Global Education Center www.globaleducationcenter.org
The Global Education Center is a multicultural arts education center that uses the arts of diverse cultures to highlight our commonalities and promote cross-cultural understanding and respect through interactive arts experiences that aid in dispelling myths, dismantling stereotypes, developing empathy, and alleviating fears.
With a roster of over 100 artists representing almost 40 different cultures, the Global Education Center can provide custom-designed international programs that relate to various aspects of the curriculum and that are tied to festivities for specially designated months, such as Hispanic Heritage Month, African American History Month, Asian-Pacific Islander Month, Festivals of Light, etc. Through workshops, residencies, in-school performances, and teacher training, artists from the Global Education Center, who represent the diversity of our community and of the larger world, weave together the stories and traditions of different cultures through music, dance, art and artifacts to showcase our commonalities and provide an understanding for our differences.
Contact Ellen Gilbert at ellen@globaleducationcenter.org
Sample Programs Offered
Program Type: Arts Appreciation
Program Description:
Rhythms of Life is a 50 to 60 minute multicultural assembly performance with artists from a variety of different cultures, typically chosen by the school. A common example would be West African drum and dance, Afro Latin drum and dance, folkloric dance, Capoeira, South Indian classical dance, Chinese traditional dance. Teachers are given materials in advance that describe the various dance and drum styles along with history and cultural significance. All assemblies have interactive components throughout the show and can be offered virtually on in person. Virtual programming includes a recorded concert with a virtual Q & A.
Lesson Plan Example: Download File
Program Type: Arts Appreciation
Program Description:
Rhythms of the Afro Latin Diaspora takes participants on a journey from Mother Africa through the Caribbean Islands to The Americas, highlighting the common roots that are shared through drum and dance. Performers will be sharing music and dance from West African, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, and when available, the African roots of Flamenco. This assembly is popular during Hispanic Heritage Month but is a great education tool throughout the year.
For those who wish to focus more on Africa, our Rhythms of Africa assembly highlights drum and dance traditions emanating out of The Great Mali Empire of West Africa. This assembly focuses on music and dances from Guinea, Mali, Ivory Coast, and Senegal.
Either assembly runs 45 to 50 minutes and can be offered virtually as well as in person.
Lesson Plan Example: Download File
Program Type: Arts Appreciation
Program Description:
Karuna Shakti: The Power of Compassion is an original Indian classical dance-drama production that explores how global issues and universal human problems such as warfare, bullying, discrimination and environmental degradation can be addressed through the power of compassion. As long as human beings live on this earth there will be conflict and suffering. Yet, it is the duty of good people everywhere to shine the light of awareness on our human frailties and work to create harmonious relations. As the Dalai Lama has said, “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries; without them, humanity cannot survive.” While this is a 2 hour program, schools can select excerpts from the longer program that showcase specific issue as well as the expressive power and storytelling capacity of South Indian classical dance. A 45-minute school assembly program features its creator Monica Cooley as a solo dancer or as part of a small ensemble and can be offered virtually as a recorded concert with a virtual introduction and post-concert Q & A. This program is a perfect fit for social emotional learning.
Lesson Plan Example: Download File