CULTURAL AWARENESS DAY
GUEST BIOS AND WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS
NOTE: Students will only be allowed to
sign up for one active workshop.
The locations of workshops will be
provided to students when they sign up.
SECONDARY KEYNOTE
James Biar was 6 years old when war came to his village, Monyror Deng was 9, Arok
Garang was 8. Their
villages were burned; everyone ran for their lives. Many of the young boys were tending cattle in
the cattle camps a mile away from their villages. When they saw the smoke and heard the bombs,
they started fleeing. Not knowing
whether their parents were dead or alive, they soon found young boys from other
villages who had faced the same horror.
Tens of young boys became hundreds — hundreds became thousands.
They were forced to cross deserts, rivers, and
mountains. They went without food and
water for days. They survived on wild
fruits and leaves for food and drank their own urine so they would not die from
dehydration. Meanwhile, wild animals
survived on them.
With no one to
protect them, these young boys aged 5 to 11 tried to protect each other. They had a saying “child-to-child” meaning “you
help me – I help you – we all help each other”. Older boys took care of the younger ones.
Many were shot
by soldiers, starved to death, died from illness or were killed by wild
animals. Less than a third of these
young boys survived. After 1,000 miles
on what has been called a “Children’s Death March”, they ended up in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in
ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL LARGE GROUP
PERFORMANCE
Kudzidza
The Kudzidza Foundation is a non-profit
organization, which sends supplies and assistance to families in
Kudzidza
is a fully self-contained multimedia organization featuring live music,
drumming, art, dancing and other programs from
Programs are offered through Kudzidza
to support the lives of children and adults of
ACTIVE WORKSHOPS:
Kutandara
- (high school workshops 2, 3, all students in grades 6-7)
Teaching
community oriented group music classes and lessons for all ages,
Cultural Awareness Day’s performance will feature the performance class called Shungu (which
means “aspiration”). One of its
musicians is Peak to Peak’s own Marijke Jones, mother
of high school student Kaatje. Also joining Shungu are their directors, Randy
McIntosh and Amy Stewart. Randy is
Amy is
Hawaiian
dance - Miriam Paisner - (hs
workshops 1, 2, 3)
Miriam leads a diverse student and performing group,
learning Hawaiian history and culture while studying authentic kahiko (ancient) and beautiful 'auana
(modern) hula. This workshop will include language, chanting, and dancing as
well as some Hawaiian history.
The halau was founded in 1993 to
teach and perpetuate the art of Hawaiian hula and all that it encompasses. This
includes the teaching and performing of ancient kahiko
and modern 'auana hula, chanting oli,
and the playing of Hawaiian instruments while chanting. Instruments are ipu heke (larger gourd), ipu (smaller single gourd), kala'au
(sticks), 'ili'ili (stones), and pu'ili
(split bamboo).
Along with dance, chant, and song, the purpose of the halau is to pass on the many cultural traditions of the
Native Hawaiian people through history, langauge,
politics (past and present), and a love and protection for the land and nation
of Hawai'i. Miriam (umehana)
studied hula in
Martial artists
can do amazing things. They can become
immovable or move astonishingly quickly.
Sometimes they can demonstrate extraordinary strength. Aikido is a non-violent martial art from
Japan that specializes in teaching students, even beginners, how to use their
life force, called Ki in Japanese, to do these
remarkable things. Over the course of
one hour, the students will actually learn how to play with their Ki to become much stronger and much heavier. There will be
short explanations and instructions followed by practical exercises. This is not for spectators; everybody gets to
participate. You will surprise yourself!
Exercises and
demonstrations will not be violent or dangerous.
Doug Jones
studied Aikido in
Salsa Dancing – Sam Gill (hs
workshop 1,2 double session)
This workshop will teach a Cuban style
salsa known as Rueda de Casino, a
partner form of social dance done in a circle.
This dance originated in
Sam Gill coaches Salseritas,
a group of women in high school and college. They won 4th place the last
two years in International Competition in
teaching by Jenny Gill, a co-owner with Sam of Bantaba
World Dance and
Music, and Dorothy Williams. Sam, Jenny, and Dorothy are currently
starting
high school-age Rueda dance groups in Front Range
communities, so this
workshop will be an excellent way for students to get an introduction to
this lively and fun social dance form.
Bellydancing - Maria (hs workshops 1, 2 – all
students in grades 6-7)
Interested in what "bellydancing"
really is? Learn what bellydancing's real
name is, where it came from, why it has been around for thousands of
years, and why it is still so popular today! "Bellydancing"
is a fun, life-affirming, joyful dance for the whole family! Clap along
to some popular drum rhythms from the middle-east, listen to some classic and
pop music from the middle-east today and learn some fun moves! You will
be challenged and surprised at the beauty, history and fun of this very popular
and ancient art form!
*Maria has experience performing for middle school audiences and
will be dressed in accordance with the Peak to Peak dress code.
African Dance – Kpanlogo
from
Kpanlogo is a contemporary and social dance and music
created in the capital of
Maputo Mensah is a principal member of Akrowa Cultural Performance Ensemble at the
Capoeira
– CU (hs workshops 1, 2, 3)
Capoeira
Over the course
of a one hour workshop, you will have the opportunity to learn this ancient
Afro-Brazilian art form. This is not
for spectators; everybody gets to participate.
You will surprise yourself! All exercises and demonstrations will not be
violent or dangerous.
Larry Stephenson
of CU founded the CU Capoeira group in February of
1998. This club has been affiliated with
the Capoeira Angola Center of Mestre
Joao Grande since November of 2000.
DISCUSSION WORKSHOPS:
Anti-Defamation
League – Paula Brown (hs workshops 1, 2)
The immediate
objective of the League is to stop, by appeals to reason and conscience and, if
necessary, by appeals to law, the defamation of the Jewish people. Its ultimate
purpose is to secure justice and fair treatment to all citizens alike and to
put an end forever to unjust and unfair discrimination against and ridicule of
any sect or body of citizens.
This workshop will include Hate Comes Home, a virtual experience interactive learning software
CD-ROM that allows students to become the lead character in a plot immersed in
everyday occurrences of bias and hate-motivated behavior. The opening
scene depicts a tragic Homecoming dance: two students commit a fatal hate crime
against two other students. Through the use of state of the art instructional
technology, Hate Comes Home provides
participants with new skills and strategies to combat bias and create
respectful learning environments.
All
Together Now International (hs workshops 1, 2, 3)
ATNI is a leading developer
of innovative programs and visionary alliances that promote international peace
by creating greater economic, educational, and health care opportunities for
disadvantaged people in some of the world's poorest regions. All of their
charitable work is intended to achieve two key objectives: build the capacity of local people to address
their most pressing socioeconomic problems and design prototypes and
intelligent systems for addressing critical needs that can be efficiently
replicated in multiple venues.
This workshop will provide some background information on
ATNI. It will discuss the children that ATNI has aided and brought to the
The Boulder Asian Pacific Alliance (BAPA) is a grassroots
coalition of representatives from the diverse Asian Pacific populations, the
second largest minority group in the city and
This workshop will be a culture trunk involving
items representing many Asian Pacific cultures (suitable to all
levels)--Interactive with Q & A.
Women
around the world - Dr. Polly McLean (hs workshops 1,
2, 3)
Dr. Polly McLean is an associate professor and director
of the Women and Gender Studies program at CU, is from
Ms Puhti Chim
was born in 1952 in a small village in
India/Nepal – p2p
students (hs
workshop 2)
Peak to Peak’s
own Nikki Singh, Maitreyi Gopalakrishnan,
and Sunita Kennedy will be discussing
World War II or September 11? A Look at
Imagine if you
woke up one morning, and you discovered you and your family had a few weeks
before you had to leave your home, school, and friends behind. If you didn't
leave, you would be breaking the law. What would you do? Leave, or stay?
This workshop
will look at the events during World War II that led to the forced
incarceration of Japanese Americans in internment camps. It will also look at
the history of Japanese immigrants in
The workshop
will be split up into two parts. Part one will provide some background to
participants. Part two will involve a group activity to allow participants to
look at these events from their own perspective, as well as have time for
discussion and questions.
Debbie Quakenbush is a Sansei (3rd Generation) Japanese American.
She grew up in
A member of our
Peak to Peak community, Chim Carlson moved to the
Iran: Piruz Nahreini, Jen and Ali Jouzdani - (hs workshops 1, 2, 3)
Peak to Peak
parent Piruz Nahreini
emigrated from
Presenting with Piruz will be Ali Jouzdani and his wife Jen Jouzdani
who is a teacher at Peak to Peak. Ali emigrated from
The presentation will consist of a brief outline of
Peace Jam - Teri Andony
(hs workshop 1, 2 double session)
Peace Jam is an
organization devoted to promoting non-violent and peaceful negotiations through
the influence of youth in today's society. Last month marked its 10-year
anniversary, with the largest gathering of Nobel Peace prize laureates in the
history of the
The goal of
Peace Jam throughout the year is for each local chapter to sponsor a
"Peace Project", which informs the public of a world conflict and
takes steps towards a peaceful end to the conflict. This year, the Peak to Peak chapter
of Peace Jam has decided to inform the school of the child soldiers in
Teri found her
passion in Peace Jam last year, along with six other Peace Jam members at Peak
to Peak. She attended a conference
through Peace Jam with Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi in May, where she viewed the documentary Invisible
Children. Since then, she has made an effort to devote as much time as
possible to promoting the safe and non-violent efforts to eliminate child
soldiers in
Up
with People - Take a Stand (hs workshops 1, 2, 3)
Impress your friends with fun cultural facts and
trivia that you will learn in the icebreaker! You will also learn about a
variety of cultures from around the world as you build your awareness of global
hot topics such as education, politics and gender roles. You’ll have the
opportunity to then relate these cultural values back to your own for comparison
and discussion. Challenge yourself and your peers to take a stand on
global issues that are currently affecting different countries around the
world. The goal of the workshop is to create an open dialogue amongst you
and your peers regarding different cultural values and challenge yourself to
think outside of the box while realizing that different is okay.
Red Cross International – (hs
workshops 2, 3 double session)
Have you ever
taken a Red Cross first aid course or swimming class? If so, you have
experienced one of the many local activities of your Red Cross chapter. But did
you know that your local chapter and the American Red Cross are part of the
world’s largest humanitarian network? This workshop will introduce you to the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which includes 181 national
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and more than 100 million volunteers. You
will learn how Red Cross and Red Crescent workers bring aid every day to
thousands of victims of natural disaster and conflict around the globe—how
delegates risk their lives by visiting prisoners of war and how volunteers
provide hope after a devastating earthquake or flood. You will also learn how
the American Red Cross is involved in international events.
In addition, the
workshop will answer the following questions:
What are the
different symbols now used to represent the Red Cross Movement?
How does the Red
Cross protect the Geneva Conventions?
Why does the Red
Cross help everyone, even representatives of “bad” regimes?
How can you
become an international Red Cross volunteer or delegate?
As a volunteer
for the Mile High Chapter of the American Red Cross in
Heifer International – Maria Franco Tapia (hs workshop 1, 2, 3)
Heifer
Jeopardy! How much do you know about
hunger, poverty and sustainability? This activity gives participants a
fun way to answer questions pertaining to general statistics relating to
hunger, poverty and sustainability as well as questions pointing to specific
events in history. This educational game is taken from the popular TV
game show "Jeopardy" with a Heifer International twist.
Participants will form into groups, questions will be asked, and the team that
answers before the buzzer will get the points. The team with the most points wins and participants leave the workshop with a
better understanding about world hunger, poverty and sustainability.
Founded in 1944, Heifer International is a
humanitarian assistance organization that works to end world hunger and protect
the earth. Through livestock, training and "passing on the gift,"
Heifer has helped seven million families in more than 125 countries improve
their quality of life and move toward greater self-reliance. Heifer helps build
strong communities because each project participant agrees to pass on the gift
of animal offspring, training, or skills to another family in need.
An American in Paris – Robert Sachs (hs workshops 1, 2, 3)
Have you ever
wondered how it feels to live abroad? To speak every day in a foreign language? To explain why you cannot eat frog legs or
brain? To feel pressured into having to
defend American policy? To be looked at as a specimen from another
culture? To walk out at two o’clock in the
afternoon on a Sunday and find out all stores are closed? To translate Fahrenheit
into Celsius and pounds into kilos?
Born and raised
in
Robert Sachs has
a Civil Engineering degree from
CU Asian Studies – haiku (hs workshops 1, 2)
and modern china (hs workshop 3)
Through the
Freeman Undergraduate Initiative, the Center for Asian Studies offers programs
to middle and high school students in the Denver-Boulder area on aspects of
Asian culture. This workshop will offer
hands on, interactive workshops on a type of poetry called Japanese Haiku (1st
and 2nd sessions) and traditional vs. modern
Ben Grafstrom is a graduate student at the
Being
a native of
Ileana
will be sharing her personal love for her native country by sharing pictures, a
movie, fruits, vegetables, music, and dance (if she can find a willing
partner-hint, hint!!!) This country
has so much to share with its rich
cultural background of Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese, Caribbean
Islanders, and ex-patriots from the
You
won’t want to miss this opportunity to learn more about this amazing country.
Come and join the fun and find out if paradise has a slice for you!!
RESULTS
RESULTS is a nonprofit grassroots advocacy organization, committed to creating the will to end hunger and the worst aspects of poverty. RESULTS will present 3 separate workshops that discuss the value of citizen advocacy, the AIDS crisis worldwide, the issues of accessibility to education for all, domestic hunger, poverty, and the refugee crisis worldwide.
How
can a bank owner win a Nobel Peace Prize? Mahammed
Yunnis, founder of the Grameen
Bank, was recognized by the world when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
this October for helping millions of families overcome poverty.
Microcredit is an innovative, grassroots approach to overcoming poverty.
By giving small, low-income loans to the very poorest, families are able to
pull themselves out of extreme poverty through their own ingenuity and hard
work. These loans are not a handout;
with 95% repayment rate microcredit has caught the attention of a global
community used to giving out massive loans to governments that crumble under
the high interest rates and corruption—usually resulting in greater poverty and
poor payback rates. In the words of Mahammed Yunnis, “The poor
themselves can create a poverty-free world — all we have to do is to free them
from the chains that we have put around them.”
One
Year in
Peak to Peak’s own student and mom team of Camilla and Anita
Gronstedt will be sharing their Swedish culture. This interactive workshop will concentrate on
the
Who
Wants To Be Colorblind? - Keith Cooper – (hs
workshops 1, 2, 3)
The world is becoming more diverse daily.
Efforts are continually being made to achieve equality for all. Many
approaches work toward achieving "colorblindness".
That is, ignoring ethnic and cultural differences to offer all people the
same opportunities and benefits. While well intentioned, the goal of
achieving "colorblindness" is vastly ineffective when creating
public policy and programs to address the needs of the
public. During a 45 minute workshop, Mr. Cooper and students will
discuss the need for culturally specific policy and programs,
brainstorm ways to achieve it and cook Caribbean/Central
American foods to help illustrate this point.
Keith Cooper is a Health Disparities Specialist
with Tri County Health Department. He works with numerous ethnic minority
organizations in
In July 2006, Melanie Fitzroy
travel to