South Milwaukee Teacher Travel to Taiwan

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Wisconsin Teacher Travel to Taiwan

Jackie Cebertowicz, an elementary school teacher at Edgewood Elementary in South Milwaukee, WI, was joined by four other US teachers for an energy education program in Taiwan. The Wisconsin teachers learned about Taiwan culture, the diverse ecosystems, and environmental issues while in the country. Cebertowicz gave a presentation on how she teaches about energy and other environmental issues in her classroom during the visit to Yang-xin Elementary School in Taoyuan County. She also demonstrated an energy lesson from the KEEP Activity Guide in a workshop for Taiwan educators at the Xin-ming Elementary School in Tainan County.

The program, sponsored by the Global Environmental Teachings (GET) and WI K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP) at the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point, ran for eleven days, July 26-August 5, 2010. Program Leader, Carrie Ziolkowski, of UW-SP said, “The KEEP Taiwan trip shares the teaching experiences of the Wisconsin teachers with Taiwan educators so the Taiwan teachers can learn about energy education through hands-on workshops while the Wisconsin teachers gaining a cultural experience and learn how energy is taught in Tawain schools.” The trip included three workshops for Taiwan educators, a tour of five Taiwan schools, a trip to Taroko National Park, tours through different counties, and several interpretive tours through historical sites and cities.

The Taiwan program has increased the understanding of the world’s diverse ecosystems and helped to make the connection between Wisconsin ecosystems and those abroad. This educational program will help Aprill infuse international energy education concepts into his existing curriculum, and subsequently enhance the education Wisconsin students are receiving.

The Global Environmental Teachings Program (GET) connects educators and students worldwide through environmental education. GET is a program within the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education in the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. For more information on the Global Environmental Teachings Program, contact Susan Schuller at 715.346.4150 or get@uwsp.edu. Or visit their Web site at www.uwsp.edu/get.

KEEP is the result of a collaborative effort between the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education (WCEE) and Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy program. Together, KEEP, WCEE and Focus on Energy have worked with over 4,500 educators and energy professionals to improve and increase energy education in Wisconsin’s public and private K-12 classrooms. Collaborative efforts have developed, implemented and evaluated energy education projects that address professional development, curriculum resources, networking and outreach, and student involvement. For more information on KEEP, visit www.uwsp.edu/keep.