Cross-Cultural Education for Education Students

Students in the course “Cross Cultural/Multicultural Issues in Education” recently enjoyed some outside-the-classroom learning at museums in two of Chicago’s culturally-diverse neighborhoods.

Dr. Jaki Moses ’05 and Dr. Trina Vallone ’99, professors of education, accompanied their students on field trips to Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art and Hyde Park’s DuSable Museum of African American History.

The National Museum of Mexican Art provided a rich exhibition of the arts with cultural tie-ins that continued out of the museum and into the surrounding community.

“We were able to enjoy the wonderful varieties of Mexican art and a unique exhibit of Day of the Dead,” said Moses.

On another occasion, the class also visited the DuSable Museum, which offered “Funky Turns Forty,” an exhibit on the black character revolution in animation art, and “Spirits of the Passage: The Story of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.”

Students also enjoyed exploring the Hyde Park neighborhood and lunch in the Historic Bronzeville community.

The trips provided a context for a discussion on issues that affect education, such as cultural and ethnic diversity, poverty, and discrimination.