The Southeast Polk High School was excited to host its first annual Culture Day event! A group of first- and second-generation students who were eager to share their cultures with their fellow students approached the Student Council and SEID (Students and Staff for Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity). Together with the support of High School Principal Mr. Pettit and our Social Studies department, these students created and led all of their presentations to our SEP 10th grade Global Studies, AP Human Geography and AP World students over the course of two days. What a great way to celebrate the cultures within our building and explore what culture means to our high school students!
Presenters included:
From Left to Right, Back Row:
The presenting students wore traditional clothing from their culture; one directly came from Africa. They passionately shared their traditions, events, history, and foods—a couple of students even handed out traditional candy.
The students presenting shared, “This is an amazing opportunity! We take pride in our culture and encourage curiosity. We want everyone to be able to show their own culture.”
On the second day of the event, other high school students were encouraged to wear traditional clothing from their culture.
Another project this motivated group of students is working on is to get flags from all of our high school students’ countries to display in the High School Commons. They encourage everyone to learn more about yourself and your history so you can better understand all cultures. They want us to accept ourselves, our similarities and our differences.
Southeast Polk Jr. High will be hosting its Culture Diversity Day on May 8, 2024. Various speakers from around the area, including these high school students, will present.
