World House installation visits Hopkins

A unique installation and learning opportunity can be explored on the Hopkins campus this week. Along with several students and student groups, faculty members Susan Bennitt and Alissa Davis have brought The New Haven/Leon Sister City Project’s World House to Hopkins. The World House is a modular, 10x10 ft. replica of a typical Nicaraguan shanty house with a simple wood frame, clad in corrugated tin. The structure can be found between Thompson Hall and Pratt Field and will be available to visit through Friday, April 29.

This cross-cultural experience aims to serve service, global, environmental and cross-curricular initiatives. Faculty are encouraged to bring classes to the structure for a class period, and all members of the community are encouraged to visit and reflect within and about the space during any free time.

The organizers hope the installation will provide an experiential immersion and interactive learning environment that can be tied into curricular goals. By engaging with the World House, students have the opportunity to build empathy and to make cultural comparisons between their own home life and that of a typical Nicaraguan family. 

The exterior of the World House features signage and information to prompt discussion for visitors. To learn more about the New Haven/Leon Sister City Project, click here, or consider donating to their EcoStove project by clicking here.