Outreach to K-12 Program

The Center's K-12 Outreach Program is built around Africa-specific and collaborative initiatives which link cooperating international units at MSU with community-based, statewide and national consortia in K-12 and higher education. These collaborative endeavors promote the study of Africa within the broader context of global/international education and allow us to maximize our limited financial resources in sharing MSU's rich human and knowledge resources with community-based, statewide and national consortia which are dedicated to expanding the study of Africa in the K-12 and tertiary classroom. These efforts are:

• Web-based Outreach

  1. Exploring Africa: is a 25- module curriculum for middle- and high-school teachers and students. Exploring Africa is currently on-line with 18 completed modules (approximately 60 lessons). In addition to the curriculum, Exploring Africa offers an African current events page and country overviews for each of the 54 countries in Africa. We are working to complete the remaining modules.
  2. Threads of Change: Textile Exhibit: Thousands of visitors enjoyed the exhibition Threads of Change: The Transformation of West African Textiles at the Michigan State University Museum. This website provides resources from the exhibit, information about West Africa, and curriculum aids and lessons useful to educators and others who want to learn about West Africa through textiles. This exhibit was co-sponsored by African Studies Center and MSU Museum.
  3. Overcoming Apartheid: South Africa: Overcoming Apartheid, Building Democracy presents first-hand accounts of the important political movement—in South Africa and internationally—that defeated Apartheid. Interviews with South African activists, raw video footage documenting mass resistance and police repression, historical documents, rare photographs, and original narratives tell this remarkable story. This web resource is ideal for high school and college courses.
  4. H-AfrTeach: is an electronic discussion group that focuses on issues related to teaching Africa for K-12 educators. H-AfrTeach sponsors a website which features reviews of books, videos, other Africa related teaching materials, and an archived record of discussion threads. H-AfrTeach is affiliated with H-Net: Humanities and Social Sciences On-Line.

• Explore Africa at MSU

  : (for students and teachers) Beginning in summer 2002, the African Studies Center has co-sponsored with the MSU Honors College a week-long residential program, Explore Africa at MSU, for high school honors students. This unique program provides the students with interactive instruction in an African language (KiSwahili), art, literature, music/dance, and the social sciences. They can earn either state of Michigan approved CEUs or graduate credit through the MSU department of teacher education. In July 2011 Explore Africa @ MSU will add to the one'week on-campus program an optional two-week study abroad experience in South Africa. For more information on this program and an application form contact John Metzler at metzler@msu.edu.

• LATTICE: Linking All Types of Teachers in International and Inter-Cultural Education

  . This innovative, nationally recognized project, which the African Studies Center co-sponsors with the MSU College of Education, Asian Studies Center, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, the Center for Advanced Study of International Development, and 13 mid-Michigan school districts, brings together 30 Michigan teachers with 20 International education students (one-third of whom are from Africa) nine monthly four hour sessions each year. These sessions focus on international, global, and cross-cultural themes.
• Seminars for K-12 Teachers: The Program sponsors two one-day seminars for teachers each year. Most of these workshops are co-sponsored with the Asian Studies Center, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and the Center for Advanced Study of International Development/Women in International Development Program.
• Special Projects for Educators: Over the past two decades the Outreach Program has successfully administered federally funded projects for teachers and teacher educators.
  • National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Programs for Teachers (1996) with a focus on teaching Africa in the 6-12 curricula.
  • Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad for Educators (1979, 1984, 1990, 1999) to Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
• On-Demand Workshops and Consultations: The Program welcomes requests by teachers, schools, and school districts for special in-service workshops and consultations that focus on the teaching of Africa.
• Classroom Presentations: The Center collaborates with the MSU-based Community Volunteers for International Programs--School Program recruiting and preparing African students for presentations in mid-Michigan K-12 classrooms. For more information, please contact either John Metzler at metzler@msu.edu, or the CVIP coordinator Nicole Namy.

K-12 educators are warmly encouraged to communicate with our outreach staff on issues related to the teaching of Africa in the K-12 classroom. Please send inquires to John Metzler Ph.D., Coordinator of Outreach Programs at metzler@msu.edu.

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