It is important to educate everyone, especially younger students, on the many cultures that are celebrated all over the world. St. Robert’s annual tradition of celebrating the folk fair is one of the many ways that we can learn about the lives of people all over the world.

Every year the third graders at St. Robert display a fair that showcases various countries for the whole school. Each student is first assigned a country to research, and then the students are put with a partner or into group of three. The groups must research various facts about the country, such as the imports and exports from that country, the foods that are eaten, the natural resources, and the clothes that are worn most commonly in that place. They then must choose a specific person from their assigned country who has influenced the world in someway.These important figures could be anything from a politician to a sports star, or perhaps a even world leader. For example, if you were assigned the country of Argentina, you may choose to research on the soccer star Messi. Once a person has been chosen, each kid has to write a paper about that person, talking about their life and influence on this world.

For the actual fair that takes place in Reilly Hall, the kids must present what they have learned about their country. Each group has a table where they can put a tri-fold board with their countries’ information. They usually also decorate their table with props relating to their country, and they put their papers on the table. They even  dress in clothing that resembles the attire of those who live in that country, and they must make a food dish native to the country as well. For example, if you had the country of Belgium, you may choose to make Belgian waffles because that is a popular dish. After all of the tables are set and ready, it is time for the kids to display all of their hard work. Every grade, ranging from K4-8th, gets an opportunity to stop down at the fair. Students can walk around and ask the third graders questions about their country. Visitors and parents can snack on the tasty treats from each country and even watch the third graders dance as a class.

All in all, the folk fair is a great way for the third graders to expand their cultural horizons, and for visitors to learn something new. It is a great project full of collaboration, hard work, and fun. The third graders majorly benefitted from this enriching project and they hope it will continue on for generations to come.