Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 01:16PM A Taste of Africa
Flight security was comfortably light on Thursday, December 8th as parents and families boarded the African Adventures Airways flight from The Laureate Academy to various destinations in Africa.
The happy occasion was the Academy’s annual Social Fair, and all aboard enjoyed their experiences in Madagascar, Angola, South Africa, Kenya and Morocco. 
Students in grades 1 – 8 presented visual and very active demonstrations of their research and expanded understanding of developing countries, including the devastating problems caused by the A.I.D.S. epidemic, as well as celebrating the colourful and diverse cultures, arts and histories of that great continent.
The Laureate Academy has a number of students and others in the community with various ties to Africa, and their input was on display as well. Students planning and developing the presentations had heard from various parents and friends of African storytelling, history, art, developing connections to these countries more concrete and experiential than just the facts that could be gleaned from textbooks.
Students from grades 3-5 took the group to Madagascar, showing the biodiversity that has developed on the world’s fourth largest island. They also experienced the geographical oddities of the isolated country.
Next, in Angola, the passengers learned from grade 5 and 6 students how that country is rebuilding after decades of civil war. Members of different ethnic groups told stories about the interaction between humans and animals, and there were sobering reminders of the legacy of war, in the continued problem of leftover landmines.
In South Africa, the planeload was treated to a news, weather and sports broadcast, by students in grades 7 and 8, highlighting South Africa’s history and an interview with Nelson Mandela. Breaks in the newscast pinpointed great travel destinations around the country.
In-flight food was well above normal, as A Taste of Africa allowed the passengers to sample delicacies from around the continent.
More grade 7 and 8 students showed a documentary being shot in Kenya, by a surprisingly clueless documentarian, aided by a very competent and understanding helper. Experiencing a marketplace showed various art and culture of Kenya, including food.
Finally, still more grade 7-8 students took us to Morocco, where three contestants vied
to answer questions about the Education, History, Language and Geography of the north African country. Each of the contestants was lucky enough to win a trip to one of the country’s tourist attractions, rich with history.
Touching down back in St. Norbert, the travellers and their guides had had a rich and enjoyable experience. One teacher noted how especially engaging this educational experience had been for so many of the students, and the students seemed to agree.
There was nothing dark about this continent during this enlightening Social Fair!