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Art Education Delegation to Visit Vietnam with People To People Ambassador Program
Susan Gabbard, past president of the National Art Education Association, is honored to invite NAEA members to participate in an international educational, professional, and cultural program to Vietnam. People to People Ambassador Programs is developing a delegation of art educators to travel to Vietnam and Cambodia in December 2008. Gabbard has agreed to be the delegation leader once again. This unique opportunity will provide participants with the chance to meet Vietnamese colleagues face-to-face to discuss common problems, compare recent findings, and evaluate areas for further collaboration.
This will be Gabbard’s third trip abroad to promote art education with NAEA member delegates through the People To People Ambassador program. In 2005 she led a group to Beijing, China. In 2006 Gabbard’s group traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia. Over the last four decades the American Vietnamese population in the United States has grown in many areas of the country. Gabbard said, “I am pleased to be involved in this exciting opportunity, and hope you will strongly consider participating in the delegation. This is a rare opportunity to be able to visit a country that many of the English as a Second Language (ESL) students in our schools are from. Delegates will gain a broader understanding of the culture and the place the arts have in the Vietnamese schools.” This experience will also help art educators bring back ideas for lesson plans and curriculum development in the American classroom. Delegates will also have the opportunity to develop an art exchange program directly with a school.
The delegation will visit a variety of schools and educational settings. Participants from both countries will share not only their knowledge, but also their successful techniques and effective strategies for teaching the arts to students. The diversity of education specialties represented at this forum will enrich the lives of the educators attending, as well as the lives of the students they teach.
The individualized working sessions will focus specifically on exploring the Vietnam education system. The delegation will also explore student learning in the visual arts, methods of assessment, the role of government in art education, arts integration and infusion in curriculum, and life long learning through the visual arts. Delegates will share information about advocacy for art education programs through narrative exhibits and how American art educators implement professional development for teachers. The exchange with arts leaders in Vietnam will have significant impact on the future of arts education in their country. As a delegate, your contribution and valued expertise to the mission is important. Delegates will gain immeasurably from the experience in the world of knowledge that lies between our two countries
The experience includes four full days of conference sessions, site visits, and cultural activities. An optional excursion, after the main program, will be available. Delegates are invited to bring an accompanying spouse or guest on this trip. A cultural and educational program will be arranged for guests while delegates attend the professional sessions. Activities for guests will include visits to historical and cultural sites for an opportunity to explore many aspects of Vietnamese life, culture, and customs.
People To People Ambassador Programs is a private-citizen effort, and delegates are responsible for their own program costs. This includes round-trip airfare from the departure city, group transportation, meetings and cultural activities, accommodations, most meals, and essentially all other costs associated with participation. People To People was started by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1950s. It is founded on the principle that people can make a difference and contribute to peacemaking where the government cannot. n
If you have questions regarding the delegation, contact an associate of People To People Ambassador Programs at 877-787-2000. E-mail: info@AmbassadorPrograms.org: fax 509-534-5245.
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