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Cultural Community Outreach Proposal

TESOL 507: School, Community and Family Culture
Samantha Chella

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Shea High School prides itself on diversity amongst our student body. Our student
body hails from countries all over the world, ranging from the depths of Central America
to the ports of Cape Verde. Our students work tirelessly each day to assimilate to our
culture and language, however instructional time in the classroom only allows for an
ungenerous amount of time for us to appropriately celebrate their heritage. The proposal I
am presenting to you today is one that will benefit not only our main concern: our
students, but also the greater community. Parents would be able to connect with the
school their child attends, teachers will be able to learn about the different cultures
represented in their classrooms, administratorsfrom the dean of students to the
superintendent, will be able to connect with students in a meaningful way, understanding
each background and native country they carry with them through our school each day. I
think a Multicultural Night at our school would help being the community together by
celebrating student cultures!
The best way to lie the night out would be to have students exhibit all of the
knowledge and talents to the greater community. It can be a night for parents and
community members alike to come and learn about student backgrounds. The format the
night would be set up in would be to host both in the cafeteria and the auditorium. Within
the cafeteria, students will bring native cuisines from their home country. They would set
up tables with labels and decorate the area with flags. They will be dressed in the

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traditional garments that people in their country would be wearing as they served and
described the food to guests.
Upstairs in the auditorium would host the second part of the evening. Students in
our school have exhibited such talent and interest in performance arts. They can use this
night to perform for the community different dances and songs from their home
countries. This will be a great way for students to share their diverse interests and
backgrounds with everyone through performance art, an outlet they highly enjoy and take
pride in.
Our community has a track record of disengagement and disinterest in the student body. We have
struggled time and time again to bring the community together and increase parent
involvement. I think this could be a way to establish understanding and open minds
throughout the community. Many parents are unaware of the environments where they
send their children to school each morning. If they have more of an understanding of
other cultures, they will spread that openness to their children to create a stronger
community of acceptance. Another benefit for parents would be the pride in seeing their
home nations celebrated by the school. Its important to send a message home that our
school system is not focused on changing their children into conformists to our society,
but into broadening their lives to understanding other cultures and languages. Its
important to not only value the diverse cultures within our classrooms, but also to
celebrate and show that value publicly within the community.
Stakeholders in our community would have everything to gain through this event.
If they contributed towards this event financially, they would be paid back through
community growth and student pride. Our school community needs the support of the

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school committee in order to see positive results and an increase in enrollment. In

creating a warm, celebratory and open community, we will welcome more families and
students. The school district will benefit from the positivity a multicultural night event
would promote.
Overall, I think this night would be extremely beneficial for morale amongst
students, teachers, administrators, families and the whole of the community in Pawtucket.
Its a great way to bring home and school life together, as well as incorporate the different
cultures represented by our student body. It is also a great way for students and families
to learn more and appreciate other cultures represented. They may enjoy a performance
or a meal from a country they never would have learned about prior to this event.

References

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Bousalis-Aliak, R. (2010). Elementary multicultural and global education: A celebration of
countries and culture, or just celebration? Ohio Social Studies Review, 46(1), 7-10.