Videotape carries message of understanding to India

Videotape carries message
of understanding to India
BY LINDA DeNICOLA
Staff Writer

Seventh-grade social global issues students at the Barkalow Middle School, Freehold Township, made a videotape and sent it to children in India for a project that seeks to promote understanding among different cultures.

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — Students at the Barkalow Middle School under the direction of enrichment teacher Lisa Johnston are reaching out to students in India through the Children for World Peace cultural program (CWP.) The program is one of several created by Myrna Arce, a certified professional coach with Coaching with Clarity, who developed the program in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

On Jan. 13, the seventh-grade social global issues students, as part of the academic enrichment program, prepared a videotape that included an original song written by Arce and performed by the students; reflections from students on the negative image some people have of the United States; a round-table discussion on how five guidelines (openness, connectedness, clarity, creativity and trust) can be applied by each individual as well as by politicians and world leaders; and a talk by Radhi Spear, an Indian American woman, on the differences between the cultures of the United States and India.

The video will be sent to a cooperating school in India.

"We are hoping to show them what our culture is like," Johnston said, adding that her students are hoping to get correspondence from the Indian students in return.

The Barkalow students’ video will be aired on the local cable television channel, Johnston said.

A similar program will be presented to the Eisenhower Middle School social and global issues students in the spring, said Johnston, who teaches at both middle schools in the township’s K-8 school district.

Katy Dynarski, a Barkalow student and member of CWP, said she applied to the program to help her understand the world and what is happening in it.

Deanna DeLuca, another group member, said she wanted to learn how she can become a better person and help others. She also used the five values to solve a personal conflict.Philip Levin and Tom Coghlan agreed that they wanted to learn about world events and to be able to debate global issues.

"I heard about the war in Iraq and wanted to understand what’s going on," Philip said.

CWP was born of Arce’s desire to find answers to some difficult questions: What can ordinary people do to make the world a better, safer, more peaceful place? How can we use our common sense, talents and skills to make a positive difference, and do it now?

CWP seeks to help children better understand diverse cultures throughout the world. The program uses the five values — openness, connectedness, clarity, cre­ativity and trust — as guidelines. Using these guidelines, students learn about re­spect and tolerance for children of other cultures, develop artistic, team building, and leadership skills, and help improve the United States’ image for children overseas.

Student activities are designed to help raise global awareness and include lec­tures/workshops, group and team discus­sions, teamwork, role-playing, poetry writing, art work and field trips.

Johnston said the students who are involved in the academic enrichment pro­gram are highly capable, sensitive and caring people who love to learn and ab­sorb knowledge.

"They really want to make a difference in their world. The Children for World Peace program helps them learn different skills that will put them in control of pos­sibly changing their future," she said. "They learn that one person can make a difference just through their interactions with people around them by emphasizing the five values in the program."