A Trip Around the World at Great Hearts Anthem

The lower school at Great Hearts Anthem recently held an International Festival, where grade-level classrooms hosted presentations for families of different continents from around the world. This is the second year the academy has coordinated the after-school event that allowed families to learn alongside their young scholars as they toured exhibits, participated in themed crafts, and experienced cultural activities.

“The students are immersed in all different continents,” explained Dean of Students, Danielle Hendrickson. Each student was given a map and given a stamp after they visited each of the continents that were represented.

“We have Taekwondo, African mask-making. We have aubergine art for Australia. We’re making penguins for Antarctica and maracas from South America,” shared Hendrickson, sampling just a few of the various activities they offered, adding the food trucks they had on sight to add to the international flair of the evening. “We have this year a pizza place, a churro ice cream place, a barbecue, and a Mexican restaurant.” 10% of the proceeds from the food truck sales generously went back to the school.

“They just love rushing into their own classrooms first and then just going one by one and seeing their friends,” added Hendrickson. “It’s just a great event to get the community together and just enjoying time with families, being with their teachers, and building our culture and building our community is just always very important… We’re a very strong, loving community.”

The International Festival at Great Hearts Anthem proved to be a meaningful celebration of culture and community. By bringing classrooms to life with hands-on activities, global traditions, and shared experiences, the event allowed families to step into the world their students explore each day at school. As scholars proudly guided their families from continent to continent, the evening showcased the richness of global cultures and a strong sense of connection to the world around them.

Do you have a story or know of one that you would like to see featured at Great Hearts? Please contact jmoore@greatheartsamerica.org.

Submit a student application to a Great Hearts Academy by visiting: https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/enroll/.