PASSPORT TO UNDERSTANDING SCHOOL OUTREACH

PLEASE NOTE:  Our phone system at Global is currently out of order, so please contact us at 615-292-3023 about school programming.
​Global Education Center works in more than 150 schools a year, reaching more than 35,000 children. We are able to accomplish this through our Passport to Understanding program, an educational school outreach program that we have been presenting for more than 24 years and highlighting more than 30 diverse cultures. Please find more information about the program by clicking here.. 

If you would like to know how to bring Global Education Center to your school, please click here. For those schools that are in need of financial assistance, you can apply to bring Global Education Center to your school under the Student Ticket Subsidy Grant through the Tennessee Arts Commission. PLEASE NOTE THAT MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN ONLINE AND/OR VIRTUAL FORM.
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Passport to Understanding: A Proactive Approach to Multicultural Education

Passport to Understanding is a participatory program of hands-on cultural museum presentations, on-going classes, workshops, lecture-demonstrations, performances and concerts designed to promote cross-cultural understanding and respect. Offered both on-site at the GLOBAL EDUCATION CENTER and in area schools, the Center staff partners with its teaching and performing artists from diverse cultures to use the arts as a pathway to understanding the various cultural, ethnic and religious groups residing in our community. The overall goal of Passport to Understanding is to highlight the commonalities of all people while creating experiences in the arts that aid in dispelling myths, dismantling stereotypes, unlearning biases and alleviating fears. Offerings for schools include:

  • Interactive cultural museum presentations
  • Concert series for school groups
  • Performances at area schools
  • School international festivals
  • Drum, dance and literary arts residencies in area schools
  • Professional development opportunities for teachers
  • Cultural resources for teachers

Interactive Cultural Museum Presentations

Schools may choose from the following cultures:
  • Native People of Alaska (Inuit, Haida, Tlinglit, Tsimshian)
  • Native People of the Northeast (Anishinabe, Iroquois)
  • Native People of the Plains (Lakota)
  • Native People of the Southeast (Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole)
  • Native People of the Southwest (Hopi, Zuni, Navajo)
  • Native People – Early Encounters (Taino, Wampanoag)
  • Native People of Hawaii
  • Coming to America (early Europeans)
  • Festivals of Light (Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Advent, Las Posadas, Divali, Ramadan)
  • The People of West and East Africa
  • The People of Australia
  • The People of China
  • The People of India
  • The People of Japan
  • The People of Korea
  • The People of Mexico
  • The People of North Africa & the Middle East
  • The People of Peru
  • The People of Russia
  • The People of Central and South America

School Assembly Performances

Performing artists from a wide range of cultures are available for in-school performances. Most performances range from forty-five minutes to one hour and have an interactive component. Consult our directory of artists. Most popular assemblies are:

New Virtual Assembly for 2020 - 2021:  One World, Many Journeys
One World, Many Journeys brings an ensemble of artists from diverse cultures that will engage students in rhythmic travels that showcase the commonalities we all share as we trace our journeys and those of our ancestors. We begin in The Motherland, the continent of Africa. We call Africa our Mother because it is believed that most of our stories begin here. On this journey, we will trace two migration patterns:  North from Africa into Asia and Europe and West from Africa to The Americas. The production will underscore the commonalities of traditions from the African diaspora, The Americas, and Asia. Students will experience the strength of belonging to one beautiful global family as we travel the world during this program, taking note of the commonalities: the patterns and colors, the shells and trade beads; the rhythms and rhymes, the very essence of Life and her stories.

Other assemblies that are offered virtually:
Rhythms of Africa
Rhythms of the Afro Latin Diaspora
Rhythms of Life
Jataka Tales & More
Karuna Shakti
Festivals of Light

  • Rhythm Rap     - Drumming from around the World
  • Rhythms of Africa – Drum and dance from West Africa
  • Rhythms of the Afro Latin Diaspora – Music and dance from Cuban, Peruvian, Brazilian and Flamenco traditions
  • Rhythms of the Islands – Music and dance from Polynesia and The Caribbean Islands
  • Rhythms of Life – International Smorgasboard of Music and Dance
  • Festivals of Light – An exploration of winter holidays through the customs and creative arts (Kwanzaa, Chanukah, Advent, Las Posadas and more)
  • The Spirit of Native America – An intimate view of music, dance and art with Gary Cady
  • The Bosch Institute – A creative collaboration between poet Thandiwe Shiphrah and musician Daniel Arite in which they create innovative audio collages of music & spoken word
  • Jataka Tales and More – A dance journey through morality tales from the Buddhist tradition that apply to all cultures featuring Monica Cooley
  • Karuna Shakti – Excerpts from an original dance program based on universal values as they relate to issues such as bullying, degradation of the environment, HIV-AIDS, etc.
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    Assembly fees vary depending on number of artists and number of performances, typically ranging from $500 to $3,000
    Global Education Center is on the Tennessee Arts Commission Teaching Artists' Roster -     http://tnartseducation.org/teaching-artist-roster/global-education-center/
    Passport to Understanding is made possible with funding support from The Nissan Foundation, The Memorial Foundation, the Tennessee Arts Commission, Metro Arts: Nashville Office of Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.