BOISE, Idaho — Editor's note: This content is sponsored by CapEd Credit Union.
Students at Taft Elementary School are learning more than the basic topics such as math and science – educators are taking them on a trip around the world.
The halls of the Boise school hold the love of many different cultures.
"We've got students who come to us from 30 countries from all over the world," Taft Community Schools Coordinator Jenny Hirst said.
Students are not only learning from adults, but teaching one another "a lot of new stuff," as experienced by a student named Amber.
The peer-to-peer education can be attributed to a diverse student population at Taft Elementary School.
"Boise, Idaho is home to so many families who come through refugee resettlement, who immigrate here seeking all of the good things that everybody wants in their lives," Hirst said.
Taft's mission is to tap into the worlds within its student body.
"There's just this beautiful tapestry of families and stories and faces and ideas," Hirst said.
Once a year, the Boise school celebrates each country by hosting Cultural Fest.
"It's just this great example of what it means to learn more about how someone else cooks their food, how someone else's dance expresses themselves – themselves or their culture," Hirst said.
Each students gets to see their country be represented during the annual event, and they learn about their friends along the way.
"I have some friends that are from my country Afghanistan," said Mohammad, a student at Taft.
"I didn't know that Tanzania was part of Africa, and now I know," Amber said. "I was like, 'amazing.'"
Cultural Fest is a highly-anticipated event each year for Taft students.
"It felt good. I liked it," Mohammad said.
Amber relayed the message, telling KTVB "it was great, my favorite part about it is the Parade of Nations."
The event also sparks courage and leadership in the student community, like Amber and Mohammad, who emceed their first event.
"I was kind of nervous at first, but then I wasn't nervous anymore," Mohammad said. "My role was to introduce the Point Flow Arts Club."
Amber said her role was to share the story of songs attendees were going to dance to.
Taft Elementary School believes the task is shaping a positive learning environment for students, the City of Trees community and beyond.
"When we see diverse faces showing leadership and sharing the best part of themselves, there's a ripple effect to younger children, there's a ripple effect to peers, to adults," Hirst said.
This is Taft's seventh year hosting Culture Fest.
Educators, for information on submitting an application for a classroom grant through the Idaho CapEd Foundation, visit www.capedfoundation.org. If you would like to nominate an Innovative Educator, send us an email to innovativeeducator@ktvb.com.
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