Becky Morales – Educator, Speaker, Mother, and Founder of Kid World Citizen
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in learning about people, places, and traditions from around the world. A life-changing trip to Peru when I was 15 years old expanded my world indefinitely: in Machu Picchu I felt as if I had woken from a dream and finally realized that the world has infinite adventures and possibilities beyond my immediate community.
During my BA in Spanish Education, I spent an incredible semester in Spain, and later in Ecuador. The insatiable and unrelenting travel itch led to countless trips abroad, from teaching ESL to immigrants in London, to zip-lining with my students in Costa Rica. With an MA in Teaching ESL and another in School Counseling, my classroom experiences incorporated my love of languages and cultures, with my love of teaching kids about the world.
I have been told that our family looks like a mini-United Nations, including my husband from Mexico City, our bicultural daughters, our sons from China and Ethiopia. While our intention was simply to expand our family, we have been infinitely enriched by our multicultural background and experiences. Our family enjoys both the trips to home countries as well as the celebrations and incorporation of traditions here at home.
I developed Kid World Citizen to be able to share the educational activities that I have used in my classroom and at home with my 4 children to increase global and cultural awareness. On this website, you will find an ever-expanding database of age-appropriate, fun activities gathered from around the world that are organized by topic and by country. I present a range of materials, including games, international celebrations, recipes that please even the most discerning tummies, cultural art projects, endless reviews on children’s literature related to world cultures, and many other activities that help cultivate and expand young minds. Whether you are a teacher, a parent, a homeschooler or a scout leader, I hope that you will enjoy utilizing the resources offered by Kid World Citizen.
Please share your thoughts and ideas with me! I would love to hear from you at kidworldcitizen {at} gmail {dot} com
Let’s connect!!!
Becky –
This is fantastic (like everything you do)! Thanks for this wonderful resource!
Your friend from Ethiopia (met in Awassa) and mom to Mirinda and Elliot,
- Laura Nokes
Of course I remember you Laura! I hope that your daughter (and son) are doing well! You’re so nice:). I hope to put up some additional Ethiopian activities soon!
Hi Becky, Keep up the great global education work! The future of education in the US (and indeed, peace in the world) relies on such efforts.
Ed Gragert
iEARN-USA
I don’t know how I missed this site, Becky; I love it!
Aw, thanks!) And I LOVE your site!!! SO many good ideas for families interested in gardening, local food, or the Slow Food movement. I love reading your articles and pouring over your gorgeous photos!!!
Very nice and so well done! We hope to take our 2 Chinese daughters to as many countries as possible – while we still can! So far only Mexico but plans for Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and Europe in in the works. Nice to see other people who share the same interest towards multiculturism. My backround is Hispanic (Puerto Rico/Costa Rica) and my wife is Dutch/Irish decent.
That’s fantastic! I have been to both Puerto Rico and Costa Rica and would LOVE to take my kids there. Lucky girls:).
Wonderful..I just discovered you! Seems we are on the same wave length in many ways as we too are raising a global kid.
We’ve been traveling the world non-stop for the last 6 years ( to 44 countries on 5 continents so far on just $23/day pp) and are monolinguals raising our daughter as fluent-as-a-native trilingual/triliterate in Spanish, Mandarin and English. We mostly homeschool/worldschool but dip into local schools in Spain and tropical Asia repeatedly for languages and consistent friends.
Happy to meet others with a passion for world travel, languages and multiculturalism…kids will need that in our coming world!
I am so glad to meet you! I would love to interview you for an article, or invite you to write a guest post! I am green with envy and want to learn more:). I’m going to check out your web site now!
Love the website! Thank you so much for the great ideas and activities. I really enjoyed reading about how you organized “international” night. Great idea!
I have a couple of more activities for Int’l Night that I need to write up:). I love International Festivals and I am so glad our school allowed us to put one on this year. I am already scheming of ways to make it bigger for next year:).
Congratulations!
I just nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award!
http://www.internationalcouples.net/blog/2012/05/the-versatile-blogger-award.html
Aw, thanks Tony! I was going to tell you that I sent a couple of readers (who happened to be International Couples:) to your blog- I hope they found you! Thanks for the nomination!
We are an English/Colombian family living in Spain, and long to be able to travel more! Will enjoy following your posts via Facebook.
Que gusto conocerte Sarita! Me encantaria aprender mas de Colombia!!! La senora con quien yo vivi en Ecuador era colombiana y hacia las arepas mas ricas que he probado en mi vida… yumm… siempre las comiamos tomando chocolate!:)
I’ve been following you on pinterest through a pin I found for about a month now and today I finally logged onto your website and read your about page. Amazing story! I share the same love of traditions, cultures, languages and people you do! that is why I majored in Internatinal Business. I am happy I found your blog and can’t wait to learn more about you.
Maribel-I am so glad to meet you!:) I love meeting other families with the same passion to teach their kids about the world, languages, cultures, etc. If you have any suggestions or would like to guest post, let me know! Global mamas unite:).
Hi Becky!
Man do I love your site! Do you have an rss feed button anywhere? I would love to add this blog to my google reader.
Thank you!
Scarlett
I’ll put an RSS button up today!:)
Hi Becky! I’m an elementary teacher from Canada (Ottawa) who is moving in 18 days to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates to teach at a private school. I graduated from the Global Cohort at UofO and hold a degree in Literature – though for the past few years I’ve worked in the Education Sector for government, NGO and corporate organizations, (including experience in Brazil; with Canadian First Nations education; etc.) The reason I mention it is that I’m wondering if you’d be interested in any of my writings regarding this upcoming international move and teaching expereince
-Tammara
Of course we would!!!!
I am emailing you right now!!!
Thank you for this wonderful blog. I am a middle school special education teacher and my students are even less likely to travel than other kids. I love teaching them that the world around them is bigger than they experience and my goal this year is to focus on customs/foods/crafts/holidays around the world. I am so grateful for the work you’ve put into this and thanks for sharing it with the rest of us!
Thank you Tessa! It sounds like you are a wonderful teacher:)- I love that you are bringing the world to your class!! What a great example for students and families who might not be able to travel because of work, money, difficulty, or otherwise. I have a post coming up that I think you will *love*- it is about collaborating with other classes around the world. Some projects are as simple as sharing pictures of art projects via email, others are commenting on blogs, or skyping with another class, or even reading the same book and posting a review on a collaborative web site. Check it out- your kids will get to “meet” others around the world!!
I´m a third culture kid and had a difficult time as a kid every time our family had to move. I´m glad I found your site. I believe that more information about this topic is needed out there.
I’m so glad to meet you. I moved at least 12+ times when I was little (though only in the US- you’ve had many more challenges!) and it is definitely hard! We’ve had several guest posts about families moving around abroad. Maybe you’ll write for us about your experiences?
Yeah, I would love to contribute, definitely. Can send me an email for more instructions? Looking forward to it.
Wow! What an incredible resource and clear labor of love. I can’t wait to mine this site for more. My kids are still young (7 months and 3.5 years) but you are renewing my desire to make sure they grow up with global perspectives. Love this!!
Thank you so much- it is so nice to meet you! I also just discovered your blog and am living vicariously through your posts:).
AWESOME site! Will definately share this…
Thanks for stopping in at waddlee-ah-chaa. We also have a passion to get children out into the world and experience life and other cultures. We have a mission to grow compassion in our children.
I look forward to visiting your blog. I have been to Cambodia twice. We sponsor children in Cambodia and it is such a joy to visit them! I also spent last summer training Cambodian teachers. I am on a journey to end the sex trafficking of children and women.
Oh wow, that is incredible!!! I would love to learn more about the organizations you’ve worked with- such an important cause. Thank you for reaching out!!!
I have been following your blog for some time.We are bi-cultural family as well
I love to cook and use food to introduce my kids to world,totally in a mission to bring the world to our table,one plate at a time!
I am so glad to “meet you!” I would love to hear more about your culinary journey “around the world!” I am headed over to your blog- I love to meet other globally-minded parents:).
Also, check out: http://kidworldcitizen.org/2012/11/28/a-global-table-adventure-eat-your-way-around-the-world-and-ideas-for-picky-eaters/
and our Around the World in 12 Dishes series: http://kidworldcitizen.org/2013/05/09/learn-about-finland-and-make-a-finnish-macaroni-casserole/
If you’d ever like to contribute a guest post here, let me know:).