The visit was part of the Embassy Adoption Program, a Washington initiative fostering cultural exchange between schools, diplomatic missions and international organizations
Fifth Graders Celebrate Pakistan’s Culture at Washington Embassy
By Elaine Pasquini
Washington: Students from Hyde-Addison Elementary School in Georgetown enjoyed a heartwarming welcome from Masood Khan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, and his staff at the Embassy of Pakistan on June 10, 2024. The visit was part of the Embassy Adoption Program, a Washington initiative fostering cultural exchange between schools, diplomatic missions, and international organizations.
During the visit led by School Supervisor Marie Connolly, the fifth graders showcased their knowledge of Pakistan through engaging presentations, highlighting the country’s geography, vibrant culture, delicious food, and rich sporting traditions.
In his engaging interaction with the group of 50 students, Ambassador Khan commended their insightful presentations. He also underscored the value of education in both Pakistan and the United States and emphasized the importance of critical thinking and setting long-term goals.
Championing the power of people-to-people connections in fostering understanding, Ambassador Khan encouraged the enthusiastic students to make the best use of modern communication technology to connect virtually with people across continents.
He encouraged the young elementary students to explore Pakistani culture through diverse avenues, including reading, watching documentaries, and personal interactions.
“If you want to know about nations, you need to read about them and you need to watch content about them,” he said. “Communication has been revolutionized after the Covid-19 pandemic and you can connect with anyone through your screens.”
The ambassador also noted Pakistan is investing heavily in the education sector and “the government’s top priority is to bring out-of-school children into mainstream education.”
The Embassy Adoption Program, a nearly 50-year partnership between the Washington Performing Arts and the District of Columbia public schools, annually connects thousands of fifth and sixth-grade students in schools in all DC wards with more than 50 embassies and other diplomatic entities including consular offices, government offices, representative offices, and others. The ambassador praised the program for being an excellent initiative to promote multicultural relation-building through a people-centric approach.
This year’s Embassy Adoption Program was also unique and special as for the first time a school from Pakistan participated virtually in this event. The students from Roots Millennium School’s Islamabad campus, one of the renowned school chains in Pakistan, held valuable interactions with their counterparts at Hyde-Addison Elementary School.
Special video messages from the CEO of The Millennium Education, Mr Faisal Mushtaq, and the Director of Programs, Ms Sabrina Zakir, were played during the ceremony conveying their heartfelt gratitude to Ambassador Khan for this initiative of connecting young students from both countries.
The well-behaved youngsters listened intently as Pakistani Press and Cultural Attaché Zaigham Abbas spoke about Pakistan’s history, geography, landscape, people, food, art, and music. Sports was a popular and timely topic, too, as the US co-hosted the 2024 T20 Cricket World Cup from June 1 through 29 this year.
As the event wrapped up, Ambassador Khan issued a special invitation for the students and faculty to attend the Mango Festival this summer at the Embassy of Pakistan as honored guests, underscoring the importance of people-centered diplomacy and the strong bond between the Embassy and Hyde-Addison Elementary School which fosters a spirit of friendship and cultural appreciation for generations to come.
Supervisor Marie Connolly thanked the ambassador for his generous hospitality and for providing them the opportunity to know Pakistan, its people, and its culture.
(Elaine Pasquini is a freelance journalist. Her reports appear in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and Nuze.Ink.)
