MILWAUKEE — A downtown arena will soon be filled with nearly 3,000 students from 14 of the most diverse schools in Milwaukee Public Schools. Children will celebrate countries across the globe during the MPS World Fair 2022. This event is the culmination of hard work all year long by students in grades 4 to 8 who are learning about the United Nations and its member countries.
Student projects dig deep to explore the strengths and challenges of each nation and the role each country plays in its region or continent. The World Fair will include performances representing various cultures including a choir, a fashion show, Latin and Italian dance groups, and a special performance from the Ukrainian dance ensemble, Dnipro. This will be the first World Fair since 2019 due to the pandemic.
WHERE: UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, 400 W Kilbourn Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203
WHEN: Tuesday, April 19; 10 a.m. — 1 p.m.
Perhaps more than any other, this event demonstrates the diversity of not only MPS but the city as a whole. Within the 14 participating schools, 35 different languages are spoken by students and families.
“Many of our students are from other countries. Through this World Fair, students developed a sense of personal growth in identifying a perspective on issues and how some of their lives connect to those around the world.” – MPS UNSIL Teacher
Volunteer Sign Up: bit.ly/UNSILvolunteer
The United Nations Schools of International Learning (UNSIL) program has demonstrated its influence in readying MPS students for a competitive 21st-century global workforce. The UNSIL program combines academic skills like research, writing, and presenting with a real-world purpose such as debate, negotiation, and conflict resolution. These activities take place in a curriculum centered on world affairs, current events, multiculturalism, and cultural competencies, which help students develop empathy, tolerance, critical thinking, and problem-solving competencies necessary to succeed in any postsecondary environment and career.
The World Fair is made possible by visionary local philanthropists: the Annette J. Roberts & Joan R. Robertson Fund for World Peace, World Law, and Peace Education. Through the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and the MPS Foundation, the trustees of this fund established the United Nations Schools of International Learning curriculum in MPS. The program began in 2016 in nine schools and is now implemented in 14 MPS schools.
