Pompeii, the Twin Towers, the Halifax Explosion, Hiroshima… what do all of these have in common? They are all historical disasters, both natural and orchestrated by man. What else do they have in common? They and others will all be entrants in the first annual Historical Disaster Fair organized by the new Jordan Lake Sudbury School (JLSS).

The idea for the Historical Disaster Fair came about when the students at Jordan Lake Sudbury School were discussing major disasters in world history. The discussion led to the idea of exploring the different disasters by organizing a fair, and inviting kids outside of the school to participate.

“We were talking about the Jonestown massacre in Guyana in 1978 where Reverend Jim Jones masterminded a ‘revolutionary suicide’ of over 900 people in the People’s Temple,” school director Lena Hurst says. “And they realized that they would learn more if they invited more people to participate.”

So the call went out to online homeschool groups in December, and within two weeks JLSS had over 20 entrants for the fair. JLSS student Kristen Bauer is organizing the fair, and is keeping a list of all the entries to prevent duplication. “We want to make sure that every entry is different, so we can see how many different disasters come in,” she explains. “We have at least 20 confirmed entries who have picked their disasters already, and another four to six who have yet to pick their topics.” Topics to date include the atomic bomb explosion in Hiroshima, the Tsumani of 2004, several recent earthquakes, 9/11, the volcano at Pompeii, the Halifax explosion of 1917, the Jonestown massacre, and more.

There is still time to sign up for the Historical Disaster Fair. Homeschooled students or public school students who are tracked out on Jan. 18 are welcome to participate. There is no entry fee. Anyone interested in participating or just dropping by to view the fair can contact the school by emailing info@jordanlakesudbury.org.

The disaster fair will take place on Jan. 18 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Connections Church at 1280 Buck Jones Road, where the Jordan Lake Sudbury School is currently renting space.

Jordan Lake Sudbury School (JLSS) is a participatory democracy for students from kindergarten through high school. Currently operating in Cary, this private school provides a vibrant community of mixed-age learners who initiate and pursue their own course of study in a way most appropriate for them.

Enrollment is open and students are accepted year-round.

For more information and information session dates, please visit www.jordanlakesudbury.org or call Sherri Bauer at (919) 349-1649.