In the classroom, how can we appreciate and encourage cultural diversity?

These days, academic programs welcome a wide range of people from various sociocultural backgrounds. Helping pupils adjust to a new cultural background and developing critical, open minds that embrace and celebrate variety rather than reject it are crucial issues for educators to address.

The new edition of the course “Intercultural learning and cultural diversity in the classroom​” took place in Palermo from 25/02/2024 to 2/03/2024. The participants came from all across Europe, with Maria, Astrid and Fritz from Teknikum in Sweden, Elske from GRETB (FET Centre, Galway city) in Ireland, Cecilia and Sladana from Eduard Breuninger Schule Backnang in Germany and Măriuța and Rodica from Școala Gimnazială Samson Bodnărescu in Romania.

The importance of considering word meanings was acknowledged by the participants at the start of the training. Together, they attempted to define what "intercultural learning" meant to each of them and, from that, we looked at the relationship between culture and education throughout the week. The participants engaged in a variety of hands-on activities aimed at raising awareness of how cultures impact education and learning preferences. The exercise was designed to get participants to consider the awareness and sensitivity that educators require when particular cultural patterns appear in the classroom.
To delve deeper into diversity, we also examined the idea of identity. Participants considered their identities and how they relate to culture through a visual activity. 

Subsequently, the participants engaged in a storytelling activity concerning stereotypes. We looked at the importance of the stereotype-cycling vicious cycle with this exercise. Participants thought about how preconceptions might lead to bias and discrimination, creating a vicious cycle that feeds stereotypes, after watching a TED Talk about the topic. 

Inclusion was the last theme of the course. To identify and address the difficulties of intercultural communication, participants have engaged in a variety of activities, including creating simulations. Students can question conventional wisdom while considering how to build bridges across cultural divides with the aid of these exercises. The concepts of empathy and membership were the focus of the other exercises. Students can learn how important it is for each student to contribute positively to the class and to show empathy for the differences and conditions of their peers by adapting the challenges to various topics and classroom activities. 

​The training was enhanced by the participants' sharing of their diverse viewpoints and cultural backgrounds, which resulted in a lovely, enjoyable, sensitive, and empathetic experience.

Discover more about this course here