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Local School Kids Learn about Jamaica at Eastern

Willimantic, CT (04/07/2017) — Reggae music filled the air and the colors of black, green and yellow adorned the Student Center on April 3 as hundreds of local schoolchildren converged on the Eastern Connecticut State University campus to learn about Jamaica. Approximately 300 children from Windham's five elementary schools and Barrows STEM Academy came to Eastern for the ninth annual Arts and Culture Day, organized by the Center for Community Engagement (CCE).

The fun-filled afternoon offered a variety of Jamaica-inspired activities, including face painting, necklace making and mask making. In the lawn outside the Student Center, the children played soccer. For snacks, they ate Jamaican beef and chicken patties from Scott's Bakery in Hartford. They learned traditional dance and even played dominoes, a popular game in Jamaican culture.

The CCE's Arts and Culture Day annually focuses on the history, food, art and life of a particular country or region. Past events have engaged local school children in learning about Ireland, Russia, Puerto Rico, Africa and Mexico.

Approximately 50 Eastern students volunteered to make this event possible. "We're just trying to get the kids involved with the local university and learning about different cultures at a young age," said Rebecca Russell '16, a recent graduate and former CCE volunteer who came to campus on her day off from work.

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