CONNECTING CULTURES MOBILE MUSEUM Open House at RFK Community School, Los Angeles, CA

Connecting Cultures Mobile Museum (CCMM) display at RFK Community School, Los Angeles, CA

Last week I went to the annual Connecting Cultures Mobile Museum (CCMM) open house held in the library of the Robert F. Kennedy Community School near downtown Los Angeles, CA.  Hundreds of colorful items–clothing, hats, games, toys–displayed on panels and across table tops showed middle school students the multiple everyday connections we share with people from all over the world.

Everyday Connections was this year's theme (the focus rotates on a three-year cycle)

During the school day for the week the exhibits are up, students in grades six through eight come into the library to hear presentations from CCMM volunteers. They then have the opportunity to interact with the exhibits–trying on clothes, playing games, examining toys.

A sample of board games from around the world

Connecting Cultures Mobile Museum has a long history of working with Los Angeles-area schools, having started at Palms Middle School in West Los Angeles in 1995 and expanding to 24 schools by 2015. Since then, CCMM has enriched the cross-cultural education of more than 100,000 student visitors.

Valerie Lezin, founder of CCMM

Connecting Cultures Mobile Museum believes that exploring our shared human needs, values, and practices will lead to broadened world views. Through its educational programs and resources, CCMM develops awareness and acceptance of the diversity within our increasingly interconnected global communities.

Julia Goldman (right) with Open House visitors

I have been supporting CCMM for many years through participation in their fund raisers and donations of some of the many things I’ve collected in my years of travel. It is always a pleasure seeing them get a new life in the CCMM displays and to know they are helping to enrich students' lives.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Nativities from around the world displayed in the Connecting Cultures Mobile Museum remind me of my own nativity collection, gathered over the years, often as we have traveled around the world. As we celebrate this holiday season with its message of joy, hope, peace and goodwill, we send best wishes to all of you for a very

HAPPY HOLIDAY

and

JOYOUS NEW YEAR!

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY: Connecting Cultures Mobile Museum, Los Angeles, CA

CCMM Spiritual Connections Display at RFK School Library, Los Angeles, CA

Last week I attended the annual open house of Connecting Cultures Mobile Museum (CCMM) at the Robert F. Kennedy School Library in Los Angeles.  CCMM is a program that brings rich displays of cultural objects from around the world to middle schools, with the goal of helping students understand the diversity in their own world so they can begin to appreciate themselves as participants in a global community.

Julia Goldman, CCMM Executive Director

Hundreds of objects are displayed (usually in the school library) with identifying signs color coded for each part of the world. Students are always delighted to find objects from their own country of origin. During the CCMM presentations, the students learn the stories behind some of the objects, their significance, and have the opportunity to handle some of them. The displays are organized around three themes: commercial, spiritual, and everyday connections.

Book and Puppets from India

The collection on display at the open house focused spiritual connections, with objects ranging from masks, books, clothing, and musical instruments that play a role in the various religions of the world. Among my favorites were the many masks on display, including one that I had donated.  Here are a few of the masks. Find out more about CCMM at their website.

African Masks

Spirit Wheel Mask, Alaska

Mask decorated with feathers, Brazil

Raven mask, Canada