The evening was a collaborative effort with many community members and organizations. Mother Mary Green and Edgemont schools also highlighted their students work. Community organizations provided interactive displays and performances including African Drumming, Chinese Lion Dancing, Capoeira and Tales from Around the World.

City/Town: Calgary
School/Organization: CBE
From: Monday, November 14, 2011 To: Friday, November 18, 2011
Website: www.cbe.ab.ca
CBE Global Learning Celebrated IEW by hosting lunchtime events throughout the week. Monday, CBE students came and spoke about their reasons for participating in Alberta Ed Exchanges. Tuesday, we had Casa Hogar Orphanage skype in to talk to us about the work that happens at such an amazing safe house for children. Wednesday we showed David Suzuki's film, "Forces of Nature" studying the fragile earth that all of the people of the world share. Thursday, we brought in two CBE teachers to lead us through an African Drumming Circle. Friday, we wrapped up with an International Cheese Tasting Event. Throughout the week, we also had a running presentation on the Innovation Wall, which profiled the amazing international experiences of CBE Educators and students.

City/Town: Calgary
School/Organization: Dr. E. P. Scarlett High School
Website: www.cbe.ab.ca
Our ELL classes and International students hosted "A Taste of the World" in our International Center. The best way to learn about others is to share our favorite things; so we shared our favorite foods. Students and staff were invited to come at lunch and enjoy a variety of foods from around the world. Everything from Chinese tea and dumplings to Brazilian chocolate desserts, to Indian samosas and German bratwurst. Students prepared and brought food from home, then served their dishes. This gave them a chance to talk about their foods and culture, allowing an exchange of ideas. Everyone had a wonderful time talking and discovering similarities and new dishes. The relaxed atmosphere helped everyone discover, share and make new friends. It was a wonderful experience which the students hope to repeat soon.

City/Town: Calgary
School/Organization: Calgary Board of Education
Website: www.cbe.ab.ca
http://www.cbe.ab.ca/Redirects/worldclassroomvideo.htm Watch our video on the ways that the Calgary Board of Education engages with the world. This was shown at our Board of Trustees meeting and was warmly received by the public.

City/Town: Red Deer
School/Organization: Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School
Website: http://lindsaythurber.rdpsd.ab.ca
Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School (LTCHS) is officially twinned with a school in France; Lyce Jeanne dArc and is situated in the eastern province of Alsace in the city of Mulhouse. It is a high school of 1200 students located in the centre of a city of approximately 160,000 people. This past year the trip was comprised of 46 students from the French Immersion and Second Language programs along with 5 staff members The students were hosted with French families for one week as well as visiting many sights in France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. It is a wonderful opportunity for our Immersion and FSL students to practice their French and learn about the culture of European countries. In the Spring of 2012 students from Jeanne dArc will be in Red Deer to visit their twins from Red Deer and in the Spring of 2013 students from Red Deer will be visiting their twins in France. Lindsay Thurber enjoys the position of having partner schools in France & Japan. Since twinning with Lyce Jeanne dArc, we are able to send LTCHS students to Jeanne dArc for one semester where they attend school and stay with a French family. The Red Deer family would host a student from Jeanne dArc for a semester (or less) of the school year.

City/Town: Red Deer
School/Organization: Student from Red Deer Public Schools
Website: www.rdpsd.ab.ca/internationalservices
I decided to enter French Immersion when I was in grade five, and I was the only kid from my elementary school to decide to do so. It was a difficult decision because I knew I would be leaving all my friends, but I knew I would be gaining so much. The decision was well worth it, because French has opened so many doors and opportunities for me, its unbelievable. When I was in grade 8 I had the chance to go experience real French culture by visiting Qubec, and just last year I had the opportunity to spend a semester in France. Spending a semester in a country so far away was the best decision I ever made. I learnt so much in the short time I spent in France. I was very lucky to be put with two incredible French families, les Spenlinhauers et les Monthemonts, who helped me experience true French culture. Unfortunately no matter how hard they tried, I still could never appreciate octopus, caviar, and escargot the way they did. During my time spent in France, I was lucky enough to go on vacations to Germany, Spain, and Switzerland, while also spending a week skiing in the Alps. I even found school quite interesting! I was enrolled in many fascinating classes that I do not take here, such as economies, history and geography to name a few. It also gave me a HUGE appreciation for school back here in Canada. Canadian schools are less strict. I loved the food, the culture, the people, and especially having the chance to speak French every single day. French really is the most beautiful language and I would recommend this exchange to anybody. I miss all my friends I made there so much, and I cant wait until I get to go back. I can honestly say Im homesick for France.

City/Town: Calgary,
School/Organization: West View School
From: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 To: Friday, November 18, 2011
We are combining 6 high school classes (about 25 students total) to research education in 3 countries. The first day was spent doing basic information gathering and question development. The second day will be spent on a powerful question lesson, some more research, designing powerful questions and then ranking the questions. We will give the top 10 questions to the speakers in advance. Friday afternoon our guests will come in and share their experiences with our students and hopefully answer our questions. We are learning about Germany, Nigeria, and Vietnam.

City/Town: Calgary
School/Organization: Calgary Board of Education
From: Thursday, November 17, 2011 To: Thursday, November 17, 2011
Website: www.cbeinternational.ca
During International Education Week, November 14-18, Calgary Board of Education (CBE) schools are celebrating the many ways they connect with the world. CBE students engage globally by learning international languages, traveling abroad, participating in student exchange programs and learning through relationships with schools in other countries. In addition 540 international students attend CBE schools. High school students can also earn an international certificate that recognizes outstanding achievement in second languages, international coursework and international experiences, both locally and abroad. Media are invited to "Creating a Culture of Awareness" at Tom Baines School on November 17th. This event is a prelude for the evening event happening at the school. During the afternoon students will showcase cultural learning and student performances.

City/Town: Edmonton
School/Organization: Edmonton Catholic Schools
From: Thursday, October 20, 2011 To: Saturday, November 05, 2011
Website: http://ecsd.net/
For two weeks in October, Ukrainian Bilingual Program students from Austin O'Brien, an Edmonton Catholic High School, hosted a group of students and teachers from their twin school in Lviv Gymnasia in Lviv, Ukraine. Fourteen students from Ukraine participated in school activities at various schools with the Ukrainian Bilingual Program. They traveled to many interesting places in Alberta with Austin O'Brien students, getting to know our province and strengthening the communication between the two schools. In the spring of 2012, students from Austin O'Brien will travel to Lviv, Ukraine where they will have an opportunity to interact again with their Ukrainian friends, participate in cultural events and travel to Kiev and other places of interest.

City/Town: Calgary
School/Organization: Centennial High School
Website: http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b870/
We put up a "Centennial is Global" display in our school. It includes the flag of all 54 countries represented in our school, as well as different activities that students and teachers are involved in. Such activities are the YNow summit in Macao, the Finnish-Alberta education partnership, and building lamps for health and education institutions across Africa.

City/Town: Red Deer
School/Organization: Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools
From: Monday, November 14, 2011 To: Friday, November 18, 2011
Website: www.rdcrd.ab.ca
Our schools are really highlighting International Education Week. To begin with, a delegation of teachers and administrators traveled to China this week to develop a three-year school partnership program that will see exchange programs for teachers and students with three Chinese schools. At home, our students will be taken around the world with special international presentations, activities and visual displays. Our Japanese teacher, Ms. Hiromi Kobiki, and our Chinese teacher, Ms. Peng Zhang, will be visiting schools to share information on their countries, history and culture. The Confucius Institute from Edmonton will also be visiting our schools giving students some hands one experience with some traditional Chinese art forms. cole Secondaire Notre Dame High School will have different cultural displays and activities on Monday through Thursday at noon hours. The week will culminate with an BBQ, prepared by staff and Leadership students, for international students and their host families. See photos of activities and international students and teachers on our website at www.rdcrd.ab.ca.

City/Town: Lethbridge
School/Organization: Student from Zone 6
Your ears are flooding with foreign languages. Youre often thinking about your family and friends back home. The food and drink are unfamiliar to you. You dont understand the traditions and customs of these people. You cant read the bathroom sign! This would be the life of an exchange student coming to or leaving Alberta, Canada for three to six months. My school has accepted seven exchange students from the countries of Brazil, Korea, Czech Republic and Mexico. Most students will be residing in Canada for six months which is one semester at my high school. I am privileged to have developed personal relationships with these students, in particular the four Brazilian students. At first its intimidating to approach an exchange student, as you could imagine it being difficult for them to approach you. Nevertheless, after overcoming this senseless fear of talking to them, learning about an exchange student and life in their country can be an entirely eye opening experience. Yes, I have learned more EnglishHow is it going? and some new slang words are ones Ive learned, but it is hard to say how many new terms Ive learned because it has became a part of my daily life. With a hint of a Brazilian accent, this 16 year old exchange student said this with immaculate English. Not only are the exchange students themselves improving their English speaking skills at an unbelievable rate, but in return they are getting more people in the Portuguese language. After hearing Portuguese, students (including myself) are eager to learn this beautiful language, and luckily these students are more than willing to teach it to these enthusiastic Canadian students! Different countries are going to have curriculums that are extremely diverse to Canadas. In Canada, we generally study Canada and our history, but if you venture off to Brazil for example, their Social Studies curriculum is impressively broader in the material they study. In Korea, youll find that they have over a 97% high school completion rate. If you take a trip to the Czech Republic, it is mandatory to study over four languages! Giving these exchange students, from such contrasting backgrounds, the chance to collaborate with Albertan students and study at a Canadian school is an outstanding accomplishment by the Albertan government. With evidence coming directly from the students, teachers and hosting families themselves, the program is a noteworthy success.

City/Town: Medicine Hat
School/Organization: Student from Zone 6
In recognition of International Education Week, celebrated from November 14th -18th, I wanted to share my story of the struggles and successes I faced when moving to Canada. Back in 2008, I was a grade 9 student in a new high school, but also in a new country. I wasnt quite sure why my parents brought me to this small town with a silly name I giggled every time I said it, Medicine Hat. I was used to the hustle and bustle of city life because I practically grew up in Doha, Qatar, a wealthy city in the Middle East. Also, back in Doha I attended a British private school with uniforms and the whole nine yards. My high school here in Canada was far from what I was used to. Growing up in a cosmopolitan city I was used to seeing people with different nationalities, cultures, and religions, but when I entered the hallways of my high school I quickly realized that I was the only coloured person there. I quickly scurried into class and looked around; I was the darkest person in the room, except for the girl with the fake tan of course. I already felt like I stood out enough and so I did everything to try to blend in with the others. Fortunately I was already a fluent English speaker when I immigrated to Canada but I still had to learn new jargon, new culture, and a new way of life. I was bewildered by what the foreign terms toque, gravy, and Nanaimo bars meant, but after understanding what they meant I started to feel at home in this new country. But that feeling quickly vanished after I was bullied and hurt by racist comments, I was angry and felt out of place and then I realized their racism sprung from a lack of knowledge and not from hate. It was only then that I understood that I was an ambassador, and it was my responsibility to educate others about my culture. Thats what International Education Week is all about, celebrating diversity, building an international community and fostering a sense of responsibility to others worldwide. By exposing students to exchange programs, international school partnerships, internationally infused curriculum, and international student programs, we become global citizens.

City/Town: Edmonton
School/Organization: Queen Elizabeth High School/Change for Children
From: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 To: Thursday, November 17, 2011
Website: http://vcforhope.ning.com/
On Wednesday, Nov 16th, and Thursday, Nov 17th, students around the world, in partnership with Change for Children, Centro Humboldt, and the Centre for Global Education(Queen Elizabeth High School) will gather via Video Conference technology to help raise awareness and funds for the building of a school/community garden in the remote indigenous community of Walakitang, BOSAWAS, Nicaragua. On both days, from 08:00-16:00(MT), schools from across Alberta, North America, and Nicaragua will connect to each other to develop relationships, share culture and ideas, and examine the impact of Globalization on indigenous communities and the production and security of food.

City/Town: Edmonton
School/Organization: Learning Resources Centre - Alberta Education
Website: http://www.lrc.education.gov.ab.ca/pro/default.html
Do you know what Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Macao and Bermuda have in common? They all have Alberta-accredited schools! For the past six years, Alberta Educations Learning Resources Centre (LRC) has been a bridge between these overseas schools and the learning and teaching resources that support the Alberta curriculum, providing students in international classrooms with the same high quality resources as those used by students here at home. The LRC's role in bringing Alberta resources to the world stemmed from the LRC's reputation for service excellence. "It all started a few years ago with a visit from a former teacher in northern Alberta," explained Donna Vincent, LRC Customer Service Team Lead. "He was teaching at the International School of Macao, he knew about the LRC, and he contacted us to ask if there was any way he could order resources. From there, the word spread throughout the international school communities, and the number of international resource orders grew." Keith Doyle, Logistics Shipper at the LRC talked about the complexities of handling these orders. "Shipping internationally is much more involved than to the school down the street," he commented. "There are a lot more paperwork, insurance, and government documents, but if it means a better education or opportunity for students, then I say 'Lets give them what they want and need'!" From January to September 2011, a hefty 8,600 pounds of resources were shipped to Alberta-accredited international schools. LRC also receives orders from many other places around the globe including: Africa, Australia, Austria, Bali, Belgium, Buenos Aires, Germany, Holland, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan. As one satisfied international customer reported to LRC, "Like usual, you LRC people are fantastic! You make things very, very easy considering we are half way around the world. Thank you again!" Keith summed up why he and Donna find their jobs so rewarding. "It's not only satisfying to know that I have a hand in getting classroom materials into the hands of school kids in Alberta, but also to students in far away countries! It's another example of how small our world can be." With its commitment to students, service excellence, and equitable access to affordable learning and teaching resources, the LRC is proud to be a part of the globally connected world of the 21st Century learner.

City/Town: Calgary
School/Organization: Calgary Board of Education
Website: www.cbe.ab.ca
28 students from across the Calgary Board of Education enrolled in Intercultural Studies 35 and prepared themselves for an International Youth Leadership Summit in China during the 2011-2012 school year. This year they are joining together again to HOST the summit here in Calgary. Everyone is looking forward to welcoming our guests from overseas and putting on a conference that will bring together students and professionals. Engaging panel discussions, break-out sessions and experiential workshops are planned for the three day event!