Enrichment
Global Summit 2022: Preserving Language and Culture
This summit focused on preserving ethnodiversity. We learned about cultures from around the world and participated in activities that enriched our knowledge of global cultures. One particularly impactful experience was my interaction with a man from Rwanda in which we were able to ask him questions and learn about his life, thousands of miles away from me and the microcosm in which I live. I also took a salsa dance lesson, which helped me to connect to Latin American culture, which I have studied since middle school. During my trip to Hawaii, I learned how to make a lei, an object of honor in Hawaiian culture. My fellow travelers and I led the lei making workshop, in which we instructed our peers on the steps in the lei-making process, as well as educated them on the importance of leis in preserving Hawaiian culture. I also presented about our trip to Hawaii to teach others about the unique, rich culture contained within the islands of Hawaii and its people.
At the end of the summit, we formed groups and were each tasked with a mission: to preserve the respective cultures of which we were assigned. My group focused on the Inuit tribe, and we brainstormed various ways in which we could help to preserve their culture. We found that supporting local artists who depicted their culture, as well as actively educating ourselves about Inuit life, would help to both physically and mentally preserve the Inuit culture.
Global Summit 2024: Life on Land and Underwater
The 2024 Global Summit was centered around the environment, with a specific focus on life on land and underwater, as well as preserving biodiversity. Some activities at the summit included a sushi-making workshop, a station where we had the opportunity to create a mural that depicted organisms from a wide range of habitats, a paper-making area where we created sustainable paper from a substance of herbal tea and dye, and a scavenger hunt in which participants found a variety of local landmarks. The summit also included an appearance of our keynote speaker, Dr. Micah Miller, who was able to speak about his work as the Director of the Arctic Program and the Loon Program at the Biodiversity Research Institute. This emphasized the importance of preserving Earth's biodiversity for generations to come. Without the life on Earth, both on its shores and beneath its water, our world would drastically change. Like all global enrichment activities, the summit provided me with a new perspective on how I should interact with the environment and helped me to reconnect with nature. In February, I sustained a heartbreaking knee injury that has changed the course of my life over the past two months. In my toughest moments, immersing myself in nature has given me a broader perspective. The beauty of this Earth must be protected.
H-blocks
For the first year and a half of my global journey, I was a member of the leadership board. In our meetings, which typically during H4, we would plan upcoming global events. My sophomore year, I had the opportunity to help design the 2022 Global Summit. I also helped to organize smaller events that were available during H-blocks. In this collaborative environment, my classmates and I shared our ideas and were able to build on each other's knowledge of the world around us.
The global H-blocks presented themselves as unique opportunities to see the world through a global lens. Many of my friendships formed through global pathways, so I always enjoyed these times as an opportunity to enjoy learning about new cultures with friends. These H-blocks included dance workshops, mental health days, arts and crafts activities, and speakers who came in to teach us about their respective cultures. Although I did not document many of these H-blocks through images, many of them were very impactful to me. Some of my favorite enrichment experiences are pictured below. Each H-block was a gift and a breath of fresh air during otherwise stressful school days.
Scarecrow Workshop
We worked as a team to brainstorm and create
Glocamole
Glocamole was an event where we celebrated the winter months by decorating snowflakes with our future goals, and we made candles for loved ones to thank them for their support.
Capstone Talks and Showcase
Caps Talks
In the past three years, I have attended Caps Talks of students taking Capstone. I learned about a wide variety of topics, ranging from the value of animal shelters, to the effect of social media on teen mental health, to our genetic origins, to the impact of Chat GPT on our society. These helped me to understand the massive yet rewarding project that I would have the privilege of undertaking my senior year, and each presentation inspired me to learn more about the world around me. They also catalyzed my thought processes surrounding my future topic.
My sister, Abby (pictured left), did her project on pediatric chronic pain in schools, specifically how the school system can better support students experiencing difficulties. Watching her do her research inspired me to want to create a final product for my project that helped people.