The Global Gateway to Liberia

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"Future Guardians of Peace," featured on Foreign Exchange 11/28

"Amputee All Stars" featured on Foreign Exchange

Global Gateway: A Resource for Students and Teachers

Liberia: Global Gateway Georgetown

Photography by Andre Lambertson, opening reception, Corcoran Gallery of Art, 9/11/08

"Former Child Soldier Shares Experiences," by Emily McGinnis runs in Georgetown's The Hoya in response to Pulitzer Center event

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Global Gateway: Liberia

Reporter Ruthie Ackerman and photographer Andre Lambertson traveled from Staten Island to Liberia over the course of several weeks to examine the process of reintegrating -- and ultimately rehabilitating-- the former child soldiers now on both sides of the ocean.

Global Gateway: Liberia took place in January 2008. Reporter Ruthie Ackerman blogged with students from nine high schools and engaged face-to-face with them in their classrooms on January 17th and 18th. Click here to find out more.

Resources on this reporting topic, including photo slideshows, videos, the official Scars and Stripes blog, and links to additional resources, can be found to your left and right. (Be sure to click on the "see all ..." option at the end of the listings to see the complete set.)

For Students:

Click here to visit the Global Gateway: Liberia blog where you can post your questions for Ruthie, post your own thoughts, or debate these issues with your classmates.

For Teachers:

-The Curriculum Guide:

Arthur Lieber from Civitas Associates in St. Louis developed the following lesson plan to aid teachers in leading a classroom discussion introducing the topic. There are two versions:

Using Scars and Stripes in the Classroom: New Schools (for new schools working with Global Gateway - introduces the Pulitzer Center and broader media literacy questions)

Using Scars and Stripes in the Classroom

This next lesson plan for "Scars and Stripes: Liberian Youth After the War" was developed by two St. Louis-area high school teachers. It first introduces the purpose of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and the topic of civil war in Liberia. The students will then begin to delve further into the topic of “child soldiers” using a reciprocal teaching activity, followed by researching a brief essay on what life as a child soldier must be like. A Socratic Seminar will serve as the culminating activity.

By: Dawn McClain and Kelly Moore, Communication Arts Department, Soldan International Studies High School, Saint Louis Public Schools