YHS FULBRIGHT-HAYS GPA CURRICULA DEVELOPMENT PROJECT 2022
GLIMPSES OF THE STUDY TOUR (INDIA), OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 26, 2022 (PHASE II)
During the second phase of the 2022 YHS FULBRIGHT-HAYS Group Project Abroad Short-Term Curricula Development Program 12 selected teachers, student teachers and university faculty members visited India on a Study Tour. Their goal was to study and collect authentic materials on the topic of 'Climate Change' that impacted community living in the hill station of Nainital township in the state of Uttarakhand and Sariska-Alwar region of Rajasthan. The team also visited Dehradoon and Dahanu where local villagers have continued to maintain a sustainable lifestyle by following traditional ways in agriculture and their daily activities in order to mitigate the impact of 'climate change'. The participants collected resource materials in the area study of 'Climate Change' and 'Sustainable living'. These materials included local artifacts, documents, and books. The team video recorded all activities during the trip that they will use for curricula development for teaching Hindi to Novice, Intermediate and Advance levels of learners. The final teaching materials thus produced will disseminated in the United States free of cost. The team was led by the Project Consultant Prof. Gabriela Nik Ilieva (NYU) and Program Director Ashok Ojha. The trip offered excellent opportunities for participants to study the sustainable lifestyle of the Warli communities near Dahanu (Maharashtra), depleting natural resources in Nainital and the sustainable farm life of locals in Dehradoon (Uttarakhand). Tarun Bharat Sangh, a non-government organization in Alwar, Rajasthan has transformation the semi-arid landscape into lush green pastures by rejuvenating local rivers and wells through the practices of the age-old traditional ecological knowledge of constructing Johads and Pokharas. Under the leadership of Dr. Rajendra Singh TBS empowered villagers by providing the ownership of their natural resources. It has also led to the reverse migration of the younger generation from cities to their villages!
YHS FULBRIGHT-HAYS Group Project Abroad Short-Term Curricula Development Program 2022 was awarded by the US Department of Education under its post-Secondary Foreign Language Education initiative. The grant supports overseas projects in training, research, and curriculum development in modern foreign languages and area studies for teachers and potential teachers.