Fifth Graders Enjoy Visit from Changemaker Matthew Knowlton ’17

Fifth graders were paid a visit by former Peace Corps volunteer Matthew Knowlton ’17, who recently concluded two years serving as a Rural Education and Development Volunteer in Zambia. Matthew’s primary work was teaching English to students in Grades 5, 6, and 8, while also helping to manage after school programs. He worked in the village of Chilubanama, about an hour outside of Nasama in Northern province. Matthew was also instrumental in helping to construct a first-ever library in the village. He was also happy to reunite with his MFS third grade teacher Sarah Rotter, now a fifth grade teacher.

Matthew provided an interactive session for students, showing photos, along with traditional Zambian garb and other items. He described to students the daunting task of teaching English to large numbers of students and how he often used games to provide lessons – taking students through a fun team game of Singular/Plural Tic Tac Toe. 

While there are countless languages spoken in Zambia, English is still the primary language if Zambians want to work in government or business.

The Changemakers course in Fifth Grade functions as an extension of Fifth Grade History, extending skills and concepts from coursework on ancient civilizations to the study of contemporary historical figures – those who are making change in society today. Students learn about the complexity of analyzing contemporary figures, developing their skills to evaluate modern source material, and gather important lessons from current events. 

Matthew now hopes to find a position related to the alleviation of international poverty. “Living in abject poverty for two years was eye-opening,” he said. “MFS instilled in me the desire to raise up people and their voices around me. The community and values we espoused were a great starting point for me, helping me realize I can have a personal mission and live through my actions.”