As Jackson Rosen '29 jotted down some of his favorite things for his pen pal, Rodrigo, he exclaimed, "I have so many things I want to share, I don't know which ones to pick!" Using a template, Grade 4 students wrote about themselves in Spanish for their pen pals in Malaga, Spain. They shared some of their favorite things, such as their favorite animal, sports, food, color, and celebrations.

Grade 2 students participated in a traditional coffee ceremony with the family of King Student Zerai Asefaw '32, whose heritage is from Eritrea. Zerai's grandmother, Neghesty Negusse, was joined by Zerai's father, Dr. Senai Asefaw P'32, to demonstrate each step of the coffee ceremony process, sharing their cultural traditions with the classroom.

As part of King's global education initiative, grade 5 students have been exploring Morocco. Students were introduced to various resources such as books, articles, videos, and photos to begin developing an understanding of the North African country's rich cultural heritage. 

"What I like most is that we can pick a topic that we want to learn more about," says Alivia Posta. "When our class started studying ancient China, the first thing that came to mind was their art. I made a connection because I love art and Chinese civilization was one of the first places to make art and pottery," she reports.

From fracking and genome sequencing to military intervention in transnational conflicts, King students practiced the art of debate during Harvard University's annual simulation of the United Nations. "We were very pleased with the performance of our members and we appreciated their commitment throughout this challenging year," said Ava Bussan '21, head delegate and Model UN Club co-president. 

Hola! The Spanish class in Grades 1-5 takes a global approach to teaching and learning world languages. Rosalba Santander-Cervantes, World Language Faculty, describes her goal as "empowering students to build the tools necessary to cultivate an understanding, an appreciation, and an interest in Spanish-speaking cultures and peoples. It is by doing so that they can become global citizens." 

King delegates engaged with high level, crucial issues facing humanity, including: slavery and justice; Cold War diplomacy; women's barriers to political participation and trafficking; cholera in Haiti; plus more.

The LS Global Studies program, which took place March 2-11, was an eight-day adventure across Central and South America. The three phases of the program allowed students to conduct research on a select country and choose where they wanted to dive deeply into their learning. In the final phase, students built conceptual understanding through art, media, 3D models, and writing.

This interdisciplinary unit, coordinated between the Grade 6 English and History teachers, included a literary study of the book, A Long Walk to Water, and a unit on Northeastern Africa where students discussed the issues that have persisted in that region for thousands of years.

Our Model UN team had another successful conference at Harvard in early February. The conference was highlighted by a very productive participation of 22 students from all US grades and seniors Diana Degnan and David Shattan winning two prestigious awards. There were over 4,000 students from 55 countries creating a true international atmosphere that accentuated the hands-on global experience while the students debated their topics based on their positions. Our delegation represented Ukraine in the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, and we had several specialized assignments that enriched the overall experience of our team.

Denise Mihailoff, World Languages Faculty, created a project where US students could conduct research, and showcase and apply knowledge, understanding, and skills in a creative way. The project focused on students 'buying' a house in France and living there with their family. They conducted research on the most beautiful towns and various homes and then picked a house they liked.

Earlier this month, US students in the Introduction to Global Studies course visited Building One Community (B1C) and supported clients in an English language learning class and worked on a phrasal verb activity. Global education continues to build a partnership with King Cares, which provides more opportunities for our students to engage in authentic experiences. 

The King Model United Nations (MUN) team had remarkable success at the MUN conference at Brown, Nov. 8-11. Nineteen delegates from our Upper School participated in a variety of committees and became involved in engaging topics. Diana Degnan '20 received the best delegate and first place award Alec Sherman '20 received the honorable mention and third place.

The King community celebrated our first Indigenous Peoples' Day (IPD) in October. The SilverCloud Singers visited campus and spoke about Indigenous Peoples' Day and its significance for Indigenous groups in the United States today. By honoring cultural differences and intellectual diversity, we create a vibrant learning community where each person is valued.

Congratulations to Will Hall-Tipping '20 on being selected as a Global Citizens Initiative (GCI) Fellow 2019. "'I've always found it fascinating to learn the stories of others, and how aspects of people's experiences have come to formulate what they believe. To me, there's always something to be learned from every person and their experiences."