Field trips to museums, pep rallies, Field Day, and the annual Turkey Trot - students from around the world Tuesday learned some of the things Providence Day third-graders say make their school special.

“We have seven different special classes,” one group said, “including world languages [of] Chinese, French and Spanish.”

More than 20 third-graders participated in a pilot program this week in an effort to help even the youngest of students become global citizens.

The Round Square World Wide Show and Tell for ages 8 to 10 began this week and will continue once a month with a 60-minute Zoom call where students from Providence Day will connect with their peers across the world online and share perspectives and experiences around different topics through a show-and-tell format.

“This is an experience that brings global citizenship to life,” Pam Heacock, the assistant head of Lower School, says. “They will have the opportunity to interact with students from 14 schools in six countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India, South Africa and the United States.”

Providence Day is also a member of Round Square, an internationally diverse network of 200 schools in 50 countries on six continents. Round Square schools connect and collaborate to offer conferences, the volunteer Big Build, and exchange experiences that develop global competence, character, and confidence.

At Providence Day, Jessica Williams and the Global Education Office intentionally create experiences for students that foster intercultural learning inside and outside the classroom. They purposefully develop opportunities for students to become empathetic, informed, and empowered global citizens.

“It's the first opportunity of its type for younger students,” Williams, the Director of Global Programs, says of Show and Tell, “so it's quite exciting.”

Ms. Heacock, Janna Miller, Lower School librarian, and Carlisa Warner, a Lower School teacher and Learning Loft facilitator, led the experience for the 23 students from two third-grade classes.

The first Show and Tell was themed “Introducing our schools,” and youngsters heard a two-minute presentation and learned about what schools are like in different countries. Each delegation explained where their school is located and gave a brief history of the school and its enrollment.

Third-graders also talked about something they especially like about Providence Day, including: “It is a fantastic, inclusive, and kind place where you receive a great education from amazing teachers.”

Other students said: “Our school is welcoming and has many different cultures. We also learn about international cultures,” and “We have many sports teams, special events, and fun choices at our school.”

Ms. Heacock says students took part in a brainstorming session and worked in groups to answer the questions in preparation for the Zoom call.

Show and Tell themes for the next few months include traditional games played in different countries and the clothes students wear.