A Planet-Sized Lesson: Our Visit to the TERRA Earth Exhibition
Sometimes learning happens in a way that textbooks simply can’t capture. This week, our students experienced one of those rare moments—one that wrapped science, wonder, culture, and connection all into one breathtaking view.
We took a visit to the TERRA Earth Exhibition, where a 24-foot illuminated globe hangs quietly in the cathedral nave, floating above you like a suspended breath. For a moment, everyone—students, teachers, families—found themselves looking up with the same sense of awe.
And that was exactly the point.
Where the Story Begins
The exhibition comes from a vision born decades ago. Founder Eric Morris was deeply moved by the photos Apollo astronauts captured of Earth—images that showed our home not through borders, politics, or distance, but as one stunning, delicate sphere. He wanted people to feel that same connection, and Orbis Globes grew from that dream. Using authentic satellite imagery from NASA and NOAA, they’ve spent more than 30 years helping people see Earth from an entirely new perspective.
Standing beneath this massive globe, it’s easy to understand why.
As soon as we stepped into the cathedral, the room became silent in that sacred, unspoken way that only wonder can create.
Some students whispered their observations.
Some pointed to countries they recognized.
Others just stared with wide eyes—trying to make sense of how big and yet how familiar the world felt.
This experience is often described as the “overview effect,” a shift in awareness astronauts feel when they see Earth from space. And on this day, our students got their own version of that moment.
At Amistad, we talk a lot about how learning is not just academic—it’s relational, cultural, joyful, and lived. This visit was all of those things.
It blended science with storytelling.
Geography with curiosity.
Community with connection.
Language with lived experience.
Our students practiced Spanish and English as they wondered aloud, asked questions, or shared memories of places their families come from. They made global connections naturally, the way children do—honestly and without hesitation.
These are the kinds of experiences that remind us why we take education beyond the classroom: because the world itself is one of the richest teachers.
Carrying the Moment Forward
When we returned to campus, the conversations kept going. Some students wanted to know how astronauts take pictures. Others wanted to find the countries they saw on the globe. Many simply said they wanted to go back.
And that desire—to see more, learn more, connect more—is exactly what we hope to spark.
We’re grateful to Orbis Globes, Revival Gatherings, NASA, NOAA, and Saint Mark's Cathedral for opening a space where our students could experience something so big, so beautiful, and so meaningful.
Moments like these remind us why we teach, why we care, and why we believe so strongly in raising globally minded, bilingual, compassionate students.
Because when children see the world differently, they begin to imagine how they can shape it.
The cathedral building is open to the public Monday–Friday, 12–5 P.M. throughout the exhibit.
You’re also invited to THE CIRCLE: Bridging Culture Through Song & Story, a special evening organized by the producers of the Terra Exhibit itself — Saturday, November 22, 5:45–11 P.M.