Learning about one’s cultural background enriches a student’s life
May 2, 2017
In today’s generation, something important to many students are the roots of their family tree and sharing it with others. It’s no longer out of the ordinary to know people from every corner of the world.
High schools around the world, including Stroudsburg High School, shed light on the different types of people. Many foreign students learn about the lifestyles and languages of other cultures at school. This gives teenagers the opportunityAi??to explore and have a chance to relate to other types of people.
Many teens from ages 10 to 18 care about their nationality more than past generations. Ai??They enjoy learning about traditions, food, music, or folk tales. Younger people care more about not only their own culture but others as well.
ai???Older generations werenai??i??t as exposed as the more recent and current generations are to foreign cultures,ai??? said Ms. Kathy Simonovich, a foreign language teacher. ai???Many people werenai??i??t very educated on multiple cultures because they never had the opportunity to experience the other cultures besides their own growing up.ai???
Stroudsburg students are very diverse, and tend to teach each other about their various cultures. When a student is aware of their own nationality and its culture, they share the lifestyle their family leads. Sharing things their own family’s way of life allows other students learn from them.
Classes at SHS provide students with the opportunity to share their backgrounds with classmates which in a way spreads awareness about where they are from or where their parents or grandparents came from. It is very common for current students to have parents or grandparents who are immigrants from foreign countries around the world.
Foreign exchange programs are very common now. Two schools from different countries ai???exchangeai??? a select few students and trade places with them for about a month.Ai??SHS happens to have the GAPP program (German American Partnership Program). This past fall, 13 students and two teachers from Germany came to SHS for two weeks to experience the life of an American high school student. In June of 2017-18, SHS students will travel to Speyer, Germany and they will live the life of a German high school student. Programs like GAPP are great cultural learning experiences for both ends.
Knowing and understanding where one’s family is from can be very important for finding oneself andAi??relating to one’s family. Many people are aware of their nationalities. Sooner or later, high school students from everywhere will be the parents of the next generation of high school students. With the endless possibilities of mixed nationalities, many children will be multiple nationalities. Having a sense of culture throughout life could be helpful in multiple ways and in multiple situations.Ai??
There are countless ways to discover more about one’s family roots. Resources could consist of speaking to older relatives, or creating a family tree online.
Belmany • May 3, 2017 at 10:52 AM
I read this feature story and i have to say, its very well written. This feature story make me think about how being a Spanish student in SHS is almost exciting. As for new generations embracing their culture, I see it as a beautiful thing because it what makes us all different. Since there are so many different cultures that come together as one, we all learn from one another. Plus it also helps us expand our minds to learn, eat, and except different things as individuals from different backgrounds.
Belmany • May 3, 2017 at 10:44 AM
I read this feature story and i have to say, its very well written. i like how
Nylah Safforld • May 2, 2017 at 1:59 PM
I think this is great! Students should learn about other cultures/ethnic groups to enhance their understanding. It is good to know that more people are becoming interested in other cultures. Our country is very diverse and knowing about different cultures is beneficial.
Sierra Tiwari • May 2, 2017 at 10:49 AM
I think it’s really important to learn about different cultures in order to help accept people from all different backgrounds. I’m happy people are now more interested in this.
Katie Wheeler • May 2, 2017 at 10:48 AM
This story hits at really great points, especially now with the idea of foreign exchange programs. Because they are becoming a more common idea with in colleges and high schools
HaJa Jalloh • May 2, 2017 at 10:47 AM
I liked this article very much. It shows that people can know one another by where they originated from and how important it is for you to know your background.
Lucas A. Wesselius • May 2, 2017 at 10:01 AM
One thing that is interesting to note is how diverse Stroudsburg is compared to the rest of Pennsylvania. Other than the numerous counties of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Monroe is the next most diverse, specifically in Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg. This mixing pot of culture allows Stroudsburg students a unique experience, not available in many other places, and prepares students for an ever globalizing world.
Saheim Clervoix • May 2, 2017 at 9:56 AM
Great story! It’s cool to see that more younger people are more interested in learning about their culture. I believe is very important to go back to roots because your likely to find something interesting and learn something new about yourself.
Shanna-Kay Lemuel • May 2, 2017 at 9:55 AM
I love this piece. it really speaks truth and hits key points on how people come to know about one another.