Photos
The Brochure [.pdf]
Registration Form
Deadline for registration: Friday, June 8, 2007
The Kansas African Studies Center's 2007 Teacher Summer Institute will provide teachers and educators in our region with a unique perspective on Africa and African cultures. The main objective of this two-week program is to learn about the continent in order to teach vital related topics within schools and academic institutions. It is designed to address challenges and problems encountered in learning and teaching about Africa. Using a multi-faceted teaching approach including presentations, panel discussions, demonstrations, video illustrations, and hands on library research, Africanist faculty at KU will provide the knowledge needed to better understand Africa and its realities. Specific topics of study will include: teaching resources and methodology, current African issues (media stereotypes, human rights, health, ethnic conflicts, politics, and HIV/AIDS), as well as African culture including religions, languages, music and dance, and literature. A visit to see African art collections at Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City is planned as well as featuring teaching resources available at the Kansas City Zoo and KU's Museum of Anthropology. The Institute's closing day will include an elaborate ceremony featuring music, drumming, dance, and foods of the people of Africa.
This Institute is recommended for all teachers and educators who teach about Africa in their classrooms, or who seek quality information and thought-provoking discussion about different aspects of African culture and societies.
The daily format includes an array of learning sessions - talks and panel discussions by KU African area specialists, library research time, and a field trip to the Kansas City area. Participants will create lesson plans to be used in their own classrooms, as well as by other educators, and will have opportunities to meet with faculty consultants for content and resource suggestions. The last day of the Institute, each participant will share their units and brainstorm as a collective group. A select number of these lesson plans will be used for Teaching Africa and the Middle East in the Great Plains, a KASC project funded by the Longview Foundation that provides teachers with classroom resources focusing on Africa. Teaching materials will be posted on the Center's website and other websites related to international education.
CREDIT
Graduate credit will be available to those who wish to enroll and pay for tuition and fees. Graduate students who are taking the summer workshop for credit are required to prepare research projects approved by the Institute director. These research projects will also be presented on the last day of the Institute.
In-service credit has been applied for the Lawrence and Topeka school districts. If you would like help obtainig in-service credit for your district, please let us know.
SCHOLARSHIPS
A limited number of scholarships are being offered to participants this year. To apply for a scholarship, write a brief essay answering the following questions about your needs and interests in teaching Africa, and include one letter of reference from your primary evalutaor.
Scholarships may be used for graduate tuition and fees, or other related Institute expenses. They will be offered to eligible applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline to apply is Friday, May 25, 2007. A notice of scholarship awards will be sent by June 1st, along with confirmation letter including more Institute details. A confirmation letter with further details will be sent upon receipt of registration.
Deadline for registration: Friday, June 8, 2007
Registration forms can be accessed by the link above, or on the Institute brochure. Please send a completed registration form with a materials fee ($40 for teachers and $20 for KU students) to:
Kansas African Studies Center
University of Kansas
Bailey Hall, Room 10
1440 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, KS 66045
A confirmation letter with further details, including a parking map, will be sent upon receipt of registration.
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