Today’s classrooms are filled with a rainbow mix of diverse students from nearly every continent, making learning environments rich with experience, culture, language and history. Children are curious about the world around them and how they relate to it. In order to better understand themselves and others, an exploration of cultures encourages cooperation and relationships. Celebrating both similarities and differences, children appreciate what each person has to contribute, viewing themselves as empowered, global citizens.

With Building Bridges for Young Learners, Coverdell World Wise Schools offers a wonderful new resource for educators teaching pre-kindergarten to fourth grade students about the diversity of our world and how we are more alike than different. Building Bridges for Young Learners consists of a series of five lessons and accompanying e-books, complete with audio narration and gorgeous photos from Peace Corps countries. They can be implemented as a whole unit or as stand-alone, standards-based lessons. Additionally, most e-books contain short, adaptable teaching suggestions that build cross-cultural awareness, respect, and communication in the classroom.

Enhance cultural understanding and appreciation through the Speakers Match and Correspondence Match programs. By connecting students directly with Volunteers who have served or are currently serving in one of 139 Peace Corps countries, they can listen to first-hand accounts of service, view photos of faraway places and hear a foreign language being spoken. This experience immediately brings cultures alive and offers new global perspectives to young learners.

Using other Coverdell World Wise Schools e-books, continue the exploration of the world’s countries and cultures: visit Jordan with Bountiful Harvest, the latest addition to the electronic library. Young learners can also visit Namibia with Go to School for a Day and Lesotho in Playing Together with Kids.