# U.S. Department of Education

# Office of Postsecondary Education

# International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE) Office

# Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program

# CFDA 84.021A

# GPA Short-Term Grant Awards Listand Project Abstracts

# Fiscal Year 2015

# Group Projects Abroad Program

# FY 2015 Grant Awards List

# American Councils for International Education

## Summer Russian Language Teachers Program

### Project Director: Dr. Dan E. Davidson, President, American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS, 1828 L Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036; Tel: 202-833-7522

**Abstract:**Ongoing developments in Russia and Ukraine underscore the essential need for the U.S. education system to train proficient speakers of Russian in order to ensure our national capacity to effectively engage with the vital, complex region of Eurasia. A demonstrated leader in the design and administration of international academic exchanges and overseas cultural immersion programs, American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS (American Councils) is pleased to submit this proposal to the U.S. Department of Education for Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad, Short-Term Projects funding for the Summer Russian Language Teachers Program (FH-SLT) for FY 2015. Designed to strengthen the teaching of Russian at K-12 and post-secondary institutions throughout the U.S., FH-SLT will support 12 fellows for a six-week program at the Russian State Pedagogical University (RSPU), Russia’s most renowned institution for the training of teachers since its creation in 1797. The program will feature:

· 80 hours of intensive language instruction to strengthen participants’ speaking, reading, and comprehension skills.

· A specially designed course to guide fellows in the design and development of comprehensive teaching portfolios comprising lesson plans, assignments, and activities based on authentic materials that will be introduced into their classrooms on their return to the U.S. Portfolios will be reviewed by a Program Review Committee led by Dr. Dan E. Davidson, President of American Councils and Professor of Russian and Second Language Acquisition at Bryn Mawr College.

· A series of seminars exploring Russian society, religion, music, and literature in order to provide participants new insights into the country’s past and present. FH-SLT fellows will also be encouraged to develop virtual discussion sessions linking their U.S. classroom with comparable Russian classrooms upon their return to the U.S. to study these topics.

· Weekly excursions and an extended four-day trip to maximize participants’ exposure to key historical sights and provide additional opportunities to gather authentic teaching materials.

· Housing with specially selected and closely monitored Russian host families, as well as weekly meetings with Russian peer tutors to maximize linguistic and cultural immersion.

· Ongoing logistical support and emergency aid from an expert, full-time resident director. American Councils will conduct a national outreach campaign to encourage K-12 and postsecondary instructors across the United States to apply. An external selection committee, with at least one K-12 Russian language teacher will select fellows. Participants will take part in a pre-departure orientation in Washington, D.C., and complete pre- and post-program surveys and Language Utilization Reports (LURs) on program to measure gains in language and cultural knowledge. American Councils has administered high-impact study abroad programs focused on linguistic and cultural learning for U.S. undergraduates, graduate students, scholars, and teachers since 1976. More than 6,000 U.S. participants have joined its programs in Africa, Central Asia, China, India, the Middle East, Russia, and the South Caucasus. Since its inception, American Councils (originally the American Council of Teachers of Russian) has played a leading role in the support of Russian language studies in K-12 and post-secondary institutions. The FH-SLT Program fulfills the competitive preference priorities by taking place in Eurasia, providing training in a priority language (Russian), and including K-12 educators.

# Ashland University

## Accessing Carioca Culture through the Lens of Disability

### Project Director: Dr. Carla Abreu-Ellis, Ph.D., Dwight Schar College of Education, Department of Inclusive Services and Exceptional Learners, 401 College Ave, COE 258, Ashland, OH 44805; Tel: 419-902-7038; E-mail: cellis1@ashland.edu

**Participants:**Fifteen participants, seven public school K-12 Humanities and Social Science teachers, two public school K-12 special education coordinators/curriculum coordinators, and six pre-service undergraduate education majors in the areas of Humanities and Social Science. Undergraduate pre-service teachers must have achieved Junior or Senior credit status to participate in this project.

**Abstract:**This project, entitled ***Accessing Carioca Culture through the Lens of Disability,***builds on the platform of area studies to: 

1.) study accessibility and inclusion in******Rio de Janeiro, a city hosting two world events (2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer******Olympic/Paralympic Games); 

2.) learn the *Carioca*(person born and raised in the city of Rio de******Janeiro, Brazil) perspective on disability; and 

3.) develop programs to implement enhanced******accessibility and cultural awareness in U.S. classrooms and curricula. 

Combined, these******experiences will: 

1.) enhance opportunities and promote the integration of international studies******in K-12 humanities and social science classrooms; 

2.) increase fluency of a less commonly******taught language (Portuguese); and

3.) create a greater understanding of accessibility and inclusion, and how adaptations and modifications have occurred in preparation for international events.

The resources of the city of Rio de Janeiro provide a singular focal point to study this aspect of area studies and gain valuable knowledge from the process. Since these high profile events demand equitable access for all, the implications to transportation, architecture, education, sports, tourism, and leisure all come into the spotlight of disability. Participants will gain a greater understanding of access and disability by determining how these processes compare to adaptability in education in the U.S.A. Participants will promote integration of these concepts in their own classrooms and beyond, by sharing their experiences and area studies results through university-wide and district-level dissemination activities.

This program satisfies the absolute priority, because it will take place in South America. The intended program meets Competitive Preference Priority II: Substantive Training and Thematic Focus on Priority Languages, since over 15 hours of language-based activities will occur per week in the overseas phase of the project beyond the requirement that participants take six credit hours of Portuguese at Ashland University prior to participating in the program. This program also meets Competitive Preference Priority III: Inclusion of K-12 Educators in that the participant demographic for recruitment will be seven K-12 educators, two special education coordinators/curriculum coordinators, and six current undergraduate juniors or seniors enrolled in the pre-service teaching program at Ashland University. Invitational Priority (1): Ashland University meets the invitational priority of a new applicant as defined in the Federal Register notice.

# Hobart and William Smith Colleges

## Siberian Culture in the Golden Altai

### Project Director: Kristen Welsh, Associate Professor of Russian Area Studies, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, 300 Pulteney St., Geneva, NY 14456, Tel: 315-781-3864, E-mail: welsh@hws.edu

**Participants:**(1) Project Director, Ph.D.(7) in-service K-12 teachers with Master’s or Bachelor’s degrees(7) undergraduate students, junior standing or higher preferred

**Abstract:**Hobart & William Smith Colleges (HWS), in conjunction with the Altai State Pedagogical Academy (ASPA), propose a five-week seminar for fifteen participants in the Altai region of south-central Russia. Based in the city of Barnaul, this seminar will foster interdisciplinary learning and teaching in Russian area studies by immersing participants in the language, culture, and contemporary issues of Siberia. Participants will complete language training appropriate to their level, and coursework in English on Altai culture. We will seek participants from two groups: college students in their junior year or later who are studying Russian, and K-12 teachers in upstate New York who can apply the experience to their current or future curricula.

Siberia and the Russian Far East constitute some 75 percent of Russian territory and contain the majority of the country’s natural resources. It is an area relatively little studied and little traveled to by academics in the United States. Bordering China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan, this part of Russia is will play a significant role in geopolitics and international relations as the economic and political power of China grows and the countries of East Asia increase their cooperation.

By examining South-Central Siberia, seminar participants will see firsthand the breadth of Russia, and will gain a sense of its complexities in terms of culture, ethnicity, and physical environment. A multifaceted understanding of Russia is critical if participants are to interact with the country and its people on a professional basis after leaving college or in their existing teaching careers. Our approach is interdisciplinary: we will draw from all relevant topics in order to best grasp the changes which made Siberian Russia what it is today, and the influences that will change it in the future.

This seminar complements the Colleges’ missions and that of Fulbright-Hays, combining Russian area studies, cultural studies, and language-training components into an academic program, and by allowing participants to interact with Russian peers and participate in service learning projects. It will provide exposure to Siberia for Americans who will end up working in education, business, and the government, as well as for teachers who will shape the next generation of foreign language learners. It will introduce students and teachers to an area critical to contemporary problems of development and multicultural heritage, and will lay the groundwork for further interdisciplinary work and collaboration between Russian and U.S. faculty.

This proposal addresses Competitive Preference Priorities II and III of the 2015 competition.

# Middlesex Community College

## Cambodia’s Cultural Heritage in the Modern World

### Project Director: Dona Cady, Dean of Global Education, Middlesex Community College, 33 Kearney Square, Lowell, MA 01852, Tel: 781-280-3678, E-mail: cadyd@middlesex.mass.edu

**Participants**:  six Middlesex Community College faculty and six middle and high school teachers from the Lowell Public Schools

**Competitive Preference Priority 1 & 3:**Specific geographic regions of the world (Cambodia) and Inclusion of K-12 teachers. **Invitational Priority:**MCC is an accredited public community college.

**Abstract:**Middlesex Community College (MCC) is proposing a Fulbright-Hays Group Study Abroad (GPA) project for the purpose of deepening and expanding connections between Cambodian arts and cultural traditions with curricula at MCC and the Lowell Public Schools (LPS). This project, ***Cambodia’s Cultural Heritage in the Modern World,***will also foster an appreciation of Cambodian classical and folk art forms among the general Lowell community and support strategies for sustaining these traditions in the local region.

The overall goals of this project are:

1.) To provide youth with a strong sense to their cultural legacy by increasing their appreciation of Cambodia’s cultural arts heritage through new curricula and educational activities as well as 

2.) to help sustain the unique artistic culture of Cambodia in the United States by developing the assets of the Lowell community through cultural and educational activities. 

The specific objectives to accomplish the goals of the project are:

1.) Increase by 12 the number of MCC and LPS faculty who can integrate content related to the arts and culture of Cambodia into their classes through research, travel/study, and curriculum development; 

2.) Infuse a minimum of 25 courses at the elementary, secondary, and college levels with content reflecting the arts, culture and historic context of these Cambodia traditional art forms incorporating current Cambodian scholarship and resources researched in Cambodia and the United States; 

3.) Increase faculty knowledge of the comparative connections between Cambodians in Cambodia and Cambodians in America based on access to their cultural heritage; 

4.) Increase faculty expertise in designing culturally sensitive educational activities and teaching strategies that contribute to fostering positive self-imagery in students; 

5.) Integrate Cambodian traditional and classic art instruction into the recently developed Fine Arts Pathway at Lowell High School, strengthen its articulation to MCC and potential the connection of this pathway to RUFA and/or AUPP courses by engaging 10 faculty from IHEs in pathway development; and 

6.) Develop strategies for sustaining the artistic and cultural traditions of Cambodia within the contemporary context in Lowell by increasing access to MCC microenterprise and entrepreneurial coursework to members of the Cambodian arts community.

Middlesex Community College is one of the largest of the 15 public community colleges in Massachusetts with a total credit enrollment of nearly 10,000 students in Fall 2014. Over 2600 of these students are from Lowell that has the second largest Cambodia diaspora in the United States, numbering nearly 20 percent of the city’s population of 107,0001. This project will build on a strong foundation of previous work with institutions in Cambodia as well as notable local initiatives, in collaboration with members of the Lowell area Cambodian community, aimed at preserving the cultural heritage and arts of Cambodia.

# Morgan State University

## Islam in sub-Saharan Africa: Religion, Culture and Society in Senegambia

### Project Director: Mbare Ngom, Ph. D., Director, African Studies Program, Morgan State University, 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, Maryland 21251, Tel: 443-885-2091, Fax: 443-885-8228, E-mail: mbare.ngom@morgan.edu

**Participants:**15, including the Project Director, (two faculty from Morgan State University and 10 K-12 school teachers and administrators from different school systems/districts in Maryland, two graduate students from Maryland universities.

**Abstract:**Through this grant application, Morgan State University seeks the support of the U.S. Department of Education to take a group of 14 educators on a five-week intensive immersion professional and curriculum development program to Senegal and The Gambia. The goal of the program is to study issues related to Islam, its history and culture in Africa, as well as its relation with society, and to improve participants’ proficiency in French language and African francophone culture. They also will learn elementary Wolof. This study abroad project will help participants study, learn, design and implement effective ways of teaching the history of Islam, its interpretation and practices in Senegal and The Gambia and in West Africa*,*and Africa in general, at Morgan State University and in Maryland area public school districts/systems. It would also provide participants with an opportunity to study and learn about Islam and to learn about the interaction and intersection between Islam, Muslim culture, African traditions, and republican institutions through rigorous lectures, seminars, roundtables, and guided visits of culturally and historically relevant sites. In order to reach our goals, we will bring together Senegambian experts from a wide range of disciplines, professions, including civil society organizations, religious leaders and groups, as well as government officials and agencies, to give participants a thorough insight into the history of Islam, Muslim culture, and its relation with African traditions in21st century Senegal and The Gambia. The objectives of this Group Projects Abroad are to help participants:

· acquire knowledge about the history and geography of West Africa and Africa, and its interrelationships with the rest of the world, and more specifically with the United States;

· learn and significantly improve their language and communicative skills in French and Wolof through experiential learning situations, and to engage in service-learning activities while developing an appreciation and awareness of Senegambia as a multicultural society, and acquire an understanding of the environments and experiences of Senegambian peoples;

· learn about Islam and its history in this sub-region of Africa, as well as its interaction with the political, social, cultural, and economic structures of the countries located in the Senegambia region throughout history; and

· acquire the knowledge, levels of competency, and equip them with the tools that will enable them to design and develop new curriculum materials on Africa and Islam in Africa, and/or significantly enhance existing courses.

# Ohio University

## Incorporating cross-cultural contents in k-12 curriculum through a short-term seminar in Thailand

### Project Director: Dr. Emmanuel Jean Francois, Assistant Professor, Educational Studies, 1 Ohio University, McCracken Hall 321C, Athens, OH 45701, Tel: 740-593-4731, E-mail: jeanfran@ohio.edu

**Abstract:**The proposed project is designed for a cohort of 14 participants, including at least seven pre-service teachers and seven in-service teachers working in or with Ohio School Districts. The participants are a mix of Master’s and Ph.D. level students. The proposed project aims to promote and facilitate the incorporation of cross-cultural contents and instructional strategies into the curricula and teaching practices in K-12 schools in the State of Ohio, through a short-term seminar in Thailand, in order to further the purpose of the Fulbright Hays Group Projects Abroad Program (GPA). Thailand is selected because of the growing number of students from Southeast Asian countries attending Ohio K-12 schools, which contribute to the increasing diversity of Ohio school districts. The project includes three major phases: 

Phase 1) A 30-hour pre-travel orientation (*Introduction to Culture in Context*); 

Phase 2) A six-week sojourn in Thailand: 

a. *Cross-cultural Contents in K-12 Education: The Thailand Context,*and 

b. *Cross-cultural Teaching Practicum and Community Service Learning*; and 

Phase 3) A 30-hour post-travel workshop (*Seminar on Transcultural Competence: The Thailand Context*).

The total budget for the project is $147,081.  We are requesting $106,114. The remaining $40,967 is provided by Ohio University as matching funds.

# Savannah State University

## Twi & Akan: Language and culture immersion program for Teachers

**Abstract:**It is with great pleasure that Savannah State University (SSU) seeks funding for a Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad (GPA) (CFDA 84.021A Project Type 2). The short-term Ghana Group Project Abroad (GGPA) spans four weeks, and is led by Savannah State University’s International Education Center. The project aims to improve modern foreign language and social studies curriculum, course offerings, and performance. Bridging students from K-12 to the university, the project includes participants from the Chatham County K-12 Public School System, as well as Savannah State University.

GGPA responds to the gap in student programming that exposes the historically significant relationship between Savannah, Georgia, and the West Coast of Africa, in particular Ghana. A major port city in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, and the predominance of African American students in Chatham County Public Schools and Savannah State University, justifies the development of a foreign language and social studies curriculum steeped in the history, culture, people, geography, and language of at least one African geographical region. Focused on Ghana, the project intends to expose the participants to the Twi language and culture of the Akan people who have dominated Ghana from the pre-colonial period to present. Consistent with the mission of the Fulbright-Hays Group Abroad project, the objectives of the GGPA include: Develop curriculums aimed to enhance student knowledge and performance in social studies; Provide the 13-member group with basic knowledge of the Twi language; Twi language immersion opportunities for students through study abroad, exchange programs, and summer camp programs; Increase student knowledge of the historically significant relationship between Savannah and Ghana;  Project Dissemination.

The project’s objectives address GPA’s competitive preference priority 1 as it relates to Ghana, the competitive preference priority 2 that deals with the Twi language, and the competitive preference priority 3 that pertains to the inclusion of K-12 Educators and the Invitational Priority since Savannah State University is a Minority-Serving Institution.

# Universidad del Turabo

## Turabo’s Interdisciplinary Approach to Understanding Rio de Janeiro (TIAUR)

**Abstract:**Universidad del Turabo (UT), of the Ana G. Méndez University System Inc., is a private, not for profit, Hispanic serving institution of higher education. It is requesting funding for a U.S. Department of Education Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad (GPA) to conduct a short-term seminar project titled: ***Turabo’s Interdisciplinary Approach to Understanding Rio de Janeiro (TIAUR)***. Congruent with the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad’s purpose and desired******outcomes, the TIAUR project aims to provide participants with interdisciplinary learning experiences in Portuguese language, area studies, social sciences and the humanities while studying the community, society and culture of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The proposed project will be held for four weeks in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from July 2-29, 2016. While in Brazil, participants will engage in 40 hours of Portuguese language instruction, 30 hours of workshops in area studies, humanities and social sciences, 73 hours of historical, cultural, and institutional visits, and 20-40 hours of interviewing Brazilians from all socio-economic levels. This project is fully supported by the Universidad del Turabo, the Educational Region of Caguas of the Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDE) and the host institution in Brazil, the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janiero (PUC-Rio, as it is known by its Portuguese acronym). The proposed TIAUR project will include twelve participants and one project director. The twelve participants will consist of five university professors and/or administrators in the areas of Modern Languages, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education; and, seven school teachers and/or administrators from middle schools and high schools in the areas Modern Languages, Social Sciences, and Humanities.

The major goals of the TIAUR are: 

1.) Increase participants’ language proficiency in Brazilian Portuguese; 

2.) Develop and increase knowledge of the culture and communities in Rio de Janeiro; 

3.) Analyze racial, gender and socioeconomic differences in the city; 

4.) Examine the economic and social impact of Rio’s gentrification due to the 2014 FIFA World Cup and upcoming 2016 Olympic Games; 

5.) Explore future cultural and educational exchanges opportunities; 

6.) Participate in experiential and service learning activities; 

7.) Produce curriculum and online learning modules and teaching resources in Portuguese, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the middle school, high school, and higher education levels and; 

8.) Produce an educational documentary of the experience and life in Rio. 

All culminating projects will be completed in English and Spanish and will be disseminated through the university library, the project blog, which will have dropbox deposits, project Facebook page, and an open source learning management platform. The educational documentary will be uploaded to YouTube for the general public use and burned onto a CD/DVD and will have Spanish and English subtitles.

This project is eligible for Competitive Preference 2: Substantive Training and Thematic Focus on Priority Languages, as it will involve an interdisciplinary approach of Brazilian Portuguese, Humanities, Social Sciences and Area Studies of Rio de Janiero. It also is eligible for Competitive Preference 3: Inclusion of K-12 educators, as 58 percent of the participants will be faculty and/or administrators from public schools from the Educational region of Caguas. UT meets, in addition, the requirements for the Invitational Priorities of Minority-Serving Institution and New Applicant, as UT is a Hispanic serving institution which has never been awarded a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program.

# Towson University

## Understanding Diversity of China: Empowering American Public School Teachers to Transform Social Studies Curriculum in Secondary Classrooms

**Abstract:**The project will develop American secondary educators’ intercultural competence and enhance social studies curriculum and instruction on China in public schools. We will build upon the success of Towson University’s previous programs to enhance participants’ knowledge of a Chinese-speaking world that includes Taiwan and Hong Kong. In particular, it will look at the cultural, linguistic, and economic world of southeast China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan—a region sometimes called Maritime China. We will give attention to a part of the region’s history that has not been adequately addressed in the social studies curriculum in America. Knowledge gained from the exploration of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan will expand the existing database of teaching materials. This program will also increase cultural sensitivity and discussions and materials on the Chinese diaspora in order to improve teachers’ understanding of an increasingly diverse student body in the United States.

The proposed China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan experience will focus on the following five themes: 

1.) people, culture and religion; 

2.) history; 

3.) economic reform and its impact; 

4.) educational systems; and 

5.) Sino-American relations. 

The trip will combine traditional academic studies with hands-on experiences. The project will consist of three phases. The pre-departure activities are conducted through online learning modules to provide the teacher participants with common background knowledge and cross-cultural understanding. Following the preparation is a five-week travel study in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan featuring a combination of seminars, language lessons, work sessions, school and museum visits, as well as cultural excursions to sites designed to help participants understand the diversity and complexity of China. The experience in the first two phases will be channeled to developing curriculum units that will be incorporated into area studies secondary school curriculum in phase three. The final products accompanied by suggested teaching materials, resources and strategies will be available on a website for all educators to access.

# University of Arizona Center for Middle Eastern Studies

## Oman and Zanzibar: Cultures and Connections across the Indian Ocean – University of Arizona CMES

### Project Director: Dr. Lisa Adeli (University of Arizona), E-mail: adeli@email.arizona.edu Scholar/Escort: Dr. Scott Reese (Northern Arizona University), E-mail: scott.reese@nau.edu

**Abstract:**The University of Arizona (UA) Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) is proposing a 28-day curriculum development project “Oman and Zanzibar: Cultures and Connections across the Indian Ocean.” Two university trip leaders and twelve K-12 educators will participate in a study tour that moves beyond the narrow compartmentalization of African and Arab studies in order to explore the historical, religious, cultural, and linguistic linkages between Oman and Zanzibar as well as the unique aspects of each place. The project will address Competitive Preference Priority #1 (an important focus on Zanzibar, East Africa, and on the Swahili language), Priority #2 (substantive language/linguistics training in Arabic and Swahili), and Priority #3 (an absolute focus on elementary and secondary educators).

The program is designed to be academic, experiential, and practical. Under the guidance of Scholar-Escort Dr. Scott Reese, Professor of History at Northern Arizona University, participants will learn about the historical connections and divergences between Oman and Zanzibar. Local experts in both Oman and Zanzibar will give perspectives on music, culture, nomadic life, and other topics, while established language programs in both countries will give teachers a grounding in the Arabic and Swahili languages as well as an understanding, through the lens of comparative/contact linguistics, of their interrelationship. The Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center, the Center for International Learning, and world-renowned Zanzibari scholar Abdul Sheriff will contribute importantly to the academic programs. Travel, visits to museum and cultural sites, and interaction with local people will give educators experiences and insights that they can bring back to the classroom – along with photos and cultural artifacts purchased as part of the project. To assist teachers in translating these varied experiences into practical curriculum projects, Project Director Dr. Lisa Adeli, UA CMES Director of Educational Outreach and a certified secondary teacher, will guide teachers in developing their individual curriculum projects and coordinate the development of at least two language/linguistics instructional modules.

After the formal conclusion of the project, CMES will provide support for the teachers by helping them disseminate their work, encouraging/assisting them in presenting at educators’ conferences, and facilitating collaborative projects with teachers overseas. “Oman and Zanzibar: Cultures and Connections across the Indian Ocean” thus promises to be a productive, rewarding, multidisciplinary experience for its participants, challenging them to consider the importance of cross-regional contacts in world history.  The curricular materials and presentations that result will integrate area studies, cross regional studies, and comparative linguistics into many segments of the K-12 core curriculum. Dissemination of these materials by CMES will ensure that the program has an important national impact.

# The Regents of the University of California, IEAS, University of California, Berkeley

## Project Abstract: China – Landscape and Perspective

### Project Director: Dr. Kevin O’Brien, Director, Institute of East Asian Studies, The Regents of the University of California, IEAS, University of California, Berkeley, 1995 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94704, E-mail: kobrien@berkeley.edu

**Participants:** 16 K-12 educators (Area Studies)

**Abstract:**The success of students in the United States depends on their ability to access and use tools for living and working in an increasingly globalized environment, including the ability to interact knowledgeably with China. These tools include language and culture training as well as the ability to understand the historical, economic, and cultural connections that the United States has had, and continues to have, with China and other parts of the world. Teachers in all subject areas need direct experience with China to deepen their knowledge base and enable them to meaningfully incorporate diverse world perspectives into their lesson plans.

Under the unifying theme of landscape and perspective, “landscape | viewing,” represented in Chinese by the same two characters written in reverse order (景观| 观景), the Summer Institute will explore the tangible and intangible landscapes of China across timelines. The proposed framework will allow for a multiplicity of viewpoints, multidisciplinary engagement, and a focus on China’s transnational relations, especially with respect to California and the United States.

This project was developed by the Institute of East Asian Studies at UC Berkeley in partnership with, the UCLA Confucius Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China and San Mateo County Office of Education. The main activities consist of:  1) pre-departure orientation, followed by; 2) four weeks field study in China. Afterwards teachers will engage in:  3) further lesson plan development; and 4) classroom teaching of developed lesson plans and demonstrations/presentations to other teachers. In August 2016 teachers will help to lead education panels in a special workshop designed to coincide with the Getty exhibit of replicacaves of Dunhuang and artifacts from Cave 17.

The four week field study in China is hosted by Shanghai Jiao Tong University and begins there with lectures from Chinese faculty that mirror the topics covered in the pre-travel orientation.  Other cities include Suzhou, the garden city whose gardens served as the model for the Huntington Gardens; Xi’an, the ancient capital city and eastern terminus of the Silk Road, where a thriving global economy existed over 1000 years ago; Dunhuang where restoration efforts of the Mogao Caves are on-going; Beijing, the current capital city, where the teachers will hear lectures on policy to address issues in a modern China that is juxtaposed with historical reminders of its dynastic past. Participants will meet in teacher learning communities to collaborate and share ideas during the lesson planning process.

This program will address competitive priorities II and III. Mandarin language lessons will be given during Pre-Departure and Travel portions and only K-12 teachers will participate.

# University of Central Florida

## Culture, History, And Traditions Of The Czech Republic: A Summer Institute For Social Science Teachers

### Project Director: Dr. Scott Waring, Associate Professor, University of Central Florida, 4000 Central Florida Boulevard, ED 206 J, Orlando, Florida 32816, Tel: 407-823-1766, E-mail: swaring@ucf.edu

**Participants:**12, Undergraduate students at a level of junior or higher; graduate students; K-12 teachers and administrators

**Abstract:**The University of Central Florida is proposing a four-week Short-Term Seminar to the Czech Republic designed to provide professional development training in curriculum development, Czech and Eastern European content knowledge, and globalization in the K-12 classroom. The program will provide pre-departure workshops and training, an overseas experience in the Czech Republic, and post-departure workshops and sessions for 12 participants. All participants of the Czech Republic GPA will be K-12 teachers and administrators, as well as graduate students or juniors or seniors attending the University of Central Florida.

During the pre-departure phase of the GPA, participants will complete a series of learning modules designed to prepare them for the overseas experiences in the Czech Republic. The modules include an introduction to Czech history, people, language, culture, politics, religion, and the school system. Time will also be spent on cross-cultural communication and curriculum design. In July of 2016, the participants will travel to the Czech Republic to visit the two largest cities, Prague and Brno, as well as other cities and villages located in close proximately to these urban centers. The overseas phase of the GPA will provide lectures from experts in Czech history, politics, culture, education, and the arts. Lectures will be provided by college faculty members from Charles University and Masaryk University, as well as guest speakers from the Institute for Totalitarian Regimes, various museums, and the Fulbright Office in Prague. While in Prague, the proposed itinerary includes several visits to Charles University for lectures, as well as visits to Josefov (Jewish Quarter during the Holocaust), the National Library, Prague Castle,Vyšehrad, the Museum of Communism, Prague City Museum, Karlštejn Castle, Terezín concentration camp, and Kutná Hora. In Brno, the participants will visit Masaryk University for several lectures; visit the Morvavian Museum, Kyjov, and Velehrad Castle. While in Brno participants will take day trips to visit schools to interact with students and teachers. Additional destinations include Český Krumlov, České Budějovice, and Tábor. After returning from the Czech Republic, participants will develop a Unit Plan to use in their classroom to teach about Czech content, while using the strategies learned and materials collected during all phases of the experience. Teachers will be asked to share their unit plans and to teach what they learned to other instructors in their schools, their school district, and beyond.

# The University of Detroit Mercy

## African Contributions and Contemporary Issues in Northeast Brazil: A Curriculum Development Project Integrating Social Sciences and the Arts

### Project Director:  Lara Wasner, Director of Language & Cultural Studies, 4001 W. McNichols, Detroit, MI 48221, Tel: 313-993-1191, E-mail: wasnerle@udmercy.edu

**Participants:**13 total: one Project Director; one Curriculum Director, 11 participants

**Educational Levels:**up to four additional UDM faculty; six-seven K-12 educators.

**Preferences Met:**Specific World Regions**:**Brazil is covered under Western Hemisphere/South America****Priority Languages**:**Portuguese is on the list of priority languages, and this program includes language instruction both prior to and during the GPA.****K-12 Teachers**:**K-12 educators will comprised of over 50 percent of participants in the proposed GPA.****Invitational priority of being a new applicant.

**Abstract:**One cannot talk about Brazil without acknowledging the African influence in the Northeast cities of Salvador, Bahia, and São Luis, Maranhão. Yet, tensions exist between regional racial pride and social inequality throughout Brazil. Many in the United States have no knowledge that Brazil is a cultural mélange of persons of African descent, whose practices and traditions have been preserved.

The overarching goal of this GPA is to provide a four-week collaborative learning experience in Brazil that gives participants multiple perspectives of the African-American experience through scholarly research and dialogue in Northeast Brazil so as to inform learning, build and enhance resources and internationalize curricula in meaningful and measurable ways.

To achieve this goal, participants will investigate African identity and contemporary issues in Northeast Brazil, recognizing the interdependence of cultures through the arts, cultural practices, and visits to educational and social institutions.

They will gain linguistic and intercultural competencies aligned with *ACTFL’s 2013 World Readiness Standards for Learning Languages*in authentic contexts. They will engage in collaborative activities, develop thematic projects that are meaningful, measurable, can be integrated at many levels and shared widely. Participants will internationalize and transform their own classrooms by developing and disseminating an integrated curriculum that emphasizes how the social sciences and arts serve as a quest for personal and social meaning.

They will design e-Portfolios to document their experiences, track progress, reach benchmarks that will help them create their final curriculum projects and authentic assessment tools that complement these projects.

#  University of Georgia

## Cultural Immersion for Area Studies Curriculum in K-12 Ed

### Project Directors: Dr. Lioba Moshi, Dr. Dainess Maganda, 141 Joe Brown Hall, Athens, GA 30602, Tel: 706-542-2140 or 706-542-9587, Fax: 706-542-2155, E-mail: moshi@uga.edu and magandad@uga.edu

**Participants:** 12

**Education Level:**K-12 In-Service/Pre-Service Teachers/Students in Teacher Education

**Abstract:**The University of Georgia (UGA) proposes a Short-Term Group Projects Abroad Seminar for in-service teachers/administrators and pre-service teachers/ students associated with K-12 educational curricular. The objectives of the project are to guide participants acquire instructional materials and facilitate cultural understanding in teaching area studies. The project will facilitate the development of their understanding the importance and role of language in increasing students’ understanding in area studies: Social Studies (some background on International studies), Science, and Environmental Studies. With the USA’s continued experience in immigrants intake from various parts of the world, particularly from war-torn African countries, the project’s objective is to enable the participants to establish a foundation for acquiring new ways of learning in diverse cultural environments, create a smooth transition to new ways of learning, and understanding social-political educational systems that use experiential learning. This project will include country specific knowledge such as introduction to Swahili language and culture and understanding Tanzania’s valuable position in accommodating immigrants and its socio-cultural issues that interact with other key elements affecting education. The program will provide pre-departure seminars to enhance the proposed intensive cultural immersion and experience in Tanzania. The program will recruit at least twelve  participants primarily from the State of Georgia and secondarily other states in the southeast. The University of Georgia, Department of Comparative Literature and the African Studies Institute have a very strong relationship with almost all of the Southeast Institutions that have African languages program and/or African Studies through the annual Southeast African Languages and Literatures Forum (SEALLF). The program will use every possible opportunity to recruit a diverse pool of participants to enrich the program both at the intellectual level and to develop ideas about best practices in designing curriculum with an African focus and other area studies for K-12. The four-week overseas immersion program is the capstone of the program and it will be exclusively funded through the USDE funds while the *16 hours*pre-departure workshops/ seminars will be funded by UGA-Tanzania Study Abroad program and the African Studies Institute outreach program. The pre-departure seminars will consist of African and host country specific knowledge through 12-hour orientation workshops to be held in three weekend days at the University of Georgia (February, March, April and May 2016), and a *four*-hour last minute meeting on nuts and bolts issues. Time spent at the workshops can be claimed as credit for professional development in continuing education (PLU) or three credit hours towards a terminal degree (for participants in a degree program). The immersion program will take place in Tanzania at the Mwenge University College of Education http://www.ictgr.ch/sefrengo/mwenge/index.php?idcat=833.  In country logistics will be overseen by the Center for Outreach, Research, and Educational Programs *http://www.acorep.com/**,**,***associated with the UGA Tanzania Studies Abroad programs. Competitive priorities 1, 2 and 3 will be addressed in this project application.

# University of Iowa

## Promise and Pitfalls of Development Efforts in Rajasthan, India

**Abstract:**Over three billion people in the world depend on biomass cook-stoves or open fires to cook their daily meals, resulting in a host of health and environmental problems. Worldwide, it is women and girls who collect fuel wood, trekking increasingly far in the face of deforestation, and it is mothers and children who are disproportionately affected due to their physical proximity to cooking fires. **The problem of cook-stoves exemplifies the ‘slow violence’ (Nixon 2011) faced by people all over the developing world.**It is a global story but not everywhere the same: culture matters. **India has been a key site for efforts to design and diffuse ‘efficient’ and ‘smokeless’ cook-stoves.**Indeed, the government, academic researchers and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have tried for decades to spread ‘improved *chulhas*’ (cookstoves) in rural areas, but with little evidence of success. **I propose a seminar that explores the****story of cook-stoves in southern Rajasthan, as a window into the complex and inevitably****unfinished project of ‘development’ in India and elsewhere. We will learn by familiarizing****ourselves with the local language and culture and with the aid and collaboration of Indian****researchers who have long been immersed in the cook-stove conundrum.**

Seminar participants will learn about the historical, social, cultural, symbolic and technical dimensions of ‘improved chulhas’ themselves as well as development efforts aimed at modernizing cooking practices in rural Rajasthan. Participants will learn why chulhas have become a focal point for the convergence of broader national and international concerns about inequality, health and environment—and with what impact. **The goal is to also understand people’s personal experiences with ‘improved chulhas’, including those of researchers who design them, manufacturers who produce them, NGO workers who implement them, and village women who are expected to use them.**Even as the goals of ‘improved chulhas’ have varied (health, fuelwood crisis, women’s empowerment), what has remained constant is an effort****to transform the traditional stove used by economically marginal women in rural India. Adoption****of new technologies is often seen as a means for humans to fix practical problems, but, in****actuality, it requires critical shifts in culture. Therefore, I am bringing together a diverse set of perspectives to understand cook-stoves in all their dimensions: what has motivated efforts to improve them, what interventions have occurred, and why these efforts have tended to fail.

The primary location of this seminar will be communities in the forest frontier region of Rajasthan near the Aravalli Hills, where deforestation is wide spread. Understanding the culturetechnology- environment dynamic requires a nuanced approach informed by area studies expertise, hence the value of a diverse group of seminar participants representing humanities, social science, applied science, area studies and education. **Opening a space for this kind of conversation can help to demonstrate the value of area studies expertise for a broad range of disciplines and for engagement with vexing problems of serious public concern.**

This proposal is inspired by broad faculty interest in India at the University of Iowa. It is linked to my efforts to better integrate area studies into:  1) the university’s General Education curriculum; 2) short-term study abroad courses in India which have become increasingly popular but do not draw from area studies knowledge; and 3) collaborative work across disciplines that typically exist in isolation from South Asian studies. The seminar will also include faculty with no prior experience of India as well as four students from the University of Iowa.

# University of North Carolina Wilmington

## South African Culture, History, & Literacy

### Project Director: Donyell L. Roseboro, Professional Development System Director, UNCW, Watson College of Education, 601 South College Road, Wilmington, North Carolina 28403, Tel: 910-962-2289 (w) and 336-782-1480 (m), Fax: 910-962-3609, E-mail: roseborod@uncw.edu

**Participants:**13 (including the project director and 12 public school teachers)

**Abstract:**The University of North Carolina Wilmington’s *South African Culture, History, & Literacy*(SACHL) project will include 13 participants (one project director, one university faculty member, and 12 public school teachers). As part of the project, participants will engage in a four week cultural immersion in Port Elizabeth and Cape Town, South Africa. The objectives of the project are:

1.) To improve the cross-cultural competence of U.S. teachers, 

2.) To study the culture and history of South Africa using a critical literacy framework, 

3.) To investigate how South African teachers teach the culture and history of South Africa, and 

4.) To create and disseminate curricular resources that can be used to teach about South African culture and history in U.S. schools.

While in South Africa, participants will study with faculty from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan and the University of the Western Cape. Participants will also engage in a three week intensive field experience in a township school in Port Elizabeth. During this field experience, they will observe classes to understand how teachers integrate culture, history, and literacy in their instruction. In addition, project participants will meet with South African teachers to discuss how U.S. teachers teach culture, history, and literacy. From these discussions, participants will identify similarities and differences between South African and U.S. teaching in these three areas.

Using discussions between South African and U.S. teachers, readings about South African democracy, and guest lectures by South African university faculty, project participants will create online modules that teachers can use to teach about South African democracy and civic literacy. While in South Africa, project participants will maintain learner blogs that describe instructional practices that inform the project’s goals. They will also collaborate with South African teachers and students to create videos that explore what democracy means to South Africans. These videos and blogs will then be integrated into the online modules. Once the online modules are developed, project participants will integrate them into their classroom instruction. The program will be evaluated three times during the project grant period—once every six months. The evaluation process will consist of qualitative components (focus group interviews and document analysis—including the blogs, online modules, and lesson plans) and quantitative components (survey data). The data will be used formatively to make necessary and appropriate changes during the project implementation and summatively to evaluate the effectiveness of the overall program.

# University of North Texas

## Through the Lens of Jordan: Integrating Middle Eastern Narratives into North Texas Social Studies Curriculum

**Abstract:**The University of North Texas (UNT) in partnership with the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District (HEB ISD) and the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth (WAC DFW) submits a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program’s “Short-Term Projects” (CFDA Number: 84.021) proposal: “Through the Lens of Jordan: Integrating Middle Eastern Narratives into North Texas Social Studies Curriculum” with a funding request of $85,155. The proposal supports Competitive Preference Priority 3 and is eligible as a New Applicant, Invitational Priority.

Although Texas has the third fastest growing Middle East immigration population in the U.S., the Texas Education Agency’s 2016 Proclamation to provide ethnic studies materials for social studies topics fails to include the Middle East as an area of study. The primary objective of this proposal is to integrate the Middle East into the social studies curriculum at secondary schools in North Texas by training twelve  educators. The curriculum will address Middle East politics, economics, religion, society, immigration, arts, and the environment and be incorporated into courses required by the State of Texas Education Agency, including: Sixth Grade World Cultures, Ninth Grade World Geography, and/or Tenth Grade World History. This project transforms student learning about the Middle East by integrating Middle East studies into core curriculum and providing participants with first-hand knowledge and experience, cultural competencies, and curriculum resources to advance the instruction of Middle East studies for years to come. The knowledge competencies gained through this project prepare students to be global leaders.

The Project includes the following three phases:

**Phase I: Pre-Departure (May 2016)**includes 24 hours of pre-departure learning sessions to provide educators with a foundation for understanding the politics, economics, and culture and society, of the Middle East and Jordan prior to the in-country seminar.

**Phase II: Overseas Phase in Jordan (July 8-August 5, 2016)**will be a four week in-country seminar to enhance educators’ understanding of the Middle East and provide them access to learning materials and resources unavailable outside of Jordan and includes academic lectures, meetings with representatives from education, government, and NGOs, visits to historically relevant sites, and daily sessions to discuss and develop curriculum.

**Phase III: Follow-up Phase (August 2016 to March 2017)**will evaluate the Project, introduce Middle East Studies into the curriculum, provide a Train-the-Trainers program for educators and pre-service teachers, and provide curriculum resources sharing via outreach workshops, state education conferences, and online resources.

The project includes the following participants and project personnel:

· 12 Educators: 10 North Texas secondary educators who teach World Cultures, World Geography, or World History and hold Bachelor’s/Master’s degrees and two Pre-service Teachers

· one Project Director: Dr. Emile Sahliyeh, Middle East Studies Professor and Director of UNT’s International Studies Major, UNT (Emile.Sahliyeh@unt.edu); 940-565-2314

· one Curriculum Designer: Dr. Carol Revelle, Lecturer, Teacher Education & Administration, UNT

· two Project Support Staff: Ms. Tamara Haddad, Arabic Language Teacher at Central Junior High School, HEB ISD and Ms. Jennifer Bowden, Director of Education, WAC DFW

· one Host Country Coordinator: Ms. Eman Malhas, Former Senior Program Officer, Jordanian-American Commission for Education Exchange, Fulbright Office

· one External Evaluator: Dr. Mahmoud Sari, Sociology & Middle East Studies Professor, Texas Woman’s University

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