On December 7th a group of Nelson Rural K – 2 students had a chance to see and hear about Dutch Christmas traditions from children their own age, first hand. They and their fellow K-2 classmates of Nelson Rural School are busy learning about how Christmas is celebrated in different countries around the world. The countries the children have chosen to explore during this 21 Century Learning project are Mexico, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Lebanon, in addition to the Netherlands. They are not only focusing on Christmas traditions of their chosen country but are learning about the country itself, its culture-food, dance, art, songs-and its people. They have learned how to say Merry Christmas in their respective country’s language and are proud to share what they have learned with others.  As part of this project some groups have welcomed guest speakers and two groups are connecting directly with Skype including the “Dutch” group mentioned above. The two-way communication over the internet with Skype allows for personal interaction which is very meaningful to the participants. The contacts being used are continuations of global partnerships and student exchanges that have taken place in District 16 in the past.  The excitement for students and teachers at NRS is building in anticipation of the presentations for each country during the week of December 15-17th. Developing awareness other cultures is important for children in understanding their role in global citizenship. To see photos visit Christmas Around the World - Netherlands .