Wisconsin-Thailand Connection
Sunrise Program: Expanding student horizons
Sunrise Program: Expanding student horizons
| Heidi M. Pascual* Publisher & Editor * 2006 Journalist of the Year for the State of Wisconsin (U.S.-SBA) |
| For more Asian American stories in Wisconsin, click: |
education system and American culture for a few weeks; likewise, Wisconsin students and
educators travel to Thailand for the same reason. The program has been going on for three
years, and this year, Asian Wisconzine became witness to a farewell program that was both
happy and sad, held May 6 at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison. The Thai delegates, in
Wisconsin since April 18, became very close to their newfound friends at the various school
districts. Many shed tears as they reflected on their time in Wisconsin.
Thai high school teacher Charat Traiboon of Kanchananukroh School told Asian
Wisconzine that he will remember the rich experience he had in Wisconsin. “Yesterday, we
all cried a lot because we’re leaving,” Traiboon said. “We learned quite a lot about
Wisconsin’s educational system, in terms of teaching strategies, and of course, about
Wisconsin students.”
Traiboon, together with four other teachers from Thailand, was selected to join the
Sunrise Program after passing written examinations and an interview. “The announcement
was on the website of the Ministry of Education in Thailand,” Traiboon recalled. “ I applied,
took the required exams and underwent an interview, and got the slot.”
The most important thing that he will carry back to Thailand isn’t about the education
system in Wisconsin, though. “People here are very friendly and the students are very, very
good to us,” Traiboon said. “I’m going back to Thailand carrying with me the good
relationship we now have with the people of Wisconsin.”
Thai students Pannapa “Oui” Tweaikit (Grade 12) and Nattaporn ‘Opor’ Karnjanapiadit
recalled their experiences since leaving Thailand for Wisconsin.
“We took writing exams and had an interview,” Tweaikit said. “We were selected on
the bases of those, and we came from different schools in Thailand. This Sunrise Program
takes in 25 students and five teachers to be sent to Wisconsin.”
Upon arrival in Wisconsin, the students were divided into five school districts, with
one teacher for each group. They stayed with their respective school district for 2 ½ weeks,
and each student stayed with a host family.
“Everything here is so different from Thailand,” Tweikit said. “First, it took so long to
arrive because it’s a very long journey. The first week was so slow and we missed home.
But then the next week, it was faster. Now it feels that it has been so fast that I have to go
educators travel to Thailand for the same reason. The program has been going on for three
years, and this year, Asian Wisconzine became witness to a farewell program that was both
happy and sad, held May 6 at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison. The Thai delegates, in
Wisconsin since April 18, became very close to their newfound friends at the various school
districts. Many shed tears as they reflected on their time in Wisconsin.
Thai high school teacher Charat Traiboon of Kanchananukroh School told Asian
Wisconzine that he will remember the rich experience he had in Wisconsin. “Yesterday, we
all cried a lot because we’re leaving,” Traiboon said. “We learned quite a lot about
Wisconsin’s educational system, in terms of teaching strategies, and of course, about
Wisconsin students.”
Traiboon, together with four other teachers from Thailand, was selected to join the
Sunrise Program after passing written examinations and an interview. “The announcement
was on the website of the Ministry of Education in Thailand,” Traiboon recalled. “ I applied,
took the required exams and underwent an interview, and got the slot.”
The most important thing that he will carry back to Thailand isn’t about the education
system in Wisconsin, though. “People here are very friendly and the students are very, very
good to us,” Traiboon said. “I’m going back to Thailand carrying with me the good
relationship we now have with the people of Wisconsin.”
Thai students Pannapa “Oui” Tweaikit (Grade 12) and Nattaporn ‘Opor’ Karnjanapiadit
recalled their experiences since leaving Thailand for Wisconsin.
“We took writing exams and had an interview,” Tweaikit said. “We were selected on
the bases of those, and we came from different schools in Thailand. This Sunrise Program
takes in 25 students and five teachers to be sent to Wisconsin.”
Upon arrival in Wisconsin, the students were divided into five school districts, with
one teacher for each group. They stayed with their respective school district for 2 ½ weeks,
and each student stayed with a host family.
“Everything here is so different from Thailand,” Tweikit said. “First, it took so long to
arrive because it’s a very long journey. The first week was so slow and we missed home.
But then the next week, it was faster. Now it feels that it has been so fast that I have to go
By Heidi M. Pascual
One important goal of Wisconsin’s Department
of Public Instruction is for Wisconsin students to
study global cultures, make connections, and be
globally competent in order to develop literacy in
such areas as communication, citizenship, careers,
cultures and the community. “The health of every
community, small and large, is strengthened as
students learn to see issues through the eyes of
others,” so says DPI’s note on Pathways to Global
Literacy.
One program that pursues this goal is the
Sunrise Program, an agreement between Wisconsin
and the government of Thailand. The program hosts
Thai students and teachers in Wisconsin for several
weeks so they can experience Wisconsin’s
One important goal of Wisconsin’s Department
of Public Instruction is for Wisconsin students to
study global cultures, make connections, and be
globally competent in order to develop literacy in
such areas as communication, citizenship, careers,
cultures and the community. “The health of every
community, small and large, is strengthened as
students learn to see issues through the eyes of
others,” so says DPI’s note on Pathways to Global
Literacy.
One program that pursues this goal is the
Sunrise Program, an agreement between Wisconsin
and the government of Thailand. The program hosts
Thai students and teachers in Wisconsin for several
weeks so they can experience Wisconsin’s
(L-R) Pannapa “Oui” Tweaikit; Nattaporn ‘Opor’ Karnjanapiadit; Thai high school teacher
Charat Traiboon
Charat Traiboon
back to Thailand.”
Tweaikit was assigned to Manesha High School. “We saw how students studied, and the way they were being taught in school,” she
recalled. “We didn’t really ‘learn’ so much because time was so short; but we saw quite a bit about the good side and the bad side of the
system here.” She didn’t elaborate but Karnjanapiadit did.
“The educational system here is different,” Karnjanapiadit said. “The good thing here is, there are equipment to help the students. The
school provides for every student. This is not so in Thailand. Here, the student is confident to speak to the teacher and to ask questions.
This is not so in Thailand. Thai students are shy to ask questions. Kids have more freedom here.”
Tweaikit said she will try to apply what she has learned from her newfound friends — students from Menasha High School.
In a brief interview with DPI’s International Education Consultant Gerhard Fischer, Asian Wisconzine gathered that the Sunrise
Program is a two-way street. “The Thai kids come here to learn English, to study American way of life, to see what an American high school
is like,” Fischer explained. “So basically to learn about American culture. And in the process, we learn about Southeast Asian culture.”
The ultimate goal is to be able to send Wisconsin students to Thailand as well, but Wisconsin is unable to do so at this point. “We can’t
send as many as they send here,” Fischer admitted. “Lodi (School District) travelled there last year, and the Hudson (School District) that
hosted the kids — I heard — is planning to travel next year, so yes, the program is picking up.”
In assessing the current results of the Sunrise Program, Fischer said there are no quantitative measurements yet. “We don’t measure
the results, but the results we’ve seen are that these kids stay in touch and there are many, many connections,” he said. “Imagine, over
the last three years, 75 students and 15 teachers have come here, and if you multiply each kid with host families and so on and so forth,
there are some very strong connections that came from that.”
How does the program work? “Thailand tells us in December that they’re sending kids; they’re sending us names, ages of the kids,”
Fischer explained. “And I find schools here that are willing to host the kids. In the districts, each kid stays with their host family.
Fischer explained that DPI’s international programs/agreements bring a lot of good will and global connections that help Wisconsin
make friends and Wisconsin youth to expand their horizon in a shrinking world. “
Tweaikit was assigned to Manesha High School. “We saw how students studied, and the way they were being taught in school,” she
recalled. “We didn’t really ‘learn’ so much because time was so short; but we saw quite a bit about the good side and the bad side of the
system here.” She didn’t elaborate but Karnjanapiadit did.
“The educational system here is different,” Karnjanapiadit said. “The good thing here is, there are equipment to help the students. The
school provides for every student. This is not so in Thailand. Here, the student is confident to speak to the teacher and to ask questions.
This is not so in Thailand. Thai students are shy to ask questions. Kids have more freedom here.”
Tweaikit said she will try to apply what she has learned from her newfound friends — students from Menasha High School.
In a brief interview with DPI’s International Education Consultant Gerhard Fischer, Asian Wisconzine gathered that the Sunrise
Program is a two-way street. “The Thai kids come here to learn English, to study American way of life, to see what an American high school
is like,” Fischer explained. “So basically to learn about American culture. And in the process, we learn about Southeast Asian culture.”
The ultimate goal is to be able to send Wisconsin students to Thailand as well, but Wisconsin is unable to do so at this point. “We can’t
send as many as they send here,” Fischer admitted. “Lodi (School District) travelled there last year, and the Hudson (School District) that
hosted the kids — I heard — is planning to travel next year, so yes, the program is picking up.”
In assessing the current results of the Sunrise Program, Fischer said there are no quantitative measurements yet. “We don’t measure
the results, but the results we’ve seen are that these kids stay in touch and there are many, many connections,” he said. “Imagine, over
the last three years, 75 students and 15 teachers have come here, and if you multiply each kid with host families and so on and so forth,
there are some very strong connections that came from that.”
How does the program work? “Thailand tells us in December that they’re sending kids; they’re sending us names, ages of the kids,”
Fischer explained. “And I find schools here that are willing to host the kids. In the districts, each kid stays with their host family.
Fischer explained that DPI’s international programs/agreements bring a lot of good will and global connections that help Wisconsin
make friends and Wisconsin youth to expand their horizon in a shrinking world. “
| (Above) Thai students & teachers with DPI’s International Education Consultant Gerhard Fischer (tall guy at the back) |
