NAHANT — During an immersive storytelling event on Wednesday morning, students at Johnson Elementary School traveled across the globe to learn about Africa.
The event was led by Ada Ari, an educator, entrepreneur and award-winning author who stopped in Nahant to teach students about the history and culture of Africa. According to Ari, she has been touring multiple states in order to educate students on the rich history of the continent.
Ari led the students through a hands-on experience as she read one of her published books, “The Spider’s Thin Legs,” before breaking out into an authentic Ghanaian dance where the students learned some fun new dance moves.
“It’s a celebration of culture, and all that brings us together and makes us who we are,” Ari said. “There are so many different cultures and backgrounds that make up the United States, and today we’re celebrating the continent of Africa.”
Ari noted the school has responded well to the program. “It’s been really fun; I travel the entire country, too…I was in D.C. last week, as well as Texas and California, I’ve been all over the place,” Ari said.
“It’s great to see that people care about exposing children to all the differences in the world and all the different cultures,” Ari continued.
During the event, after an impromptu dance party erupted to the tune of lively Ghanaian music, students got to learn about clothing from Ghana, where they were then adorned by traditional Kente Cloths bursting with color and design. Students also got to try and balance large bowls on their heads in the style of a “Kayayoo,” where women from the region delicately balance heavy weights atop their heads for sometimes miles at a time, according to Ari.
“I think this was so great for them to learn about culture,” Paraprofessional for pre-K Sarah Westenberg said. “With the dancing and all the different things involved, they had a great time. It was both educational and fun.”
