See Me, Share My World: Understanding the Third World through Children's Art

The project centers around a vibrant collection of children's artwork from Colombia, Honduras, India, Sierra Leone, and Thailand. These drawings create a compelling portrait of daily life in developing countries as seen through the eyes of children. The drawings, each with an explanation by the artist, serve as an entry point and reference for classroom activities. The project has been proven a success in over 100 schools nationwide, and is available to schools, libraries, and museums. The See Me, Share My World teaching packet includes a comprehensive teacher handbook, a set of laminated student artwork, a set of laminated photographs, and 48 reproducible student activity sheets. The teacher handbook provides specific teaching methods covering themes such as Global Kinship, Food, Education, Health, Work, Festivals, and Games. The project takes a multi-disciplinary approach, integrating and reinforcing skills in social studies, geography and map skills, art, language arts, math, science, and current events. It engages and motivates students of different ability levels and backgrounds, generating enthusiasm and excitement as students want to learn more about the countries and conditions in which the student "artists" live. The project also offers options for leasing a large museum-quality display, classroom or school participation in sponsoring a child living in a Third World Country, and in-service training. The project has received positive feedback from teachers and students. Albert E. Menard, a teacher from Woonsocket, RI, stated that the project "gets kids to realize it's not them and us. It's all of us." William O'Connor, Curriculum Coordinator from Winchester Schools, MA, noted that students were able to make connections between Art, Social Studies, their community, the Greater Boston community, and the world around them. Parents and students have also expressed their appreciation for the project, citing its ability to increase basic skills in reading and writing, and its contribution to intergroup understanding. PLAN International USA is a worldwide humanitarian organization linking caring sponsors with needy children and their families overseas. Founded in 1937, PLAN is a non-profit, non-sectarian, and non-partisan organization that combines proven, tailor-made assistance with complete sponsor accountability and personal communications to help families lift themselves out of poverty. The organization's development programs are helping 600,000 children and families in 25 countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.