07.26.05

Teachers from 12 Virginia school districts attend VCU institute on Regional Security, Peace, and Conflict Management in South Asia

By Mike Frontiero
VCU School of Education
July 26, 2005

Middle and high school teachers from 10 Virginia school districts attended a professional development program on issues facing South Asia, sponsored by the VCU School of Education’s Virginia Center for the Teaching of International Studies and the World Affairs Council of Greater Richmond.

Entitled “Regional Security, Peace, and Conflict Management in South Asia,” the one-week summer program featured presentations by scholars on geography, history, and contemporary issues in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, as well as instructional strategies and materials on the region.

“There is incredible ignorance in this country about the Muslim world so what you do as teachers in this area is very important,” said Randolph Bell – the center’s co-director, executive director of the World Affairs Council of Greater Richmond, and former ambassador and special envoy at the U.S. Department of State.

John A. Rossi, Ph.D., (center) associate professor and co-director of the VCU School of Education’s Virginia Center for the Teaching of International Studies, lead a one week professional development program on South Asia for Virginia teachers.

Discussion topics included challenges to political stability, weapons of mass destruction, and globalization and trade.

The 17 world history, geography and government teachers who attended the program came from Albemarle County, Chesterfield County, Fairfax County, Franklin County, Hampton, Henrico County, Lynchburg, Norfolk, Prince William, Salem, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg. Each received graduate credits from VCU.

Program content and materials supported the teaching of the Virginia Standards of Learning for World History I and II, World Geography, and Government.

It was the third summer professional development program sponsored by the center since its founding in 1999. “These programs are part of the center’s mission to promote the teaching of international studies in Virginia’s middle and high schools,” said John A. Rossi, Ph.D., the center’s co-director and VCU School of Education associate professor.

The event was held at the Richmond headquarters of Christian Children’s Fund, which offered its facilities free of charge.

For more information on the program, go to http://www.vacenter.org/schedule.htm.

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