School geography project nets hundreds of postcards

COLUMBUS - What started as a geography project to teach middle schoolers about foreign countries has turned into a wall of 800 postcards with messages of friendship from around the world. <br> <br> A geography teacher from Blackmon Road Middle School in Columbus, Lisa Cowart, asked her students to find postcards from other countries. The students responded by sending letters to the editor in foreign newspapers, dozens of which were printed. <br> <br> So far, students have collected more than 800 postcards from 35 countries, filling a 32-foot long wall outside Cowart&#39;s classroom. <br> <br> Twelve-year-old Courtney deOliviera&#39;s grandfather sent about 15 postcards from Brazil. <br> <br> She said, ``I didn&#39;t think we&#39;d get this much. I guess it shows people really want to help.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The students would place a star on the classroom map for each city or country from which a postcard arrived. Then they sent postcards back to the ones that included return addresses. <br> <br> Some correspondents became pen pals, writing several times during the school year and sending more than just postcards. Letters, travel brochures, calendars and books also came from foreign lands. <br> <br> One place was so foreign, it stumped the teacher. A postcard from ``Mumbai&#39;&#39; puzzled the class until Cowart found out it&#39;s what the people of India call their city of Bombay.