The World Explorer's Club is an afterschool program that provides emergent, bilingual and multilingual children with a space to explore their strengths, interests, and identities.
Launched two years ago by Lidia Traji, an English as a Second Language teacher at Richardson Elementary School in Cuyahoga Falls, and Gumiko Monobe, Ph.D., associate professor in the Early Childhood Education program in the School of Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum Studies, the club also allows Kent State students to work closely with the parents and guardians of their children, fostering comprehensive engagement and understanding.
Undergraduate students from the university's culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogy class collaborated with Richardson Elementary students to highlight the children's interests and cultural backgrounds.
Each Kent State student pairs with a child for the duration of the program to foster one-on-one engagement. This semester, the two groups created art to decorate Richardson's hallways, and created videos of their life experiences to share with peers, teachers, parents, and caregivers. Doctoral candidate Bee Viton and Ph.D. candidate Abbey Galeza made significant contributions to the program.
The World Explorer's Club at Richardson Elementary is known for creating an inclusive culture for students from diverse backgrounds, focusing on their strengths. These initiatives contribute to a vibrant, supportive school environment.
Richardson Elementary was recently honored as a Hall of Fame School by the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators, which recognized its outstanding school culture and community engagement. The school celebrated this achievement with a grand event, highlighting The World Explorer's Club as a key component of its success.