Summer art show showcases learning through culture, science

Sea turtles swam through colorful coral reefs. Rainforests stretched across bright landscapes. And children from around the world, speaking a diversity of languages, gathered to learn about and celebrate different cultures.

The artwork on display at Discovery Elementary School last week was more than a collection of summer art projects. It was the culmination of four weeks of learning that blended science, geography, culture, language development and art for students in the Mukilteo School District's Multilingual Learner Summer School.

Families, teachers and community members filled the school's art gallery July 29 to celebrate student work created as part of the district's STEAM-based GLAD curriculum.

The elementary summer program served multilingual learners, while a companion refugee program introduced students to cultures from around the world. District officials said about 260 students took part this year.

The district also operates a secondary Multilingual Learner Summer Academy at Voyager Middle School.

According to district spokesperson Julianne Repman, the elementary curriculum, "Ecosystems Around the World," took students on a scientific and cultural journey through five distinct regions: the Sonoran Desert, Amazon Rainforest, Great Barrier Reef, Serengeti Savanna and Arctic tundra.

Students studied biodiversity, food webs, plant and animal adaptations, climate, natural resources, and the effects humans have on different environments.

They also compared how people around the world have adapted to their surroundings and how cultures are shaped by the environments in which they live, Repman said.

The curriculum extended beyond science lessons. Students located ecosystems on maps, compared climates and explored how communities around the world rely on natural resources while developing an appreciation for different cultural perspectives.

Repman said the district's refugee summer program complements those lessons through its "Cultures Around the World" curriculum, which helps students understand that while children across the globe may speak different languages and practice different traditions, they share many of the same hopes, interests and experiences. The program emphasizes diversity, acceptance and cross-cultural understanding.

Those themes were reflected throughout the art gallery.

One display featured colorful underwater scenes inspired by marine ecosystems. Another highlighted forests and wetlands, while other projects celebrated traditional clothing, world landmarks and cultural festivals. Student artwork illustrated the connections between people, places and the natural world that they had studied throughout the month.

Signs throughout the exhibit welcomed visitors in multiple languages, including English, Spanish and Ukrainian, reflecting the diversity of the district's multilingual community.

The Mukilteo School District describes its multilingual education program as one that provides culturally and linguistically responsive instruction while helping students develop English proficiency alongside academic skills.

District leaders say students thrive when learning is meaningful, engaging and connected to their own experiences.

The summer learning program, offered by invitation to currently enrolled students, ran July 6-30 at Discovery Elementary for grades 1-5 multilingual learners and at Voyager Middle School for older students. Breakfast, lunch and transportation were provided for participating students.

For families attending the art gallery, the colorful displays represented far more than completed assignments.

They offered a glimpse of how science, culture, language and creativity can come together, helping students not only build academic skills but also gain a broader understanding of the world and the many people who share it.

Some could argue it’s a lesson many adults should learn as well.