One World School celebrates 20 years of language education: Education news

One World School celebrates 20 years of language education

DURHAM — One World School, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to language education, is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Founded in 2003 by Brigitte Herz and Julie Reece, One World began with a simple belief: all children deserve the chance to learn a second language. Today, the school has grown from a small summer camp with 24 students to an expansive language program with over 757 students enrolled in 2023 across in-school and after-school classes.

Julie Reece, co-founder and co-director for over 10 years, played an instrumental role in One World's success.

“The school would not exist without her,” said Brigitte Herz, co-founder. "She shared my vision of making language learning accessible to all children, and her dedication laid the foundation for our growth."

The school's board of directors has also been vital to its mission. Dennis Harrington, former principal at Moharimet, became the first school leader to welcome One World's programs in 2003. Now serving as board chairman, Harrington continues to advocate for foreign language education at the elementary level.

The success of One World, school officials say, is rooted in its exceptional teachers.

As a nonprofit, One World is committed to affordability and accessibility. The school’s scholarship fund ensures students from all backgrounds have access to language classes. The school also supports students who require financial assistance and has extended free programming to underserved communities, such as the Seymour Osman Program in Dover. A recently secured grant from NEB will allow the program to continue next year.

One World’s impact extends beyond the Seacoast. The school has provided English as a Second Language kits to children in Argentina and Zimbabwe and collaborated with the Lakota Nation in South Dakota to preserve language and culture. The school's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice initiatives, in collaboration with UNH’s Browne Center, ensure that teachers are trained to be advocates and allies.

A highlight of One World’s history includes the International Children’s Film Festival, organized with support from the governments of Germany, Switzerland, Quebec, Spain, and France, to expose children to global cultures. The school has also celebrated the success stories of former students, who have gone on to become multilingual and make meaningful connections through language.

“Learning a new language opens doors to the world," said Herz, reflecting on the last 20 years. "We aim to create understanding between peoples, both locally and globally. It’s our mission to empower children with the tools they need to connect, communicate, and build a brighter future.”

For more information about One World School and its programs, visit www.oneworldlanguageschoo.org or contact info@oneworldlanguageschool.org.

Greenland Central School raises $10K for the American Heart Association

GREENLAND — Greenland Central School raised $10,002.18 for the American Heart Association.

Over the past month, students have been learning about the importance of eating healthy, staying active, and getting a good night's sleep. Mrs. Gosselin, the school's physical education teacher, taught all students in grades K-5 hands-only CPR as part of Finn's Mission (a child who is a congenital heart defect survivor). On May 16, Mrs. Barnes, Mrs. Thibault, Mr. Weld, and Mrs. Gosselin got slimed by students who donated to the American Heart Association. The top fundraiser in the school was second-grader Jack Franck. The next highest fundraiser was Rowan Miles, also in second grade.

Great Bay Community College brings robotics to Seacoast schools

PORTSMOUTH — The installation of 10 new 3D printers has transformed the data center at Great Bay Community College into a robotics laboratory as part of an innovative partnership with FIRST New Hampshire that will bring programming and robotics education to area students.

GBCC joins Manchester, Lakes Region, and White Mountains Community Colleges currently participating in the program. The new 3D printers will make seven-inch plastic chassis on wheels that are part of the Experiential Robotics Platform, a low-cost, open-robotics platform developed by Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Built around a Raspberry Pi Pico W microcontroller, the Experiential Robotics Platform was designed to provide an affordable means of introducing students to robotics, engineering, and software development.

Funded by a $455,000 grant from the New Hampshire Department of Education, FIRST NH has been outfitting labs across the state. The goal is to produce 5,500 robotics kits by July 2025 to support engineering education for New Hampshire students in community colleges and career and technical education centers and to create learning opportunities for students in grades 6-12.

Cheryl Lesser, president of GBCC, said the college is expanding its involvement beyond the manufacturing of the robotic kits to include professional development for teachers and classes for secondary school students.

“GBCC has a long-standing commitment to robotics and microelectronics education, and we are developing new programs, such as automated manufacturing, that will prepare employees to work with the cutting-edge robotic technologies used by area companies," she explained. "We are excited to participate in the partnership with FIRST NH to share our expertise with secondary schools and CTEs to get area middle and high school students interested in engineering, robotics and software development.”

Michael Harrison, chair of GBCC’s information systems technology program, is leading the college’s involvement in the partnership with FIRST NH. He said the goal is for GBCC to create at least 1,000 robotics kits using the 3D printers. Once the printing design is built and tested, it will take approximately three hours to make the plastic chassis for each kit. GBCC then coordinates delivery to area schools.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: One World School celebrates 20 years: Education news