On March 19, Carlos de Oro’s  “Immigrant Festive Forms and Diversity” Paideia cohort went to the local Boys and Girls Club (at Stonehaven) to teach classes on the historical origins and current day practices in the United States of St. Patrick’s Day, The Chinese New Year, and Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

 

It was brought to the cohort’s attention that the Boys and Girls Club was looking for community members to teach classes and volunteer at the center. They took this opportunity to give to the local community as well as explore a new way to interact with their cohort’s focus.

 

“We have been going to events but hadn’t quite found a way to get involved. The kids had a great time learning about diversity and the purpose for the celebrations and we had a great time teaching,” said Brianna Billingsley.

 

Xitong Wu stated, “It was awesome seeing the kids so interested in learning about different festive forms. It made me happy to see that the kids appreciated diversity and were open minded about new cultures.”

 

The cohort gave brief oral presentations of the celebrations and then played educational games they had created, such as history of St. Patrick’s Day Pictionary. They then facilitated arts and crafts projects related to the celebrations, such as paper lanterns and Dia De Los Muertos masks.