Reaching for Global Equality & Equity

A Collaboration with South Africa

Even though we could not travel in 2020 or 2021 to visit our sister school Brescia House in Johannesburg, South Africa in person, we developed a synchronous virtual class exchange. Our Director of Global Education, Maria Barton ’83, and 11th grade English AP Teacher Adrianna Robertson collaborated with Brescia House School faculty Graham West, History Chair and Laura Van Houten, History Teacher. The project was titled “Reaching for Global Equality & Equity.”

Substituting technology for passports, students met via Zoom and used MicrosoftTeams as they researched 10 aspects of inequity in both New Rochelle/Westchester/ NYC, New York and Randburg/Sandton/Alexandra, South Africa and then shared possible solutions via video presentations. Said one student, “I was grateful that my group mates were very sweet and understanding. I think we had great conversations and were able to connect through topics beyond academics, which was also very valuable.” And another student observed, “I learned about the life of a student in South Africa, and I was able to gain new perspectives on the world and on inequity and inequality.”