Summer+Institute(ITD)-Amherst

**Program**
Opening ceremonies, admin orientation
 * ~  ||~   ||~   ||~   ||~   ||~ Fri, June 15 ||~ Sat, June 16 ||
 * ||  ||   ||   ||   || Arrival and settling in. || Orientation to town; shopping for groceries & electronics. ||
 * ~ Sun, June 17 ||~ Mon, June 18 ||~ Tue, June 19 ||~ Wed, June 20 ||~ Thu, June 21 ||~ Fri, June 22 ||~ Sat, June 23 ||
 * 9-12

2pm Visit Skinner State Park in the Holyoke Range, || 8:30-10:45am Course Overview **FC, JHD**

11am Frost Library tour

2-3pm Introduction to research projects **Madeloni**

3-5pm Participant introductions in small groups || 8:30-10 "The Puritans and Religious Pluralism in America" **FC**

10:45am-12:15pm Historic Deerfield Walking tour **Bruchac**

12:15-12:45 Picnic

12:45-2:30 "History and Heritage" and museum visit **Mathews**

2:30-3:15 Gift Shop || 8:30-10am

"The American

Constitutional System"


 * Laurie**

10:30am-12pm

Breakout

Session: Pedagogy/

Founding Documents


 * Cohen, FC**

12:15

Liaison Com. Mtg.

2-4pm

Tour of Mead Art


 * Pamela Russel and Randall**

"How to Read a Poem" **Dobson**
 * Griffey** || 8:30-10am

10:30am-12pm "American Poets" **Dobson, FC**

1:30 & 2:15pm Tour of Emily Dickinson's Homestead; Poetry reading in her garden.

7-8:30pm Participant country presentations || 9-10:30 Week 1 debrief/eval

10:30-12pm Research time and faculty appointments (required) **Research advisors**

Evening Opt. Hampshire Shakespeare || 10am-4pm Opt. Norman Rockwell Museum || Opt. Canoe Trip on the Connecticut River || 8:30-10am "Abolitionism and the Civil War" **Laurie**
 * ~ Sun, June 24 ||~ Mon, June 25 ||~ Tue, June 26 ||~ Wed, June 27 ||~ Thu, June 28 ||~ Fri, June 29 ||~ Sat, June 30 ||
 * 9:30am-3pm

10:30am-12pm "The South from Reconstruction to Civil Rights " **FC**

2-3:30pm "The Industrial Revolution of Modern America" **FC** || 8:30-10 Film: "Eyes on the Prize" (A Bridge to Freedom)"

10:30am-12pm Discussion of Film FC

2-3:30pm "The Civil Rights Movement" || 8:30 Film: "Crash" 10:45-12 Discussion of Film **FC**

12:15 Liaison Com. Mtg.

2-3:30 "Jazz, and the Blues" **Robinson** || 8:30-10am "Waves of Feminism: From the 20th to the 21st Centuries" **Castledine**

10:30am-12pm "Opportunities and challenges for women" **Carney, Terapulsky**

2-3:30pm: Session: Pedagogy/Women's Literature **Madeloni/Castledine** || 9-10

Week 2 debrief/ eval

10:30-12pm and 1-2:30

Research time and faculty appointments (required) **Research advisors** || 8-10am Travel to Boston

10am-12pm Duck Tour/Freedom Trail

12-2pm Harvard

2-4pm Prudential Ctr. Observation Deck

4-6pm Dinner

6-8pm Return to Amherst ||
 * ~ Sun, July 1 ||~ Mon, July 2 ||~ Tue, July 3 ||~ Wed, July 4 ||~ Thu, July 5 ||~ Fri, July 6 ||~ Sat, July 7 ||
 * **Boston**

Optional Stay in Boston; 5pm departure to Amherst

Free Time || 8:30-10am "Immigration & the Remaking of America" **Le**

10:30am-12pm "Recent Immigrants and their Issues" **Center for New Americans**

2-3:30 Breakout Session: Pedagogy/His of Religion in the US **Madeloni/FC**

EVE Film: Nat'l Parks, YNP section only || 8:30-10 "Environment in global perspective; National Parks" **Dizard**

10:30-12 "Native Americans of the West" **Calloway**

2-3:30 "The National Security State" **Pyle** || AM Fourth of July Parade in Chesterfield, MA

3pm Amherst Fourth of July Parade

6pm Community Picnic at ITD House

EVE Fireworks at UMass || 8:30-10am "Post-Vietnam US Foreign Policy"

10:30am-12pm The U.S. and Islam **Hashmi**

12:15pm Liaison Committee Mtg.

2:30-4pm "What Does a Free Press mean on the Local Level" **Springfield Republican**

EVE Holyoke Mall (opt) || 9-10:30 Week 3 debrief and evaluation

10:30-12pm and 1-2:30 Research time and faculty appointments (optional) **Research advisors** || 8:30am flight Travel to SLC Arrive

1pm PM Walking tour of Temple Square Optional LDS roof-top view of the city

6-8pm Dinner at Jean Cheney's **Salt Lake Plaza Hotel** || Mormon Tabernacle Choir
 * ~ Sun, July 8 ||~ Mon, July 9 ||~ Tue, July 10 ||~ Wed, July 11 ||~ Thu, July 12 ||~ Fri, July 13 ||~ Sat, July 14 ||
 * 9:30-10am

2-3:30pm "Mormonism" **MacKay**

3:30pm depart for picnic at Antelope Island || 8:30-10am "Literature of the American West" **Cheney**

10:30am-12pm "Art and Images of the West" **Nichols (Trimble)**

4pm depart for Cowboy BBQ **Buckle Busters** || AM/PM Travel by coach to **Yellowstone National, Park Lake Yellowstone Hotel and cabins**

Movie: Shane (on the bus) night || AM/PM Guided tour of Yellowstone National Park, **Kurt Johnson**

EVE Cookout dinner at Yellowstone || AM/PM Travel to Jackson, Wyoming. Explore city. **The Lodge at Jackson Hole** || AM/PM Travel to SLC. Film: Smoke Signals (on the bus) || 9:40am Depart SLC

4pm Arrive Washington **Dupont Circle Hotel** || Smithsonian museums Eve Tour of Monuments || 10-11AM "The making of Foreign Policy **Tamara Klajn**
 * ~ Sun, Feb 15 ||~ Mon, July 16 ||~ Tue, July 17 ||~ Wed, July 18 ||~ Thu, July 19 ||~ Fri, July 20 ||~ Sat, July 21 ||
 * AM/PM

11:20 Tour of the Capitol PM Supreme Court || 10 am Tour of Library of Congress

Noon: Union Station 1:30-5pm DOS Briefing || AM: Travel to NYC Liaison Committee Mtg.

PM: Ellis Island, Statute of Liberty Eve Jazz (optional) **Hotel Metro** || AM Bus tour of city

PM Free time

EVE Empire State Building || AM: Museums

4:15 Guided tour of United Nations PM Travel to Amherst || Free Time || Optional classical music at Tanglewood || 8:30-10am Reflection on the Institute FC
 * ~ Sun, July 22 ||~ Mon, July 23 ||~ Tue, July 24 ||~ Wed, July 25 ||~ Thu, July 26 ||~ Fri, July 27 ||~ Sat, July 28 ||
 * AM/PM

10:30-1pm Work on research projects Work on research projects
 * Research Advisors** || AM/PM:

EVE Holyoke Mall (opt) || 9am-2pm Research project presentations

12:15pm Liaison Com. Mtg || 9am-2pm Research project presentations

EVE Holyoke Mall (opt) || 10-11:30am: Program Evaluation

12:30pm Closing Luncheon
 * Lewis Sebring** || Departure for home countries ||

**Slideshow-by Barbara Anna Zielonka**
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**Participants**
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 * Lesson plan designed in Amherst-final research project**




 * Unforgettable Summer 2012**

On the 15th of June 2012 four Norwegian teachers ( Barbara Anna Zielonka, Irene Brendehaug, Kristin Melhus and Tom Waade) set off for the USA in order to participate in the Teachers Summer Institute 2012 in Amherst (Massachusetts) sponsored by the United States Department of State under the Fulbright Program. The main aim of these this 6-week program on the American continent was to gain first-hand knowledge and to deepen understanding of U.S. culture, politics and contemporary issues and to explore different parts of the USA. As one of the selected teachers who had a chance to participate in this year’s short- term visit I would like to describe this unforgettable summer. It is also my aim to acquaint other secondary school teachers/educators of this wonderful program offered by the Norway Fulbright Foundation. Together with 28 secondary teachers selected from 25 countries all over the world, including those from China, Africa and Latin America, we arrived to group and start our adventure at Amherst, Massachusetts on the 15th of June 2012.The teachers in the 2012 group were mainly teachers teaching English,Social Studies, Information and Technology and teachers of their mother tongue. We spent our first 3 weeks in Amherst- a beautiful and very peaceful city located in Hampshire county, Massachusetts. From Monday till Friday we participated in several lectures given by distinguished university lecturers coming from Amherst College, Smith College and University of Massachusetts. Their professional attitude and extensive knowledge of their area of expertise made these lectures and workshop well- tailored for our needs and gave us better insight into the American history, literature, social and economic issues. Out of many varied lectures we were exposed to, I personally liked lectures that involved interactive discussion, critical thinking, dialogues between participants and those that presented real life experiences. One of the lecture I was most impressed by was a lecture on “Opportunities and Challenges for Women” by Leslie Laurie and Judie Terapulsky- two very influential women working in Massachusetts. Their openness towards the audience and deep reflective skills made that lecture very successful. During these first 3 weeks we were not only participating in lectures but we were also given the chance to discover the area of Massachusetts(MA). Some of the fieldtrips worth-mentioning here were the visit to the Skinner State Park in the Holyoke Range, historic Deerfield walking tour, tour of the Mead Art Museum, tour of Emily Dickinson's Homestead, canoe trip on the Connecticut River and visit to Boston- the capital of Massachusetts and the oldest city with deep historical roots in the USA with such places as Harvard University, Quincy Market, Freedom Trail, New England Aquarium and Prudential Observation Deck. Besides that most of us also took part in many sports activities offered by the Amherst College’s campus in our free time or enjoyed cycling due to the unlimited access to bikes at the place of our accommodation. Institute for Training and Development (ITD) staff with especially Julie Hooks Davis and the program's academic director Frank Couvares, Amherst College Professor of American Studies and History looked after all our needs and were always willing to help and answer our questions. If it hadn’t been for them, we would not have been able to fully experience and get the real taste of the United States. Although the schedule looked very tight each of us had a chance to visit a typical American family who hosted us to dinner. This visit enabled us to become familiar with American customs and discuss the most recent issues within American society as seen through the eyes of a typical American family. After three weeks in Amherst we spent the fourth and the fifth week on our study tour. This was the “travelling “part of the program to other places, regions and interesting places in the U.S.A. I consider this part of the program to be the high point of the program and it was a highly anticipated part of the program by the whole group. Firstly, we went to Salt Lake City- The Mormon capital of the U.S.A in the state of Utah that really stands out from other American states. The first thing that we noticed while staying in the most populous city in the state of Utah was a splendid Temple Square and high number of dedicated and faithful Mormon guides showing the tourist groups around the city. Next attraction worth-mentioning here was the participation in the Sunday’s broadcast by the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir that made a very big impression on all of us in terms of the music and the well-furnished auditorium. Secondly, we travelled by bus from SLC to the Yellowstone National Park. Being able to admire Yellowstone’s natural features such as mountains, waterfalls, geysers, hot springs, and to see wildlife such as bears, wolves, buffalos in big numbers, different birds at close quarters were truly exceptional and will probably stay in our memory forever. In addition staying in small outdoor yellow cabins close to the forest and Yellowstone Lake added colour to our stay there. Thirdly, we went to Jackson Hole located in the state of Wyoming that looked like a typical cowboy city in the West that we read about or see in western movies. Cowboy shops, ranches, steep mountain slopes, antlers in the city centre, galleries selling pictures depicting Native Americans make us think about westerns such as //3 Bad Men// from 1926 and //Shane//. After several days in the West we went to Washington D.C.-the capital of the US and the home to many national museums and monuments. This place offered a very good insight into the working and institutions of the American government, history and art but one could spend several weeks exploring the beauty and diversity of 19 Smithsonian museums and galleries. Time flew quickly so most of us were able to pick up the ones that we were interested in. The last and very important place we explored was New York- City that Never Sleeps. Here we could visit the astonishing Ellis Island- the gateway and arrival point for millions of immigrants to the US, United Nations Visitors Centre, Statue of Liberty-the most well-known monument worldwide, Empire State Building,Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum and listen to spectacular live jazz orchestra in the evening and the touching new Memorial to remember the September 9/11 tragedy of the Twin Towers.

During the last week of our stay in Amherst we were given the chance to finish our final projects that we had already started in the beginning of our stay here. The product could have been a lesson plan, research paper or an article that we had presented in front of others at the end of the programme. One of the conditions that must have been fulfilled was to cover some of the American issues that we had discussed earlier. Furthermore we could choose between several advisors who were at our disposal during our whole stay in the USA. The high number of visited places and lectures, competent and devoted to their work people, well-organized activities made this programme very successful and useful for our needs as teachers at high schools. I wish that more teachers could participate in it in order to improve qualifications and become a better teacher of the American studies. I have been only able to very briefly describe a selection of the diverse activities, visits, lectures, I participated in during the six weeks of the program. It was a real kaleidoscope of priceless experience, sights, sounds and interactions that has enriched us both at a professional and personal level. I should also mention that while all these activities were going on, the members of the group were building friendships and planning to continue contacts with each other after we return to our own countries. I am sure this program has given us a life-long network of friends around the world based on this mutual experience in the U.S.A. I am yet to feel the full impact of my 6 week in the US in my teaching and my understanding of American culture, history and politics. This is such a tremendous program I consider it to be the best way to understand a country. I would like to express my gratitude and thanks towards all the people who contributed to making these 6 weeks so exceptional and wonderful. My best thanks go to the ITD staff, The State Department's //Bureau // of Educational and //Cultural Affairs // (ECA) and Norway Fulbright Foundation. I thank everyone involved for giving me this priceless experience.

Written by Barbara Anna Zielonka (Nannestad Videregående Skole)

[|Nannestad VGS]

Article in Finnish-[|A story about our trip online (in Finnish)]