Early Childhood and Lower School
Learning Links

To prepare children for the globally connected world of the future, the Early Childhood and Lower School teachers at Harrisburg Academy have developed a unique and exciting new program called Learning Links.
Learning Links is consistent with the philosophy and mission of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization. Similar to the IB Diploma Program in the Upper School, Learning Links aims to teach students more than a collection of facts. We want our students to learn to:

• ask challenging questions,
• learn how to learn,
• develop a strong sense of their own identity and culture, and
• acquire the skills to communicate with and understand people from other countries and cultures.

Learning Links is designed to aid children in developing a sense of “global mindedness,” a way of thinking about one’s place in and relationship to the world around us. The goal is for students to become open-minded, respectful, and curious about other peoples, cultures, places, and ideas. Global mindedness will prepare them for assuming their roles as citizens of a globally connected world. 
Learning Links is also designed to provide opportunities for students to learn about world continents and connect to countries on those continents as they “travel” through the Early Childhood and Lower School programs.
Eventually, every grade will study or link to a different continent:

• HATS and Antarctica
• Junior Kindergarten and South America
• Kindergarten and Australia
• First Grade and Africa
• Second Grade and Asia
• Third Grade and Europe
• Fourth Grade and a non-U.S. region of North America

In partnership with Dickinson College’s nationally renowned global education program, our Lower School classrooms are connecting via email and the Internet with Dickinson students living and studying at culturally diverse sites around the world – including Brisbane, Australia; Yaoundé, Cameroon; and Nagoya, Japan.  Learning Links is growing rapidly to include links to classrooms overseas. Eventually, we will share our everyday American school life with friends overseas via video conferencing and streaming video to our website.
Learning Links is in addition to the Academy’s existing curriculum and integrates into all other curricular areas.