Overlake Students Experience "Women Hold Up Half the Sky"

Overlake’s entire student body is taking a field trip to the Gates Foundation Discovery Center where the special exhibit Women Hold Up Half the Sky features the Overlake School’s work with its school in Cambodia.

On Wednesday, the fifth grade class was the first to visit and explore the interactive exhibits telling stories of women who have changed their lives through education, economic empowerment, courage, and hope.

Margaret Lynch, assistant to the Head of School, organized the field trips along with science department chair, Lisa Orenstein and the 50th anniversary committee. “We felt it was really important to let our students know about our school in Pailin, Cambodia,” says Lynch, who joined Overlake’s youngest students on the field trip. “The students went there with little knowledge of Overlake’s connection, but this the first step in that awareness.”

In advance of the trip, fifth and sixth grade students took part in an exercise recreating If the World Were a Village, which is a book that describes the world if only one hundred people existed.

At the Gates Foundation Discovery Center, tour leaders took students through several exhibits that told stories of women’s global success, and then gave them free time to explore. “It’s really cool how it’s a hands-on experience, and everyone gets to do something,” says fifth grader Zach S. “I want to help people in less fortunate conditions elevate themselves to higher positions and improve the quality of their lives.”

Another fifth grader, Emma S. says the visit taught her that she can make a difference starting now. “It’s very inspiring and allows you to help in many different ways. There are so many ways that you can help, and little things add up to make a big difference,” says Emma.

Lynch says those responses are what makes Overlake students special, and it's a vital lesson in our mission.  She adds that the connection they make now plants the seed for students to do Project Weeks in places like Cambodia and Uruguay. “You can’t get everything in the classroom, and it’s learning about life and the world you live in,” says Lynch. “It’s giving that child a broad education that builds an adult who makes a difference.”

Next week, Upper School students will make the field trip, and if you’d like to check out Woman Hold Up Half the Sky you’d better go soon. The exhibit runs through February 3rd at the Gates Foundation Discovery Center.

We've included a link if you'd like to get a look of our fifth grade visit.