Students at South Seneca Middle School in Ovid, N.Y., are expanding their knowledge of the world through e-mails and video conferences with peers at two schools in Poland and Slovakia as a part of "Getting to Know the New Europe," a new collaboration with the Cornell Institute for European Studies (CIES), the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies and the New York State Center for Rural Schools, all at Cornell.

"This 'e-twinning' project aims to expose students to the culture, history and political issues of two of the newest nations to join the European Union and inspire new generations of students to understand and experience European diversity and culture," said Catherine Perkins, K-12 outreach coordinator for CIES, who coordinates the program at South Seneca Middle School.

It is part of a larger community outreach grant from the Delegation to the European Union Commission that is targeted at local and regional communities and focuses on the EU's rural regions and cultures; the 2004 and 2007 enlargements of Central and Eastern Europe states; and the history and culture of the Roma people, a persecuted ethnic minority in Slovakia.

"All students are gaining knowledge about other cultures and communities, dealing with issues of diversity and equality, getting to create art and learn its communicative power and become familiar with distance-learning technologies that are increasingly important in our world," said Perkins.

'Getting to Know Europe'

The project at South Seneca is one of many activities CIES has planned for this community outreach project. Others include:

• a speaker series next fall on European Union policies, agricultural policies and cultural issues;

• festivities to celebrate Europe Day on May 9, including a postcard competition for K-12 students in the region; and

• a tour of Berlin, Krakow, Prague and Budapest for six educators from New York rural schools in July, focusing on a different aspect of the European Union in each city. CIES will provide lectures, cultural activities and curriculum material for participants to use in their classrooms and to inspire them to initiate their own e-twinning projects with students or educators in the European Union.

In addition to forming friendships with counterparts in Poland and Slovakia, seventh- and eighth-grade students have learned about painting techniques used by the Roma. Roma people use bold, vivid colors to express their feelings about their persecution and struggles, said Katalin Papps, a Slovakian Roma artist from New York City, who has been working with the South Seneca students.

"The EU is working to remove the prejudice and mistreatment of the Roma through educational programs and integration projects designed to improve their standard of living," explained Perkins. "The Roma children's paintings have won art prizes throughout the world, and Katalin worked with the South Seneca students on some of the techniques and motifs used by the Roma students." Local students will produce works that reflect their lives and experiences in central New York.

An exhibit of some of the art by local and European students is slated for April 7-8 in the atrium of South Seneca Middle School, in honor of International Roma Day. That week, students will present their research on Roma culture and issues to the rest of the school during the daily sessions; other activities include Slovakian/Polish dishes prepared by the school's kitchen, and music and dance performances from local artists.

Motivated by this hands-on experience, South Seneca students presented statements about the plight of the Roma people at the United Nations video conference March 21 to commemorate the International Day Against Racial Discrimination. At the conference, Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic reaffirmed his commitment to help the Roma.

Graduate student Kate Engler is a writer intern for the Cornell Chronicle.