A Peek Inside the Multi-cultural Celebration Through the Clovis, California Even Start Program

On the surface it appears to be a typical sixth grade presentation about the student’s country of choice, complete with matted pictures, maps and fact sheets gleaned from the internet. Digging deeper into the meaning of the simple, standing posterboard display, however, reveals so much more.

Nine such presentations stand proudly in the room, with music from each country and the jingling of authentic costumes filling the air. This is the Clovis, California Even Start Program’s Spring Multi-Cultural Celebration.

Friday, April 7 was a busy day for the Parent Advisory Group, a branch of the Even Start Program through Clovis Unified. From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., a small room at the Clovis Adult Education Center was packed with 35 people listening to the proud presenters give heartfelt speeches in broken, yet well-spoken English about their native lands.

Melanie Franz, Parent Educator for the Clovis, California Even Start Program, coached parents through the rehearsed presentations as they spewed little-known facts about the countries they once called home. Thailand is approximately the size of Texas and its king was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world. Palestine endures constant turmoil and war.

The countries represented in the Clovis, California Even Start Spring Multi-Cultural Celebration included: Bolivia, China, Columbia, Iran, Laos, Mexico, Israel, Thailand and, of course, America. Several of the countries had a single woman representing her country of origin. Others, such as China, had four; Mexico had 15. Dozens of small props including dolls, vases, plates, flags and colorful textiles surrounded each board, giving even more of a glimpse into the uniqueness of every country involved in the celebration.