Globe Reads

On Nov. 19, two Shawnigan AP English Language classes were fortunate enough to connect with a group of Grade 11 students from Lebawi Academy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, through the Globe Reads program.

In order to prepare for their shared online discussion of Kahil Gibran’s poem On Children, Cari Bell’s English classes received a visit from Headmaster Larry Lamont who was able to share his first-hand experiences of Ethiopian culture gleaned from six weeks of travel in the country.

Despite an initial technological struggle, the group persevered and were able to open the session with a discussion of the poem. “Once the ice was broken, the discussion became more personal and this is what the students really enjoyed,” shares Mrs. Bell. “We learned that the Ethiopian students are born into either a Christian (60%) or Muslim (30%) family and atheism is unheard of. Their culture is also highly respectful of its elders.”

Some students shared that connecting with young people their own age from a different country initially made them a little nervous but that, ultimately, they found the sessions exciting and eye opening and that they appreciated the open-mindedness on both sides. They were able to take several important lessons away from the experience, including learning about the many similarities shared by young people across the world, even when they come from very different cultures.

“We plan on connecting with Lebawi Academy in January and then again in the spring, and we will likely connect with a different school a couple of times as well,” explains Mrs. Bell. “In the meantime, I'm reaching out to an Ethiopian woman who recently immigrated to the Cowichan Valley to see if she is willing to cook us an Ethiopian feast!”

Students at Shawnigan had their first experience of the Globe Reads program in January 2018. Since then, the initiative has gained traction at the school, with a number of different classes enjoying the opportunity to connect with peers from all over the world.