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Melt With You: Teach Kids Tolerance at These NYC Spots

by Michelle McIvor Cohen

New York has always been one of the most dynamic and diverse cities in the world. From language immersion preschools to parades that celebrate backgrounds of all kinds, there is no shortage of opportunities to teach tiny citizens about other countries and cultures. These days, it feels more important than ever to educate our future world leaders about respect and tolerance. Need some ideas on how to get started? Here are some of our favorite NYC spots that promote understanding and appreciation of different races, ethnicities and cultures.

Tenement Museum

While Ellis Island boasts artifacts, photographs and tales from millions of immigrants, the Tenement Museum takes a more narrow look at the stories of immigrant families who lived at 97 Orchard Street. This tenement apartment building on Manhattan’s Lower East Side was home to nearly 7000 working class immigrants. You can tour the building, visit restored apartments and businesses, talk to actors portraying families who lived there and take a themed walking tour of the Lower East Side. Be sure to go over some of the lesson plans on the Museum’s website before you go. The site also features a virtual tour of the 1863 tenement and a game that helps students learn about American History.

Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m; Thursdays until 8:30 p.m.

Admission: Prices vary depending on tour.

Tenement Museum
103 Orchard Street
Lower East Side
212-982-8420
Online: tenement.org

Photo: Tenement Museum’s Facebook Page

 

What’s your favorite NYC spot to help kids learn about other cultures? 

–Michelle McIvor Cohen

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