After publishing an article in our last e-newsletter about the town of Swannanoa, New Zealand, FANS learned that students at ArtSpace Charter School have been communicating and collaborating with students at the Swannanoa School in Swannanoa, New Zealand. Students in the two schools have shared letters, and will continue to explore ways to communicate digitally about classroom learning, cultural differences, and lifestyle similarities. The ArtSpace students hope to learn more about the geography, communities, language, weather, student government, sports and agriculture of New Zealand.

In fact, ArtSpace hosted the principal of the Swannanoa, New Zealand school for a one-week visit in late April and early May. As part of his visit, Fraser Hill, a Fulbright Scholarship recipient, visited with staff and students at ArtSpace and presented a seminar at UNC-Asheville on the use of digital technologies and online tools to connect students globally and enhance learning.

Swannanoa, New Zealand, is about 35 kilometers north of Christchurch. The town was named by John Evans Brown, who relocated to New Zealand from the United States, but had strong family ties to our very own Swannanoa, North Carolina.

In our next e-newsletter issue, we’ll tell you about another Swannanoa – this one is in Virginia. Thank you to the alert readers who emailed us about this additional Swannanoa location!

Town sign from Swannanoa, New Zealand