Area Teachers Invited To Participate In A Free Seminar Series About Asia

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Asian Studies Program at the University at Buffalo in collaboration with the UB/Public Schools Partnership, will present an "East Asia Seminar for Teachers" on alternating Thursday afternoons and Saturday mornings from Jan. 15 to March 26 in the Buffalo Teacher Resource Center, 150 Lower Terrace.

The program is administered by the Five College Center for East Asian Studies with generous funding from the Freeman Foundation.

The 30-hour, 11-session seminar series will provide participants with content and resources that will help them teach about China, Japan and Korea more effectively. It is free of charge and open to 20 teachers from any public or private schools in Western New York.

There is no restriction as to the content area or grade level applicants teach. The only prerequisite is a desire to effectively incorporate Asia into their curriculums. The 11 sessions include an extra session to permit participants to miss one and still complete the programs.

During the seminars professors and master teachers from the Western New York area will provide in-depth information and materials on East Asia-related topics such as geography, religion, philosophy, history, literature and art.

Bruce Acker, assistant director of the UB Asian Studies Program, says, "Participating teachers will receive high quality instruction about Asia from leading experts in the field, a $500 stipend upon completion of seminar requirements, background materials worth $200 and a $300 mini-grant to purchase materials for their schools.

Buffalo public school teachers will receive two district professional development credits and other participants will receive professional credits arranged through their districts.

Applicants must commit to completing the 30-hour seminar, create a written implementation plan describing how information and resources from the seminar will be used in the curriculum, implement that plan in the 2009-10 school year, participate in a meeting in 2009-10 to discuss that implementation and oversee the mini-grant for their school

A program flyer and application form are available at the bottom of the UB Asian Studies Program homepage at http://www.asianstudies.buffalo.edu.

For more information, contact Acker at 645-0763 or backer@buffalo.edu.