As an international school, many community members at Lausanne have personal immigration experiences.
"We all share in the immigrant history," said fourth-grade teacher Nancy Garriga. "Millions of people have made their way to America, and hundreds of thousands still come each year. We wanted to give immigrant families at Lausanne the opportunity to share their voices."
Lausanne Fourth-graders have spent the last few weeks studying the causes and effects of immigration as a part of their PYP unit of inquiry. Students invited families to share their immigration stories to help build a more profound, shared understanding of their journeys and newfound lives in America.
One of the guest speakers In Mrs. Garriga's fourth-grade class, Muhammad Afzal, addressed his father's journey from Pakistan to America. As the visitor spoke over a Zoom call about his background, he included a visual presentation that showcased family pictures, various heirlooms, and a map pinpointing the location of his father's home city.
The students asked many questions, giving them the chance to learn more about their peers and sparking an interest in learning more about their personal family history.
"We've had a lot of great speakers over the past week," said Mrs. Garriga. "This is one of my favorite yearly projects because I love how much students get to learn about each other while honoring their family's immigration journey."