Dear Arts Lovers,
We’re inclined to connect to our own “tribe,” those of similar backgrounds, languages, and cultures – it is part of our human nature to survive. But we truly thrive when we learn about other cultures, other languages, and other customs, to see and be in the world from other perspectives. While it may take more effort, more curiosity, and more open-mindedness to do this, we are stronger when we build our bridges together.
At the end of March, CommonTime had the pleasure of designing and running a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) exchange event for primary students from Hong Kong and Germany. Thirty students from Po Leung Kuk Tin Ka Ping Millennium Primary School (TKP) from Hong Kong came to Böblingen to meet their peers from the International School of Stuttgart (ISS), Sindelfingen. The theme – and challenge – of this event was Building Bridges.
Christine Matovich
Founder, CommonTime
On March 31st, after a short meet-and-greet and gift exchange, it was time for the students to become engineers. They arrived at Experimenta Science Center in Heilbronn, a city that is well on its way to becoming the Silicon Valley of the EU. Their mission, should they choose to accept it, was to build a bridge that spanned a 30cm gap using only cardboard and tape. The bridge that held the most weight would be the winner. On Day 1, the students from TKP and ISS formed teams of six or seven, and together, they learned about the parts of a bridge and practiced working together with limited materials and tools.
On Day 2, the real challenge began. The teams had four hours to design and build their final bridge. Their bridges would be tested not only for their load capacity but also for their aesthetics, their narrative, and their team’s collaboration. Four hours passed in a flash of sketching, measuring, cutting, and taping. The time had come for the bridges to be put to the test.
Each bridge was placed over a 30cm gap, and 100g weights were added until the bridges could hold no more. After 2kg was reached, half-liter bottles (500g) were added by putting them into a tote bag, one at a time, on top of the bridges. The winning bridge held a staggering 12.5 kilograms! (It might have held even more, but there were no more bottles!) Written on one side of the winning bridge were the initials of TKP and the other side ISS – the bond didn’t break. All of the students finished the day in friendship, with awards and certificates in hand and pride in their hearts at what they’d accomplished.
Sarah Kupke, ECIS School Coordinator and Councilwoman for the city of Sindelfingen, said it best in the poem she wrote to introduce the event: “The real masterpiece/ Is the bridge you built/ Between each other./ Between past and future./ Between what the world is/ And what it could be.// And the best part?/ This is only the start./ Because when we build bridges,/ We build a better world – together.”
At CommonTime, this is the outcome we most hope to see: that friendships are made, cultures are connected, and bridges are built. We’d like to thank the European Academic and Culture Festival for making this event possible; Volker Rose of Daimler Gottlieb Jugend Forscht Zentrum; his team of retired engineers; and other experts in the community who gave their time, enthusiasm, and support to ensure a successful exchange. Thank you to the International School of Stuttgart, Sindelfingen, and the teachers who gave their time and talent. We’re proud to have built bridges for the students and for the local community!
Would your school like to have a cultural exchange event like this one? Reach out to us at info@commontime.online!