Find Out How Somali Students Are Tackling Distance Learning
...in their own ways.
Schools across Minnesota have been plunged into an unplanned experiment in distance learning. While mainstream schools in larger districts have more resources and staff to plan and execute this new learning platform, a standalone charter school in Saint Paul serving mostly Somali students offers a glimpse into the unique challenges and opportunities they face.
The school was recently profiled in the TPT documentary Whole People: Healing Journeys, which explores childhood trauma and how refugee communities are working to build resilience and hope.
Meet a few members of the Somali Museum Dance Troupe, a program of the Somali Museum of Minnesota. Founded in 2015, the troupe serves as an initiative to educate young Somali students about their cultural traditions and encourage them to become ambassadors of their knowledge to the public.
The closures of schools across the state has also provided an opportunity for intergenerations connection between kids and their grandparents, who can relieve parents trying to juggle working, teaching and parenting from home.
In the time of the coronavirus, Minnesota’s arts educators have gotten creative in their approaches to keeping students inspired and motivated to continue pursuing even the most social of artistic genres. Find out how they’re leveraging digital technologies to keep students drawing, dancing, singing and performing.
