Lake Bluff students present Smithsonian-linked —Democracy in Dialogue— virtual museum

At the Jan. 13 Shorewood School District board meeting, Lake Bluff Elementary principal Johanna French introduced sixth-grade students who presented "Democracy in Dialogue," a semester-long virtual exchange in partnership with the Smithsonian that culminated in a student-created online museum called "More than Just Kids."

"My name is Johanna French, and I'm the principal at Lake Bluff Elementary School," French said, introducing the students and the facilitators. Ali McCarthy, a co-lead for the Democracy in Dialogue program, told the board the national initiative pairs classrooms across diverse communities for semester-long virtual exchanges rooted in place- and object-based inquiry. "We aim to foster connections across differences, moving students beyond simple pen pals towards a richer understanding of our nation's diversity," McCarthy said.

Multiple students described artifacts that represent personal identity and civic learning. Student Phoebe said, "Our mission in this project is to fix a flawed democracy by building a museum and showing individuals' identities, not stereotyping people." Other students, including Beckett and Sophie, presented personal objects and explained how storytelling and "identity hexagons" helped them consider empathy and community.

Principal French and board members credited the teachers and facilitators for the program and noted teachers from Lake Bluff were participating in a facilitator summit in Washington, D.C. Board members praised the students' presentation as "superb." The board did not take action on the presentation but encouraged continued participation and community support for the program.

The presentation highlights a local classroom's use of a national Smithsonian exchange to teach civic skills, empathy and student voice; principals and facilitators said they hope to expand participation and share the student work with the broader community.