Chaminade Launches Global Learning Partnership with Shared Studios

Chaminade Launches Global Learning Partnership with Shared Studios

Chaminade High School is proud to announce a new partnership with Shared Studios, designed to connect our students with people and cultures across the globe through a unique and immersive experience. Flyers can now engage with international communities via a "portal" - a shipping container delivered to Faerber Field, which began live programming on May 9.

The portal enables real-time, interactive sessions with participants from locations including Lagos, Nigeria; Johannesburg, South Africa; Mexico City, Mexico; Bamako, Mali; and Erbil, Iraq. This initiative will allow students to delve into diverse themes such as the legacy of colonization, indigenous education, engaging with ecosystems, high school life across the world, the impact of social media, and global arts and culture.

"Our collaboration with Shared Studios offers a transformative educational experience that extends beyond traditional classroom boundaries," said President Bro. Thomas Cleary, S.M. ’81. “Shared Studios is yet another tool that we are using to provide our students with the very best in Catholic education.”

"Through the portal, our students will explore and develop key competencies such as empathy, intercultural understanding, and respectful relationships,” said program director Mr. Rob O’Keefe ’04. “This program aligns perfectly with our mission to foster global awareness and build lasting connections between Chaminade and communities worldwide."

In the past few weeks, for example, students in Honors Spanish 11 have been engaging with two main Mexico City Shared Studios curators. One curator, who has a degree in international relations and is currently studying art history, has lived across the Caribbean and Latin America. The other curator is an environmental activist and psychologist. The focal topic of these sessions has been the ecological and cultural considerations related to Xochimilco, a lake with ancient floating gardens.

"The Mexico City experiences have offered students multiple learning benefits," said World Languages Department Chair Mrs. Maria Agosti. "They have directly engaged with native speakers, learned about an ecological crisis and its impact on a UNESCO world heritage site, and grown in their understanding of a culture through exchanges with a dynamic curatorial team."

Students in Honors Global II and AP World History: Modern are learning from a team in Lagos about colonization in Nigeria. Sessions have tackled topics such as Nigerian tribal ancestry, the slave trade, modern political, religious, and cultural dynamics, and the influence of the English language in a country where over 200 languages have been traditionally spoken.

"Sophomore Social Studies students are ending their year by completing a research project on colonial perspectives, so the Lagos program is the perfect accompaniment to bring the complexities of colonization and its legacies to life," explained Honors Global II teacher Mr. John Mazzello.

"Shared Studios is an inspiring and innovative company, and we are pleased to partner with them to bring immersive experiences directly to the Chaminade campus," said Rob O'Keefe. "The greatest and most lasting impact of these experiences is connecting with the brilliant, charismatic, and accessible curators in Mexico City, Lagos, Erbil, Bamako, and Johannesburg. Their examples have immeasurably helped our students learn to consider the world outside themselves more deeply."

By working directly with individuals from various cultural backgrounds, students will gain a deeper understanding of global issues and develop the skills necessary to navigate an increasingly interconnected society. From now until the end of May, different classes will have the opportunity to use the portal to connect themselves with the world – all from Faerber Field.

 

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