Grade 7 and 8 students in London talk global issues with classrooms around the world
CBC
"Do you think Croatia will take legal action against carbon dioxide emissions?," asked an inquisitive Grade 8 student to a group of Croatians on a video chat.
On Thursday and Friday, fourteen Grade 7 and 8 students at Jeanne Sauvé French Immersion School in London, Ont., were busy researching global issues — from artificial intelligence to the global refugee crisis and rising global temperatures — to present virtually to students around the word.
Sidarth Kulaangara, 13, shared his research on artificial intelligence with students in Croatia.
"It was really fun because…we got to see what school is like there, what they learn and how they contribute to climate change [and] what they do with their AI," said Kulaangara.
Jeanne Sauvé is one of five Ontario schools part of UNESCO's Time Project, a global project that connects elementary and secondary students from around the world to learn about global issues.
This is the second year Jeanne Sauvé students are participating in the project, but this year with students in Bulgaria, India, Malaysia, China and Croatia.
"I didn't know that Croatia took in so many refugees, and I found that it was really cool what they were doing," said Kulaangara.
Mohamed Alasfour, 13, looked into the founders of artificial intelligence and discussed the ethical use of AI with students in India and Croatia.
"Some schools had other opinions where they said, 'I use AI to start my essay and then I finish it', which I expand on that point by saying, 'But you're still using AI to generate an essay for you'…It's still lackluster and lacking creativity," said Alasfour.
Students were given the opportunity to ask questions at the end of every presentation. Chatting with Croatian students, they preferred sharing about their school life and discussing sports, like Croatia's win over Canada in the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Joe Sheik, director of Time Project, said the initiative was launched in 1995 to encourage students to broaden their worldview on topics like social justice, human rights and environmental sustainability.
"They go way past their own town," said Sheik. "This forces them to think about real issues that they may not talk about every day in the schoolyard."
But the project also teaches students about different cultures and experiences, Sheik added.
"They get to engage and find out that students may look different than they do, may wear different clothing, may even eat different foods — but they think and are passionate about the same things they are."