Back-to-school season is in session not only in Humboldt, but across the globe.
Educators from Taiwan are visiting Humboldt, collaborating with educators in the region as part of the California Global Education Project (CGEP).
“We try to connect the schools between Taiwan and the us especially Chiayi City, and I think they will be good to kind of get some connection with the foreign friends all over the world,” professor Dr. Kent Cheng said. “And the student can have that global awareness and also think about how to become a very good global citizen.”
Deputy superintendent Colby smart at the Humboldt County Office of Education helped forge the connection back in 2019.
Students and teachers connect with Taiwanese classrooms to exchange lessons, collaborate and get a better sense of education across the sea.
“Sometimes they’re studying the same book, the same story, and then sharing their perspectives and their experiences as our students describe their communities and their lives,” CGEP executive director Dr. Emily Schell said. “They are learning from their peers in places in Taiwan. And comparing and contrasting and just growing their worldview,
Students and teachers form a collaboration to exchange not only idea, but global friendships.
“Dr. Colby Smart loves to say he wants every child in Humboldt county to have a friend in places around the world, and we say the same for teachers,” Schell said. “We want every teacher to have a friend, have a colleague, in another place around the world. And so we’re starting with Taiwan, and we hope to expand from there, and truly develop global citizens for all of our students.”
This also adds to the goal of expanding the global worldview beyond their respective homes.
“One of the educational guidelines for our city is global view. And we want the students to expand their their views to see the world. After that, we want you want them to be influential in the world,” CGEP commissioner Dr. Tien-Tsai Kim said. “The democracy and also the inclusion and concept for of America is the thing that we think is a universal value and that for us place a high premium.”
Yet, the link that brought Taiwan and Humboldt County together may have already been rooted in mother nature.
“The Redwood in Humboldt is like the cypress in Ali Mountain, which is in Chiayi. We have the same kind of background. So we think this kind of link can make us more familiar with the Humboldt county,” Kim said.
The CGEP educators will be visiting Fortuna Prep Charter, Alice Birney Elementary, Trinidad ad Redwood Coast Montessori schools this week.
