Five Steps toward Distance Mentoring & Educational Equity during the Pandemic
Do you tutor or mentor a child, or run a tutoring or mentoring program? If you are still figuring things out and looking for ideas, here is one relatively simple, measurable way to mentor or tutor at a distance during the coronavirus pandemic.
The pandemic carries all kinds of risks, but in the education sector one risk looms large to me: closing schools risks aggravating educational inequalities, and for at least two reasons. First, wealthier schools are generally better equipped to transition to structured, rigorous distance learning because they often have lower teacher-to-student ratios, and can provide laptops for students to take home, plus live online classes using advanced online learning software. Second, home life in lower-income households is frequently less structured and parents are often less equipped and/or inclined to guide their children’s education. Thus, “normal inequalities” are compounded when schools are closed, whether ordinarily during holiday and summer breaks, or extraordinarily, as in the case of the current pandemic.
In 2012, I founded Learning Life, a nonprofit lab based in the Washington DC metro area, to help address these normal inequalities that worsen life for people lower down the socio-economic scale. Learning Life’s mission is to innovate education and citizen engagement outside school walls in part to help level the playing field for lower-income families. Accordingly, we run an international mentoring program that helps open the world to children from lower-income families in Washington DC’s two poorest wards (Wards 7 and 8). Normally, our mentors meet in-person with their mentees and learn about the world through visits to cultural festivals, embassies, museums, libraries, foreign restaurants. But given the pandemic, we are now in the process of developing our mentoring by phone and online.
Thus, I have begun mentoring my mentee, James, by phone. James is a healthy, smart, energetic, 13-year old boy, but like many kids his age, he is easily distracted, especially by his phone. To my pleasant surprise though, he has taken well to our phone mentoring sessions, attending, focusing and participating actively in our one-on-one sessions. His constructive engagement may be due to boredom given he is out of school, or hunger for non-family social contact during the pandemic, but I also think we have hit on an effective distance-mentoring method that is worth sharing, especially if you work with children from lower-income families.
So, here are five elements of one effective distance-mentoring/tutoring method:
Set a regular meeting schedule
Predictable structure is important, especially during what can become disorganized days for kids from lower-income families shut out from school. Thus, consult with your mentee and their parent(s) to schedule regular meeting times and days each week. Also, keep the meetings short, say 30 minutes. This gives you and your mentee a predictable end time, and helps discipline you to use your time efficiently. You can of course, go over the time limit you set if you are both so inclined but I do not recommend going far over as the time limit then becomes meaningless and the potential for much longer sessions may discourage one or both of you. I meet with James Monday-Thursday at 3pm for 30 minutes per meeting. You can do less or more depending on yours and your mentee’s schedule.
If necessary, remind your mentee or her/his parent(s) by text or phone call, or better, have them download a calendar app you use (e.g., Google calendar), if they do not already have it, so you can automatically alert them of the meeting say 30 minutes prior.
Set a measurable learning agenda
In your first meeting, determine what want to learn about together. This year, most Learning Life mentors are trying out adjusting our mentoring so our mentees can receive Congressional Awards. The Congressional Award Foundation, the U.S. Congress’ only charity, awards bronze, silver and gold certificates and medals to children 13.5 to 24 years old nationwide who complete a certain number of hours on activities in four character-building domains: public service, personal development, physical fitness and cultural or environmental exploration.
Given our mentoring program is internationally focused, all our Congressional Award activities are oriented toward learning about the wider world outside the USA. Given the pandemic, we cannot do public service, physical fitness or exploration activities easily and safely, so we are focusing on personal development, which can include learning about world topics (family life, food, holidays, religions, dance, music, work, etc.), or issues (pandemics, climate change, refugee crises, urbanization, poverty, etc.).
James wants to learn about drones and nuclear weapons, so we are focusing first on drones. To start, I had him write down in five minutes everything he knows about drones while I waited on the phone. I then asked James to photograph what he wrote so we can compare his knowledge about drones before and after we spend about 7.5 planned hours of learning about them. We will do the same when we turn next to learning about nuclear weapons.
Find the least distracting place
Like many children in lower-income families, James lives in a crowded apartment with his mother, two younger sisters, and grandfather, plus others (family and friends) who may stay for days, weeks or months. Crowded conditions routinely make it harder for children to sleep and work. In the current pandemic, when people are encouraged to practice “social distancing” by staying at home, this makes it all the more difficult for children to find a quiet place to study or hold a mentoring meeting. I previously discussed with James the importance of finding the least distracting place to get his school work done, taking into account people, TVs, music, outdoor views, and other distractions. Now, at the start of every phone mentoring meeting I ask James if he is in the least distracting place he can find, and he is used to moving to such a place. This is not foolproof (e.g., his sisters often disturb our meetings), but it does help to at least reduce distractions.
Vary the learning media
In my experience, children gravitate to learning from videos, but they can and should also learn from photos, text and audio. Text is arguably most important among media because printed words best enable children to build their vocabularies, and improve their writing and speech. Nonetheless, alternating media from one mentoring meeting to another can help sustain your mentee’s interest. James and I alternate content about drones so that one day we watch and discuss a video, the next we read and talk about a 1-2 page reading, the next we look at and study a collection of photos. Varying the learning media can also provide opportunities to develop your mentee’s media literacy by considering elements like word choice, camera position, video editing, order of presentation, who’s voices go heard and unheard, and so on.
Let your mentee co-lead the learning
It is a pedagogical truism that children are more motivated to learn when the material interests them. Thus, while Learning Life’s international mentoring program sets the broad parameter that the content mentors and mentees explore must be oriented to world learning, our mentees get considerable freedom in choosing the topics or issues they will pursue with their mentor.
In turn, in our phone mentor meetings, I encourage James, with my input, to choose the videos, readings and photo collections we examine, and to co-lead our discussions by alternating so that he asks me a comprehension or opinion question, then I ask him, and so on. Similarly, when we read, James reads one paragraph, I read the next, he reads the next, etc. so that he practices reading and also hears someone more literate as he follows along. This more interactive and participatory method helps ensure James’ sustained engagement.
No one is sure when the coronavirus pandemic will end and things will go back to normal, but there may be some silver linings. For in-person mentoring programs like ours, the pandemic may teach us that you don’t have to be in your mentee’s presence to connect and learn with them.
This is the second in a series of profiles of the families worldwide participating in our 2020 project on food culture as part of Learning Life’s Family Diplomacy Initiative on Facebook. From April to December this year, Learning Life will pose six food culture questions, and ask the families to provide their photographic answers. The project is intended to nurture sharing and learning between families worldwide, with an eye to promoting greater understanding, curiosity, and tolerance for difference in our divided and often violent world. (Why family diplomacy? Click here for five reasons.) Below, Marsha Mayo, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, answers our family profile questions. We provide the questions and answers in English, Spanish and French, the languages our staff speak.
Este es el segundo de una serie de perfiles de las familias de todo el mundo que participan en nuestro proyecto 2020 sobre cultura alimentaria como parte de la Iniciativa de Diplomacia Familiar de Learning Life en Facebook. De abril a diciembre de este año, Learning Life planteará seis preguntas sobre cultura alimentaria y pedirá a las familias que brinden sus respuestas fotográficas. El proyecto está destinado a fomentar el intercambio y el aprendizaje entre familias de todo el mundo, con el objetivo de promover una mayor comprensión, curiosidad y tolerancia a las diferencias en nuestro mundo dividido y a menudo violento. (¿Por qué la diplomacia familiar? Haga clic aquí por cinco razones). A continuación, Marsha Mayo, madre, abuela y bisabuela, responde a nuestras preguntas de perfil familiar. Proporcionamos las preguntas y respuestas en inglés, español y francés, los idiomas que habla nuestro personal.
Il s’agit du deuxième d’une série de profils des familles du monde entier participant à notre projet 2020 sur la culture alimentaire dans le cadre de l’Initiative de Diplomatie Familiale de Learning Life sur Facebook. D’avril à décembre de cette année, Learning Life posera six questions sur la culture alimentaire et demandera aux familles de fournir leurs réponses photographiques. Le projet vise à favoriser le partage et l’apprentissage entre les familles du monde entier, en vue de promouvoir une plus grande compréhension, curiosité et tolérance pour les différences dans notre monde divisé et souvent violent. (Pourquoi la diplomatie familiale? Cliquez ici pour cinq raisons.) Ci-dessous, Marsha Mayo, mère, grand-mère et arrière-grand-mère, répond à nos questions sur le profil familial. Nous fournissons les questions et réponses en anglais, espagnol et français, les langues parlées par notre personnel.
Tell us about your family, and what city and country you live in. / Cuéntanos sobre tu familia y en qué ciudad y país vives. / Veuillez nous parler de votre famille et de la ville et du pays dans lesquels vous vivez.
My name is Marsha, I am 54. My husband, Eric, is also 54. We have seven children: five girls and two boys. We have six grandchildren: three boys and three girls (some featured in the photo). And we have one great grandchild, a boy. Our youngest daughter, Mamie, is 23, and she lives with Eric and me. We live in Washington, DC, the capital of the USA.
Mi nombre es Marsha, tengo 54 años. Mi esposo, Eric, también tiene 54 años. Tenemos siete hijos: cinco niñas y dos niños. Tenemos seis nietos: tres niños y tres niñas (algunos destacados en la foto). Y tenemos un bisnieto. Nuestra hija menor, Mamie, tiene 23 años y vive con Eric y conmigo. Vivimos en Washington, DC, la capital de los Estados Unidos.
Je m’appelle Marsha, j’ai 54 ans. Mon mari, Eric, a également 54 ans. Nous avons sept enfants: cinq filles et deux garçons. Nous avons six petits-enfants, trois garçons et trois filles (certains en vedette sur la photo). Et nous avons un arrière-petit-enfant. Notre plus jeune fille, Mamie, a 23 ans, et elle vit avec Eric et moi. Nous vivons à Washington, DC, la capitale des États-Unis.
Tell us one interesting thing about your family. / Cuéntanos algo interesante sobre tu familia. / Dites-nous une chose intéressante à propos de votre famille.
We love cats! Currently, one of my daughters has two cats. My other daughter has one cat. Growing up, we had up to thirteen cats. We are definitely cat lovers!
¡Amamos a los gatos! Actualmente, una de mis hijas tiene dos gatos. Mi otra hija tiene un gato. Al crecer, tuvimos hasta trece gatos. ¡Definitivamente somos amantes de los gatos!
Nous aimons les chats! Actuellement, une de mes filles a deux chats. Mon autre fille a un chat. En grandissant, nous avions jusqu’à treize chats. Nous sommes définitivement des amoureux des chats!
Does your family practice any religion? / ¿Tu familia practica alguna religión? / Votre famille pratique-t-elle une religion?
Yes, we are Baptist Christians.
Sí, somos cristianos bautistas.
Oui, nous sommes des chrétiens baptistes.
What language(s) does your family speak at home? / ¿Qué idioma(s) habla tu familia en casa? / Quelle(s) langue(s) votre famille parle-t-elle à la maison?
We speak English.
Nosotros hablamos ingles
Nous parlons anglais.
What do you think is the biggest problem the world is facing in the long-term? / ¿Cuál crees es el mayor problema que enfrenta el mundo a largo plazo? / Selon vous, quel est le plus gros problème auquel le monde est confronté à long terme?
I am going to say war. I think that’s a big problem that is everywhere. It is a problem that has been around since Biblical times.
Voy a decir la guerra. Creo que ese es un gran problema que está en todas partes. Es un problema que ha existido desde los tiempos bíblicos.
Je vais dire la guerre. Je pense que c’est un gros problème qui est partout. C’est un problème qui existe depuis l’époque biblique.
What do you think is the biggest problem your country is facing in the long-term? / ¿Cuál crees es el mayor problema que enfrenta tu país a largo plazo? / Selon vous, quel est le plus gros problème auquel votre pays est confronté à long terme?
The biggest problem right now is homelessness.
El mayor problema en este momento es la falta de vivienda.
Le plus gros problème à l’heure actuelle est l’itinérance.
Anything you would like to say to other families in the world? / ¿Algo que le gustaría decir a otras familias en el mundo? / Quelque chose que vous aimeriez dire à d’autres familles dans le monde?
We seem to be always at war. I would really like to see everyone be at peace and get along.
Parece que siempre estamos en guerra. Realmente me gustaría ver a todos estar en paz y llevarse bien.
Nous semblons être toujours en guerre. J’aimerais vraiment que tout le monde soit en paix et s’entende.
Profile: Pandeya Family (Nepal)
This is the first in a series of profiles of the 24+ families worldwide participating in our 2020 Questions Project as part of Learning Life’s Family Diplomacy Initiative (FDI) on Facebook. Starting this month, Learning Life will be posing six questions over the course of 2020, and ask participants in our FDI Facebook group to provide photographic answers, and words to explain their photo(s). The Project is intended to nurture sharing and learning between families worldwide, with an eye to promoting greater understanding, curiosity, and tolerance for difference in our divided and often violent world. (Why family diplomacy? Click here for five reasons.) Below, Durga Pandeya, a teacher and father of three children, answers our family profile questions. We provide the profile questions and answers in English, Spanish, French and Arabic.
Este es el primero de una serie de perfiles de las más de 24 familias en todo el mundo que participan en nuestro Proyecto de Preguntas 2020 como parte de la Iniciativa de Diplomacia Familiar (IDF) de Learning Life en Facebook. A partir de este mes, Learning Life planteará seis preguntas en el transcurso de 2020 y pedirá a los participantes de nuestro grupo de Facebook de la IDF que proporcionen respuestas fotográficas y palabras para explicar sus fotos. El proyecto tiene como objetivo fomentar el intercambio y el aprendizaje entre familias de todo el mundo, con el objetivo de promover una mayor comprensión, curiosidad y tolerancia a la diferencia en nuestro mundo dividido y, a menudo, violento. A continuación, Durga Pandeya, maestra y padre de tres hijos, responde a nuestras preguntas sobre el perfil familiar. Proporcionamos las preguntas y respuestas de perfil en inglés, español, francés y árabe.
Ceci est le premier d’une série de profils de plus de 24 familles dans le monde qui participent à notre Projet 2020 Questions dans le cadre de l’Initiative de Diplomatie Familiale (IDF) de Learning Life sur Facebook. À partir de ce mois-ci, Learning Life posera six questions au cours de 2020 et demandera aux participants de notre groupe Facebook FDI de fournir des réponses photographiques et des mots pour expliquer leur (s) photo (s). Le projet vise à favoriser le partage et l’apprentissage entre les familles du monde entier, en vue de promouvoir une plus grande compréhension, curiosité et tolérance pour la différence dans notre monde divisé et souvent violent. Ci-dessous, Durga Pandeya, enseignante et père de trois enfants, répond à nos questions pour leurs profil familial. Nous fournissons les questions et réponses en anglais, espagnol, français et arabe.
هذا هو الأول في سلسلة من الملفات الشخصية لعشرين أسرة في جميع أنحاء العالم تشارك في مشروع أسئلة 2020 لدينا كجزء من مبادرة تعلم الحياة الأسرية (FDI) على Facebook. ابتداءً من هذا الشهر ، ستطرح Learning Life ستة أسئلة على مدار عام 2020 ، وستطلب من المشاركين في مجموعة FDI Facebook الخاصة بنا تقديم إجابات فوتوغرافية وكلمات لشرح صورهم (صورهم). يهدف المشروع إلى تعزيز المشاركة والتعلم بين العائلات في جميع أنحاء العالم ، مع التركيز على زيادة التفاهم والفضول والتسامح للاختلاف في عالمنا المنقسّم والعنيف في كثير من الأحيان. أدناه ، يجيب دورغا بانديا ، مدرس وأب لثلاثة أطفال ، على أسئلة ملف تعريف العائلة. نحن نقدم أسئلة وأجوبة الملف الشخصي باللغات الإنجليزية والإسبانية والفرنسية والعربية.
What is your first name, age, and your role in your family? / ¿Cuál es su nombre, edad y su papel en su familia? / Quel est votre prénom, votre âge et votre rôle dans votre famille? / ما هو اسمك الأول وعمرك ودورك في عائلتك؟
My name is Durga Pandeya. I am fifty years old, and the father in our family.
Me llamo Durga Pandeya. Tengo cincuenta años y soy el padre de nuestra familia.
Je m’appelle Durga Pandeya. J’ai cinquante ans et je suis le père de notre famille.
اسمي دورغا بانديا. عمري خمسون عامًا ، والأب في عائلتنا.
What are the first names, family roles and ages of the other members of your family? / ¿Cuáles son los nombres, roles familiares y edades de los otros miembros de su familia? / Quels sont les prénoms, rôles familiaux et âges des autres membres de votre famille? / ما هي الأسماء الأولى وأدوار الأسرة وأعمار أفراد عائلتك الآخرين؟
My wife, Bindu, is 44 years old. My older daughter, Archana, is 24, and my younger daughter, Anshu, is 16. My son, Abhishek, is 22.
Mi esposa, Bindu, tiene 44 años. Mi hija mayor, Archana, tiene 24 años, y mi hija menor, Anshu, tiene 16. Mi hijo, Abhishek, tiene 22.
Ma femme, Bindu, a 44 ans. Ma fille aînée, Archana, a 24 ans et ma fille cadette, Anshu, a 16 ans. Mon fils, Abhishek, a 22 ans.
زوجتي ، بيندو ، تبلغ من العمر 44 عامًا. ابنتي الكبرى ، أرشانا ، تبلغ من العمر 24 عامًا ، وابنتي الصغرى ، أنشو ، تبلغ من العمر 16 عامًا.
What town or city and country does your family live in? / ¿En qué pueblo o ciudad y país vive su familia? / Dans quelle village ou ville et pays votre famille vit-elle? / ما المدينة أو المدينة والبلد التي تعيش فيها عائلتك؟
We live in Ghorahi, Nepal. [Editor’s note: Ghorahi, located in midwest Nepal, is the currently the country’s 7th largest city, with a population of 156,000.]
Vivimos en Ghorahi, Nepal. [Nota del editor: Ghorahi, ubicada en el medio oeste de Nepal, es actualmente la séptima ciudad más grande del país, con una población de 156,000 habitantes.]
Nous vivons à Ghorahi, au Népal. [Note de l’éditeur: Ghorahi, située dans le centre-ouest du Népal, est actuellement la 7e plus grande ville du pays, avec une population de 156 000 habitants.]
نحن نعيش في غوراهي ، نيبال. [ملاحظة المحرر: Ghorahi ، التي تقع في وسط غرب نيبال ، هي سابع أكبر مدن البلاد حاليًا ، ويبلغ عدد سكانها 156000 نسمة.]
Tell us one interesting thing about your family. / Cuéntanos algo interesante sobre tu familia. / Dites-nous une chose intéressante à propos de votre famille. / أخبرنا بشيء مهم عن عائلتك.
As a family, we gather together during all kinds of celebrations, religious festivals, family rites and rituals. All the family members help in domestic work. We have a dog and her name is Syani.
Como familia, nos reunimos durante todo tipo de celebraciones, festivales religiosos, ritos familiares y rituales. Todos los miembros de la familia ayudan en el trabajo doméstico. Tenemos un perro y se llama Syani.
En famille, nous nous réunissons lors de toutes sortes de célébrations, fêtes religieuses, rites familiaux et rituels. Tous les membres de la famille aident au travail domestique. Nous avons un chien et son nom est Syani.
كأسرة واحدة ، نجتمع معا خلال جميع أنواع الاحتفالات والمهرجانات الدينية والطقوس العائلية والطقوس. جميع أفراد الأسرة يساعدون في العمل المنزلي. لدينا كلب واسمها سياني.
Does your family practice any religion? / ¿Tu familia practica alguna religión? / Votre famille pratique-t-elle une religion? / هل تمارس عائلتك أي دين؟
We practice Hinduism. We worship daily in the morning. Everyone in the family follows Hinduism.
Practicamos el hinduismo. Rezamos diario por la mañana. Todos en la familia siguen el hinduismo.
Nous pratiquons l’hindouisme. Nous prions quotidiennement le matin. Tout le monde dans la famille suit l’hindouisme.
نمارس الهندوسية. نعبد يوميا في الصباح. كل فرد في الأسرة يتبع الهندوسية.
What language(s) does your family speak at home? / ¿Qué idioma(s) habla tu familia en casa? / Quelle(s) langue(s) votre famille parle-t-elle à la maison? / ما اللغة (اللغات) التي تتحدث بها عائلتك في المنزل؟
We speak Nepali.
Nosotros hablamos nepalí.
Nous parlons népalais.
نحن نتكلم النيبالية.
What do you think is the biggest problem the world is facing in the long-term? / ¿Cuál crees es el mayor problema que enfrenta el mundo a largo plazo? / Selon vous, quel est le plus gros problème auquel le monde est confronté à long terme? / ما هو برأيك أكبر مشكلة يواجهها العالم على المدى الطويل؟
I believe it is the generation gap. It is widening and the older generation is not receiving the respect and care that they deserve from their family. The human and spiritual value of life is degrading day by day in our community, which is inviting competition, ego, and discrimination. This is making our planet unsafe for all life.
Creo que es la brecha generacional. Se está ampliando y la generación anterior no está recibiendo el respeto y la atención que se merece de su familia. El valor humano y espiritual de la vida se degradan día a día en nuestra comunidad, lo que invita a la competencia, el ego y la discriminación. Esto está haciendo que nuestro planeta sea inseguro para todos.
Je crois que c’est le fossé des générations. Il s’élargit et la génération plus âgée ne reçoit pas le respect et les soins qu’elle mérite de sa famille. La valeur humaine et spirituelle de la vie se dégradent de jour en jour dans notre communauté, ce qui invite à la compétition, à l’ego et à la discrimination. Cela rend notre planète dangereuse pour toute vie sur Terre.
أعتقد أنها الفجوة بين الأجيال. إنه آخذ في الاتساع ولا يتلقى الجيل الأكبر سناً الاحترام والرعاية التي يستحقونها من أسرهم. القيمة الإنسانية والروحية للحياة تتدهور يومًا بعد يوم في مجتمعنا الذي يدعو إلى المنافسة والأنا والتمييز. هذا يجعل كوكبنا غير آمن طوال الحياة.
What do you think is the biggest problem your country is facing in the long-term? / ¿Cuál crees es el mayor problema que enfrenta tu país a largo plazo? / Selon vous, quel est le plus gros problème auquel votre pays est confronté à long terme? / ما هو برأيك أكبر مشكلة تواجه بلدك على المدى الطويل؟
People in Nepal are divided by different political parties. Even in families, members support different political parties, which affects their relationships with each other. This is bringing greater division into our society. It has deteriorated the unity and social harmony among my people. Another huge issue is religious division. It has caused discrimination against minority religious groups, including Muslims, Buddhists, and Christians.
Las personas en Nepal están divididas por diferentes partidos políticos. Incluso en las familias, los miembros apoyan a diferentes partidos políticos, lo que afecta sus relaciones entre sí. Esto está trayendo una mayor división en nuestra sociedad. Ha deteriorado la unidad y la armonía social entre mi gente. Otro gran problema es la división religiosa. Ha causado discriminación contra grupos religiosos minoritarios, incluidos musulmanes, budistas y cristianos.
Les gens au Népal sont divisés par différents partis politiques. Même dans les familles, les membres soutiennent différents partis politiques, ce qui affecte leurs relations les uns avec les autres. Cela apporte une plus grande division dans notre société. Elle a détérioré l’unité et l’harmonie sociale de mon peuple. Un autre problème majeur est la division religieuse. Il a provoqué une discrimination contre les groupes religieux minoritaires, notamment les musulmans, les bouddhistes et les chrétiens.
ينقسم الناس في نيبال إلى أحزاب سياسية مختلفة. حتى في الأسر ، يدعم الأعضاء أحزابًا سياسية مختلفة ، مما يؤثر على علاقاتهم مع بعضهم البعض. هذا هو جلب المزيد من الانقسام في مجتمعنا. لقد تدهورت الوحدة والوئام الاجتماعي بين شعبي. قضية كبيرة أخرى هي الانقسام الديني. لقد تسبب في التمييز ضد مجموعات الأقليات الدينية ، بما في ذلك المسلمين والبوذيين والمسيحيين.
Anything you would like to say to other families in the world? / ¿Algo que le gustaría decir a otras familias en el mundo? / Quelque chose que vous aimeriez dire à d’autres familles dans le monde? / هل تريد أن تقوله للعائلات الأخرى في العالم؟
All members in a family should be equally respected and should equally respect the other members. There should be family security, including health security in old age for older family members.
Todos los miembros de una familia deben ser igualmente respetados y deben igualmente respetar a los otros miembros. Debe haber seguridad familiar, incluida la seguridad de la salud en la vejez para los miembros mayores de la familia.
Tous les membres d’une famille devraient être également respectés et respecter également les autres membres. Il devrait y avoir une sécurité familiale, y compris une sécurité de santé des personnes âgées.
يجب احترام جميع أفراد الأسرة بالتساوي واحترام الأعضاء الآخرين على قدم المساواة. يجب أن يكون هناك أمن للعائلة ، بما في ذلك الأمن الصحي في سن الشيخوخة لأفراد الأسرة الأكبر سنًا.
Seeking Families Worldwide to Answer 6 Questions on Facebook in 2020
Learning Life is recruiting families worldwide to participate in inaugural learning exchanges via Facebook in 2020. These exchanges are part of the next phase in the development of Learning Life’s Family Diplomacy Initiative (FDI).
Learning Life launched FDI in 2016 to advance a family form of citizen diplomacy given families are (a) widely valued across cultures, (b) deeply impacted by world events, from climate change to immigration to disease transmission, yet (c) have little voice, as families, in international affairs (click here for five reasons why families should be involved in diplomacy). FDI began in summer 2016 with test live internet dialogues between lower-income families in Washington DC, Dakar, Senegal, and Porto de la Libertad, El Salvador. From 2017 to 2019, we completed a community photo project then a food culture and nutrition project, each engaging ten lower-income families in the USA, El Salvador, Senegal and Jordan. In so doing, FDI leveraged the internet to engage families that don’t have the luxury to travel abroad in world learning. Since summer 2019, we have more than tripled the number of families connected to our FDI Facebook Group as we enter into a new, scaled-up phase of the Family Diplomacy Initiative.
In this new phase, many more families worldwide have the opportunity to share and learn from each other about the world via Facebook. In 2020, Learning Life is focusing the sharing and learning on food culture (i.e., how people in different cultures shop for, cook and eat food), posing six questions to the Facebook group about the foods people eat worldwide. The six food culture questions we are asking, and the months we are asking them are:
April: What does a typical breakfast look like in your family?
May: What does a typical dinner look like in your family?
July:What is a food trend happening in your country? A food trend is any new and popular food or way of eating.
August: What is a “comfort food” (food that your family finds comforting to eat) that your family often eats?
September: What is a food people eat in your country that you think foreigners may consider odd or unusual?
October: What is a holiday your family celebrates, and what is a dish your family likes to make or buy for that holiday?
Any family in the Facebook group can answer the questions with one or more photos plus a brief explanation of the photo(s) in English or their own language. A selected panel of about 40 families in 20+ countries across the world has been asked to answer all six questions from April to October to ensure we get a variety of answers reflecting some of the world’s diversity of food cultures. In future years, we plan to pose new questions on new themes that invite family-to-family learning about family life, country cultures, world trends, and international issues.
“How do we build a more caring and connected world? We at Learning Life believe that connecting and highlighting the perspectives and experiences of families worldwide is one underdeveloped yet potentially powerful pathway to building that world. Our Family Diplomacy Initiative Facebook Group is an important next step on that path,” says Learning Life’s Director, Paul Lachelier.
Family eligibility criteria: Learning Life defines “family” broadly as two or more people who love each other, or one or more people and one or more pets who love each other (and preferably live with each other). Thus, same-sex and opposite-sex couples, unmarried couples, couples with or without children, single parents with one or more kids, single persons with one or more pets, siblings or cousins living together, grandparents living with grandchildren, and others are welcome. Each family should have one “family representative” — a parent, grandparent, older child, or other mature family member — who will be responsible for answering the six project questions + survey and family profile questions (see “project work and time commitment” below). Family representatives must live with one or more of their family members, have internet access, and be on Facebook. They are not obliged to speak, read or write English since Facebook gives people the ability to translate Facebook posts in many world languages. However, ability to speak and read English, Spanish, Arabic or French is preferred strictly for purposes of communication with Learning Life staff.
Project work and time commitment: The project requires each family representative to answer (1) a short survey before and after the project, (2) a question-answer profile + photo of your family to share to our Family Diplomacy Initiative Facebook group, (3) the six food culture questions noted above. In total, we estimate no more than six hours of your time for the project spread between March and November. Families must understand and be comfortable with the fact that what they share will be public, on Facebook, and will be publicized via Learning Life’s website and social media pages (primarily Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin).
Questions? Contact us at email@learninglife.info. Thank you for your interest!
Thus, I have begun mentoring my mentee, James, by phone. James is a healthy, smart, energetic, 13-year old boy, but like many kids his age, he is easily distracted, especially by his phone. To my pleasant surprise though, he has taken well to our phone mentoring sessions, attending, focusing and participating actively in our one-on-one sessions. His constructive engagement may be due to boredom given he is out of school, or hunger for non-family social contact during the pandemic, but I also think we have hit on an effective distance-mentoring method that is worth sharing, especially if you work with children from lower-income families.
