World Fest: Showcasing Cultural and Linguistic Backgrounds
Sarah Hanf, Creekmoor Elementary, Raymore Peculiar School District
Introduction
World Fest was a beautiful and successful event! The event was a vibrant celebration of cultural diversity, filled with excitement and enthusiasm. For our Creekmoor English Learners (ELs), World Fest was a wonderful opportunity to showcase their rich cultural and linguistic backgrounds. It was a celebration of their identities and a chance to share their unique perspectives with the broader community.
One of the most significant outcomes of World Fest was the strengthening of relationships among parents, the school, and our community. Parents felt more connected to the school and more comfortable participating in school events. This increased engagement has had a positive impact on the overall school climate.
Our World Fest committee worked together to make the event possible. Our committee was comprised of teachers and other staff members. Committee members called parents to ask them if they would be interested in volunteering to run a booth at the event. Other committee members were responsible for helping families set up booths and ensuring they had the items needed (tables, chairs, etc.). Committee members also helped decorate the event. On the day of the event, some of the members were responsible for helping pass out the passports to the children attending. Other members ran their own booths featuring their cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
The books we acquired were passed out to the different booths at the beginning of the event so the parents would have literature to showcase in their home languages. They were so excited to see children’s literature that featured their languages to share with other families. Many families read books to the children who visited their booths and pointed out their home language alphabets. When the event was over, the books were collected and cataloged in the school library system for families to check out.
Parents have expressed a strong desire to participate in future World Fest events, highlighting the event's success in fostering a sense of belonging and community. The friendships formed among families at World Fest further strengthened the bonds within our school community. Overall, World Fest was a resounding success, leaving a lasting impression on our students, parents, and community members. It was a celebration of cultural diversity, a catalyst for stronger relationships, and a source of inspiration for all involved.
What did it look like?
Step-by-Step Plan
Goals
- Give students a sense of pride when sharing about their language and culture
- Promote multilingual reading opportunities
- Provide parents an opportunity for positive school community involvement
Step By Step Plan
- Organize a World Fest Committee
- Arrange and schedule the entertainment
- Invite families of ELs to participate
- Advertise the event
- Decorate for the event
- Host the event
What did it look like?
Timeline
Budget
Lewtemi Blank Passport Notebook Bulk Kids Passport (Amazon) 200ct
Flags: 3x5 size on Amazon 10 dollars (usually five new countries a year)
First Laugh--Welcome, Baby! by Rose Ann Tahe, Nancy Bo Flood (Hardcover)
The Three Little Pigs Los Tres Cerditos Bilingual Storybook—Classic Children's Books With Illustrations for Young Readers, Keepsake Stories Collection (32 pgs) (Volume 29) by Seibert (Paperback)
Priya Dreams of Marigolds & Masala by Meenal Patel (Hardcover)
Two Bicycles in Beijing by Teresa Robeson, Junyi Wu (Hardcover)
Ohana Means Family by Ilima Loomis, Kenard Pak (Paperback)
The Water Lady: How Darlene Arviso Helps a Thirsty Navajo Nation by Alice B. McGinty, Shonto Begay (Hardcover)
Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist by Julie Leung, Chris Sasaki (Hardcover)
Home Is in Between (The "Between" Books) by Mitali Perkins, Lavanya Naidu (Hardcover)
Hannah and the Ramadan Gift by Qasim Rashid, Aaliya Jaleel (Hardcover)
El Cucuy Is Scared, Too!: A Picture Book by Donna Barba Higuera, Juliana Perdomo (Hardcover)
Maracas Hand Percussion Rattles, Wooden Rumba Shaker Musical Instrument for Kids Adults, Set of 2
Wooden Castanet Percussion Instrument - 6PCS Hand Finger Castanets Party Favors Spanish Wood Castanets Classroom DIY Rhythm Music Musical Instrument for Kids Children Adult
Canyon Creek Authentic Mexican Yoga Falsa Blanket (Pink)
Island Breeze: Dancing and Musical Entertainment (https://islandbreezemissouri.com/)
What did it look like?
Sustainability
World Fest was an absolute blast! Parents and students alike had a fantastic time exploring the diverse cultures represented at the event. Seeing the excitement and enthusiasm was inspiring as people discovered books in their home languages and proudly showcased their language skills.
The parents are eager to continue their involvement in future World Fest events and participate more actively in school activities because of the large number of participants at this year’s events. We hope to host World Fest at a larger venue in the future. Parents are telling friends who weren’t able to attend the event how much fun they had. For example, Pakistani families divided the list of responsibilities in their booth without any prompting from the committee. Seeing the families work together to take ownership of this event is exciting.
The books we shared will be used in future World Fest events and made available in our school library system year round. Many families were interested in learning about other languages and cultures from the event and researching other countries. Parents look forward to checking out the books in their home languages from the school library. We will also use the books to promote diversity awareness months. Our school librarian frequently highlights books for these months. Teachers are excited to use this diverse list of books as a resource for teaching about our culturally and linguistically diverse community as we build cultural awareness schoolwide.
What did it look like?
Reflections
The event was a vibrant celebration of cultural diversity, filled with excitement and enthusiasm. One of the most memorable aspects was the opportunity to discover books in home languages, sparking a sense of pride and connection among the attendees.
Three hundred and ten people attended the event. As a result, the World Fest committee is considering a larger venue for next year. Parents are already asking for the date so they can plan to participate in next year’s event.
Parents were particularly excited to share their rich cultural heritage with the community. World Fest allows our parents to have a positive interaction with our school community. The feedback from parents was positive and encouraging. Parents stated, “We had so many people that we ran out of food!” Attendees said they had no idea we had so many cultures and languages represented in our school community.
What did it look like?
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