This summer, 16 Notre Dame middle school students traveled to the experiential learning center at Heifer Global Village in Maryland in order to deepen their understanding of the global issues of poverty and hunger.
The educational center features a collection of full-size replica dwellings from various international communities, such as Thailand, Guatemala, Mozambique, and Kenya. During their visit, the students learned about different cultures, socio-economic situations, and global hunger and poverty. ND students became “citizens” of specific countries for an overnight stay, and assumed the roles of individuals within those communities. Students worked together to find supplies, build a fire, and barter services. The students were challenged to examine their own habits, consumption, and beliefs through unique hands-on learning experiences that seek to promote an awareness and understanding of multiculturalism, global economics, hunger and nutrition, poverty issues, social equality and justice, and environmental conservation.
