School: San Diego Riverside Charter School
    Jemez Pueblo, NM, United States

3 students, ages 13 & 14 worked together to complete this Doors to Diplomacy project on March 8, 2012. They have participated in Doors to Diplomacy in the following year(s): 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

Classes and Teachers: Valerie Shaw (Teacher), Carrie Young (Teacher), Keenan (Student), Uriah (Student), Marcus (Student)

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://

1. Description of Our Team

Uriah is a cool person with glasses. Marcus is a big guy, who likes the outdoors, Keenan is a skinny guy. He is cool and very good at sports. The teachers picked us to be in a group and we decided to pick our topics.

2. Summary of Our Project

Our project will focus on some of the most important similarities between Native American cultures and other indigenous cultures around the world. We will compare Native American cultural groups with each other and with indigenous peoples in Africa, Australia, and Asia. We will find out about what keeps indigenous cultures strong and how indigenous peoples keep their cultural identity in a world that surrounds them and tempts them with mainstream (dominant) cultures. We will also discuss how an unwritten language like our Native Towa language supports the process of preserving cultural traditions, and also how important it is to work hard to maintain the language because an unwritten language is easy to lose.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:less than 20

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:more than 6

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:more than 6

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

We had many issues with our internet connection. We struggled to access our webpages often. We worked to correct the internet issues and exercised patience in completing the projects. We switched computers and used Word to compile our information to overcome the problem.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

Doors to Diplomacy has given us a chance to research our pueblo and others around us. We have had a lot of fun comparing our cultures.

6. How did your activities and research for this Doors to Diplomacy Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

We used the Doors to Diplomacy project to support content standards in language arts and technology. We team-taught to make the project possible and the students had opportunities to work on their projects in their language arts and communications classes. A majority of our state standards molded well with this project, especially those in writing, research, and technology. We, also, utilized the Towa language and Jemez Pueblo History to meet some of our schools bilingual requirements. This project was an awesome learning tool for our students.

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your Doors to Diplomacy project?

We used a multitude of tools and technologies to complete the project. These tools include our computer lab and classroom computers, as well as digital camera, scanners, various computer software, our school and public libraries, and oral interviews. The variety of tools we used allowed our students to get a broad spectrum of opinions and insights into their culture and the global community. Our most valuable tool was our computers and the Internet, because we are located in a rural part of New Mexico. The Internet allowed use to view other cultures and views from around the world.

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your Doors to Diplomacy project both on-line and in person.

Our students acted as ambassadors to the community of Jemez Pueblo by researching and discussing the issues and culture of Jemez with the people of Jemez and sharing their findings on the website. They are raising awareness of their small community by relating their lives to the lives of others around the world.

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

Our project will make a difference in the lives of the people from Jemez Pueblo. It will allow them to see their lives and the relations with the larger world. It will, also, raise awareness of the power of technology in research and advocacy. We hope that our website with give them global community a greater understanding of the Jemez people and their lives.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

The Doors to Diplomacy project encompassed the whole community, as the students meet with community members and talked about their culture and views. It gave the students a chance to learn from community elders and present their knowledge to the world.