Creating Connections Across Cultures

Teacher Melinda Barnes-Ybarra envisioned Cultural Connections as a way for students to learn from one another while celebrating the rich diversity within the True North community. The club was designed to expose students to different cultures through literature, discussions, and arts and crafts. Involvement would culminate in a Culture Fest where students and families could share music, food, art, traditions, and personal stories.

With Foundation funding, that vision became a reality.

According to Barnes-Ybarra, the club helped create a school culture that is more inclusive and student-centered. Participants gained confidence by leading discussions, sharing ideas, and even contributing to daily school announcements with affirming messages.

Additionally, students whose primary language is not English also benefited from opportunities to strengthen their language skills and reading fluency in a supportive environment.  Barnes-Ybarra watched the students’ confidence grow as they practiced leading small-group discussions and presenting their ideas.

Perhaps one of the most meaningful outcomes was increased family engagement. Parents became active partners in the club, stopping by activities, suggesting books, and helping organize the Cultural Connections Festival with decorations, food, and music.

Building a Bridge of Understanding

For senior Jackson Borvilier, the club became an opportunity to help classmates better understand cultures they may not encounter every day.

“We really go diverse into cultures that don’t really get a lot of attention, a lot of focus,” Jackson said. “It’s a good way to branch out and make you realize how much bigger the world is than what it seems to be.”

Borvilier shared aspects of his Haitian heritage with fellow students, introducing cultural traditions, music, and beliefs that many had never experienced before.

“This far north, it’s not very common to see Caribbean people,” he said. “It’s nice to introduce people to different kinds of music, viewpoints, and teachings.”

Senior Moises Jimenez appreciated how students were encouraged to share pieces of their own heritage.

“I brought my Mexican flag to show my Mexican heritage,” he said. “We talked about Day of the Dead and other celebrations and holidays. There were other countries that we talked about, and they were each representing the students that were in the club.“

Barnes-Ybarra sees the program as a strong foundation for future growth. She hopes to expand the club by creating a digital hub for cultural activities and bringing in additional guest speakers.

Growing Confidence Through Guitar Club

While Cultural Connections helped students learn about the world and the diverse backgrounds of their classmates, another first-of-its-kind club was helping students connect through music.

Teacher Bradley Jones proposed Guitar Club to give students a break from their regular classes while helping them learn a skill, interact with classmates, and strengthen their connection to school. Many interested students did not own instruments. This lead Jones to request Foundation funding to purchase 15 acoustic guitars and cases that could remain at True North and serve students for years to come.

The impact has reached far beyond learning chords and songs.

Students now gather during club time and after school to practice together, learn new techniques, and perform at school events. 

For junior Chance Bracke, the club opened doors to both friendship and leadership.

“It’s allowed me to find other people with the same type of interest and make friends,” he said. “This allowed me to show leadership skills because sometimes I’ll help out every now and then.”

Jimenez found a sense of belonging in both of True North’s new clubs. He shared his Mexican heritage through Cultural Connections while also discovering a passion for music in Guitar Club. Although he owned a bass guitar before joining the club, he never felt confident enough to learn how to play it. Guitar Club changed that.

“I had the bass guitar. I was just too scared to learn how to get into it,” Jimenez said. “But now that there’s a club here, I started playing more and playing more at my house.”

Through encouragement from Jones and fellow students, Jimenez has developed new musical skills and friendships.

“The kid I was just talking with, I met him through the club,” he said. “We started talking more because we both didn’t know that we played guitars, and now we’re friends.”

The Grant Impact at True North Academy

While True North’s Cultural Connections Club and Guitar Club focus on different interests, both share a common outcome: helping students feel seen, valued, and connected.

The Foundation’s support provided resources that can continue to be used. Cultural programming can grow year after year while the guitars will remain at the school. Subsequently, the impact has the potential to reach future True North students as well.

For Barnes-Ybarra, the experience has already inspired thoughts about what could come next. She is already designing more activities to help students become global citizens.

“I was deeply appreciative to have received the grant this school year,” she said. “I look forward to speaking with students who provide the ‘spark’ to request future funding.”

Thanks to the generosity of Washington Township Schools Foundation donors, True North Academy’s first-ever clubs have become more than extracurricular activities. They have become spaces where students can share their stories, discover their talents, build friendships, and find a stronger sense of belonging. For many students, these grants didn’t just fund clubs. They helped create a community.

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