RMS Students Hold the World in Their Hands

Wading through more than 400 postcards, Lauren Hildebrand gestures across a large table filled with just a sample of what has come in from Alaska, Tanzania, Thailand, Italy and Israel.

“We’ve seen cards from pole to pole, from Antarctica to the Arctic Circle," she says.

The postcard program at Robbinsdale Middle School (RMS) began last fall to give students a truly hands-on experience about cultures and locations thousands of miles away.

“We are dealing with lots of kids in poverty.  Some of them have never traveled outside of the metro area,” says Hildebrand, coordinator of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program at RMS.  “We are trying to break through the assumptions and deal with ‘what ifs.’”

'What ifs' are at the heart of the IB program and key to tapping into the children's natural curiosity. 

When students received a postcard with picture of a royal scepter, some had no idea what it was.  But by looking at the jewels and symbols they worked to figure out what it was used for and what type of person owned it.

But more often than not, the answers come right to their classroom in hand-written messages.

When a local couple took a vacation to see the best of Europe in 17 days, they sent students messages from each stop.  Cards have come from grandparents to grandchildren, from student to student and from community members who just want to enrich the learning experience for kids at RMS.

As millions tune in to the final flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery, RMS students are reading about the Kennedy Space Center from former RMS IB student Rebecca Szarcowski, who explained in a note to students that taking the shuttle apart is actually more expensive than launching it.

 “This really helps kids relate to something larger than their own area,” Hildebrand says.  “It also lets kids from other cultures share what they know and gets students to explore and question when they see something they may have never seen before.” 

The postcard program has exceeded expectations, and responses are still arriving in the RMS mailroom.  In fact, Hildebrand and a team of volunteer parents will be working over the next month to fill more than 20 large display frames with postcards.  The displays will be placed around the school so students can get a close up look at all the postcards sent to them.

And you can add to the collection.  Whether you're traveling to Duluth or Dubai, send a postcard to the school.  Address it to a student you know or simply “RMS Student.”  Try to mention something in particular that intrigues you about the location or something that would interest a student who’s never been outside of the Twin Cities.

Postcards should be mailed to: 3730 Toledo Ave N, Robbinsdale, MN 55422.