Culture Fair Volunteers

We invite you to participate in the Culture Fair on May 22^nd from about 8:30 – 12:30. (A more firm schedule will be out soon). Please consider participating. Here is some information that may help you.

What is culture? Culture is…

“the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group.”

"that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by humans as members of society." 

“a powerful human tool for survival, but it is a fragile phenomenon.  It is constantly changing and easily lost because it exists only in our minds.  Our written languages, governments, buildings, and other man-made things are merely the products of culture.  They are not culture in themselves.”

Why is a culture fair important?

“It is important because it honors different traditions that have become a part of our country. When we celebrate cultural heritage it gives us a view of what other cultures are like. When we learn about other cultures, and our own, we understand the world and ourselves better.”

“It is important because we live in a global economy and to be successful we have to see beyond our own traditions and biases and be able to appreciate and work with people who are different from us.”

“It is important because it helps us better see our own strengths and flaws and teaches tolerance of diversity.”

What to include in your display/presentation?

Displays can be as simple or complex as you like. They can be made with tri-fold boards like those used for science fair projects if you wish. If you have another idea, that is great too. We want to make this easy for you, so follow your instincts. We’ll be grateful for whatever you can do.

Displays can include maps and/or photos of the region, pictures of famous people from there, history, samples of money, items made in the country, traditional clothing worn by the people, and other things that highlight what the people may enjoy such as art, music, games, toys, books, sports, food, etc. (Food items may only be served to students if they are store bought and packaged safely. These rules exist to prevent food poisoning in our students.) You may also want to include information about the religions practiced, the holidays celebrated, and some of the cultural norms of you country. It would be interesting to look at how much of that still influences you and/or how these things are expressed the same and differently in America.

It has been said that a person is blind to his/her own culture. In other words, because it feels “normal” to you, you don’t always notice and appreciate what is unique and interesting to others. Do not sell your culture short. Do not think that because your family has been in America a long time, you have no culture. Do not think this culture fair is only to celebrate non-European cultures. We want to see cultures from every continent. This could be an opportunity to learn more about where your ancestors came from. This is also an opportunity to explore the different parts of the United States. For instance, if you grew up in the South or on the East Coast and notice cultural differences from Oregon, you could create a display about that.

There really are no wrong or right answers. The important thing to remember is that this is a CELEBRATION of DIVERSITY. You can just stand near your display and answer questions or you can do a brief presentation. Hands on things are always great for kids. Last year chopsticks and toys that the kids could use were a hit. Quick crafts were popular too. The kids like to be able to touch, hear, smell, and taste things along with looking at things, so if you can share anything to engage the senses, that is great.

Please consider sharing your culture at our culture fair.

• If you are interested, please email Mrs. Goei at:  susan_goei@beaverton.k12.or.us 2) If you are not staying for the presentation we need your displays by Thursday afternoon. If you are staying for the presentation you should just get to school on the 22nd with your things at 8:00.