Creatif

In the summer of 2009, fifteen elementary, middle, and high school educators from across Michigan participated in a five-week exploration of contemporary society, education, and culture in Nepal as part of a Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad hosted by the Michigan State University Asian Studies Center. The group was extremely diverse: teachers came from urban schools and rural districts, highly populated metropolitan areas such as Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, and Flint, and smaller towns including Armada, Mason, Manistique, Grand Marais, and Traverse City. The purpose of this program was to give teachers the opportunity to observe a Nepal’s changing civil society and education landscape first-hand.

The 2009 Fulbright participants were able to observe a unique moment in Nepal’s history. Transformed by a complete change in government, Nepal, which was the last remaining Hindu kingdom, became the world’s newest republic in November 2008. The new democratic government, still in power today, faces many challenges; chief amongst these is the education of Nepal’s citizenry. How will the children of Nepal be educated? How will their history be framed, and the new lessons of republican citizenship and human rights be incorporated into the curriculum? How will Nepal combat tough issues such as economic hardship, environmental conservation, resource allocation and management, and cultural prejudices and predilections in the schools?                 

This program allowed educators from Michigan’s diverse school districts the opportunity to experience and observe first-hand the major cultural and governmental transition in Nepal. Through active partnerships with individual elementary, junior high and high schools in Pokhara, an intensive two week homestay program, a daily seminar regimen, weekly evaluation and reflection sessions, and afternoon and weekend field trips, project participants were able to gather immediate and intimate knowledge of Nepalese contemporary culture and society. Returning to United States, the participants will help strengthen diversity awareness and cultural competencies as program participants deploy what they have learned in their schools in Michigan.

The objectives for this Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad were:

• To provide Michigan educators opportunities to engage in the cultural and educational systems of Nepal

• To experientially connect Michigan educators to teachers in Nepal through a two-week teaching partnership experience

• To observe and experience through seminars, homestays, and hands-on learning how the transition from monarchy to republic is changing the cultural, educational, and societal values for the people of Nepal

• To develop a comprehensive study guide and acquire multimedia educational materials to integrate international and cross-cultural studies into curricula in Michigan and beyond

• To provide educators who serve students from Michigan’s underserved and minority populations the opportunity to learn about a nation and culture in transition, through the free, four-week overseas experience program, thus enhancing the participant’s teaching and curriculum within these schools

 
As a part of the requirements for their participation, each teacher created a travel journal and two lesson modules for their subject and grade. All of these lesson materials are available on this website for use by any educator free of charge. For more information about the Nepal Group Projects Abroad program hosted by the MSU Asian Studies Center, please contact:

Education Resources & Outreach
Asian Studies Center
301 International Center
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1035
Phone: (517) 353-1680
Email: asiansc@msu.edu
Website: www.asianstudies.msu.edu

This project would not be possible without the assistance of the following sponsors and international partners:

Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education (Washington D.C.)
International Studies & Programs, Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI)
Michigan State Extension Offices
Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency (Wayne, Michigan)
Kathmandu University (Kathmandu, Nepal)
Tribhuvan University (Pokhara, Nepal)
Ministry of Education & Sports, Nepal National Government (Kathmandu, Nepal)
Private & Boarding Schools Association (Kaski District, Nepal)
Fulbright Nepal Office (Kathmandu, Nepal)