East Asian Studies students visit Panda Garden- one final time......
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Last March members of Mr. Platt's East Asian Studies class had the chance to dine and mingle at Panda Garden for the last month of its long history in Lawrence, Kansas. Lucy White visited with the students and shared some of her stories and told them about some of the types of foods they were trying. Professor John Kennedy from the University of Kansas visited with our students to discuss the daily life in China. His focus was the life of a typical high school student as our students are attending Lawrence High School at the moment. Professor Kennedy has spent a lot of time in China and he is able to bring his message to life through his many personal experiences. His stories are captivating.
I have known the White family for many years. I was lucky enough to have Lucy's daughter in both junior high and high school as a student. It is always great to catch up with them. She has been supportive of our efforts to help get students to travel abroad by hosting fundraisers and spreading the word of our program. My students will miss the opportunity to experience first hand the message of Lucy at the Panda Garden but hopefully her message for them will be shared for years to come. Thank You so much! |
Geography Club in Action during the 15-16 school Year
The LHS Geography Club has been very busy during the 2015-16 school year. Pictured above are club officers Stefan Petrovic and Kade Bassett. They have led a couple of major projects that the club has been involved in this year. The club was involved in three major service projects that were coordinated by these two.
The first is the continuing project of financing micro loans to people in developing nations were capital is scarce. Kade lead a group of you people in a drum line performance that brought in additional funds for this project. The Club works through Kiva. If you are interested in this project check out Kiva at https://www.kiva.org.
The club also continues to work with the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. This trust focuses on caring for orphaned elephants. Through fundraising efforts the club was able to sponsor an additional two elephants. You can learn more about this organization at https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org. We collected donations with the help of Raj Patel. Raj also led efforts to sell buttons at a home football game that sold out before the first quarter.
Our third major project is our annual contribution to the Lawrence Festival of Trees. This event is a fundraiser for the Shelter Inc. You can learn more about that organization at http://www.theshelterinc.org. This years tree was made out of one solid piece of pine. The idea is that it is reusable and natural. We also wanted to capture the idea of taking advantage of limited space with our "Flat Tree Concept". The project was designed, completed and set up by the students.
The club also hosted former LHS graduate Joanne Renfro. Joanne just recently completed hiking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail. She shared her photographs and stories of her experiences of the trail and the conservation efforts that keep the trail going. Hearing the human stories of trail life and adventure were truly inspiring. Our other speakers were Spencer Emerson, Christa Griffin and Maya Roth. They shared their experiences in Peru. They have also visited some of our schools Spanish classes to share their experiences.
Our Lions in Peru project is nearing completion and when it is finished we will post that update right here at Explore Learn Teach!
The first is the continuing project of financing micro loans to people in developing nations were capital is scarce. Kade lead a group of you people in a drum line performance that brought in additional funds for this project. The Club works through Kiva. If you are interested in this project check out Kiva at https://www.kiva.org.
The club also continues to work with the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. This trust focuses on caring for orphaned elephants. Through fundraising efforts the club was able to sponsor an additional two elephants. You can learn more about this organization at https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org. We collected donations with the help of Raj Patel. Raj also led efforts to sell buttons at a home football game that sold out before the first quarter.
Our third major project is our annual contribution to the Lawrence Festival of Trees. This event is a fundraiser for the Shelter Inc. You can learn more about that organization at http://www.theshelterinc.org. This years tree was made out of one solid piece of pine. The idea is that it is reusable and natural. We also wanted to capture the idea of taking advantage of limited space with our "Flat Tree Concept". The project was designed, completed and set up by the students.
The club also hosted former LHS graduate Joanne Renfro. Joanne just recently completed hiking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail. She shared her photographs and stories of her experiences of the trail and the conservation efforts that keep the trail going. Hearing the human stories of trail life and adventure were truly inspiring. Our other speakers were Spencer Emerson, Christa Griffin and Maya Roth. They shared their experiences in Peru. They have also visited some of our schools Spanish classes to share their experiences.
Our Lions in Peru project is nearing completion and when it is finished we will post that update right here at Explore Learn Teach!
Alex in Moab- Four Questions about his experience
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Question #1- What was your favorite part of the adventure to Moab?
Alex- I really enjoyed traveling with my friends and seeing part of the world that I had never seen before. My favorite bike ride had to be the Shafer Trail road. The switchbacks were cool and the views were amazing. If you have a chance make sure you get here some day. Question #2- What were your impressions of the arches that we saw in the area? Alex- Delicate Arch was by far my favorite. It came at you from nowhere. You walked around a corner and there it was. I also really liked the Double Arch. It was super cool. I liked the Sand Dune Arch as well- mostly because I liked playing in the sand and I even tried a back flip here. It was so fun that you could explore and climb in so many locations. I even enjoyed learning about how the arches formed and learning about the geography and wildlife of the area. The Landscape Arch might have been my favorite view. Question #3- Why do you think traveling is important? Alex- Well you get to increase your awareness of the world around you. You get to see new things and you get to meet new people. If you want to have a better idea about the world around you then you should get out and see it. I came here to bike but the hiking was actually pretty fun. I did not think it would be so fun and interesting. They place was amazing and inspiring. I didn't know that nature was so cool. Everyone should travel here because it is a great place. If you like nature and the outdoors then Moab is the place for you. Question #4 Would you come back? Alex- Yes of course - In a heartbeat! |
Congratulations and Thanks to Stefan Petrovic
Congratulations are in order for Lawrence High Junior Stefan Petrovic. He was recently selected as the winner of the Eliot S. Berkley Award from the International Relations Council. The IRC's major goal is to promote global awareness and understanding, and each year they sponsor the Berkley Award to honor a regional high school junior or senior that demonstrates superior academic competence and interest in international relations. Stefan's winning paper focused on what he viewed was the role the United States should take in the 21st century in terms of global conflict resolution. He examined the contrasting views of interventionist and isolationist approaches, and the roles of endorsing international organizations while considering national interests. You can learn more about the IRC by visiting their web page at http://www.irckc.org.
A huge thank you is also extended to Stefan. He contributed $300 of his winnings to Explore, Learn, Teach. One hundred of those dollars were earmarked for international micro-loan investments. Stefan is president of the LHS Geography Club and with other members of the club selected four micro-loan projects through Kiva. You can learn more about Kiva at http://www.kiva.org/home. He donated another $200 to the "Lions in Peru Project". You can learn more about "Lions in Peru Project" at
http://lionsinperu.com. Stefan, thank you for your leadership and compassion.
A huge thank you is also extended to Stefan. He contributed $300 of his winnings to Explore, Learn, Teach. One hundred of those dollars were earmarked for international micro-loan investments. Stefan is president of the LHS Geography Club and with other members of the club selected four micro-loan projects through Kiva. You can learn more about Kiva at http://www.kiva.org/home. He donated another $200 to the "Lions in Peru Project". You can learn more about "Lions in Peru Project" at
http://lionsinperu.com. Stefan, thank you for your leadership and compassion.
Lions in Peru- Upcoming film project
Follow the adventures of a group of Kansas kids as they experience Peru and the culture of the Andes for the first time.
- Explore Learn Teach along with the LHS Geography Club will be sponsoring a film that explores Peru through the eyes of seven Kansas kids.
- We need your help with funding- Please visit our donation page and become a friend of the film.
- With a twenty dollar donation you will be listed in the film credits as a friend of the film
- For a hundred dollar donation you or your business will be a featured sponsor of the film
- Our featured sponsors will be invited to the premiere of the film this fall and listed on the films website.
- Thanks for considering being a part of this project!
LHS Geography Club Donates Tree
Members of the Lawrence High School Geography Club constructed a christmas tree made out of plastic water bottles, electric fence wire and PVC pipe to be donated to Lawrence's Festival of Trees. The Festival of Trees is a fundraiser for the Shelter Inc. The students work received many compliments for its design and social relevance. Great job students!
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Lawrence High and Cordley Elementary Working Together on the Elephant Orphan Project
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Lawrence High Geography Club along with students from Cordley Elementary School have fostered the following elephants and a Giraffe-
Kamok Sokotei Asaka Kili Lima-Lima. You can learn more about the elephant orphan project at: www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org 
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Ten Questions with John on his Beijing experiences:
Question #1 Why did you want to travel to Beijing, China?
John- I wanted to see how another culture lives life and see
what the world was like on the other side of the globe. We hear all kinds of things about different places but I had an opportunity and wanted to see things with my own eyes.
Question #2. What were you looking forward to the most in China?
John- I love food, so of course I wanted to try some “real” Chinese food and I wanted to climb the Great Wall.
Question #3. What were your reaction to seeing and being on the Great Wall of China?
John- It was Amazing. I knew it was big and long but wow- you really have no idea until you see it and walk along it. The view was breath taking.
Question #4. How were your experiences with the food?
John- It was amazing besides the McDonalds- ( yes I tried it once but only once)- Duck was new for me but I liked it. There was a lot of variety in the foods we ate. ( there are lots of noodles in the North- my teacher tells me this is because they grow wheat in the North)
Question #5. What did you think of the Forbidden City? Did you have any idea it would be so large?
John- Well I really liked it as the buildings were my favorite colors- Red and Gold. I also could believe how large it was. Every time I thought we had come to an end there would be another large courtyard.
Question #6. What did you think of your visit to the Summer Palace?
John- I really enjoyed this place as we did Tia Chi in the morning in a courtyard in the Summer Palace. It was really peaceful and relaxing. I also like all of the statues, rocks and paintings.
Question #7. You visited a school while you were in China. What were your memories and thoughts about that experience ? (we visited a trade school as the regular high school was preparing for exams)
John- I liked the fact that we got to play games with the students and this helped to break the ice. I enjoyed watching their students doing performances. Stefan and I also took lots of pictures the the students which was a lot of fun.
Question #8. What was your impression of the Lama Temple (Yonghegong) in Beijing?
John- I could not believe how large some of the statues of Buddha were. In fact one of them was carved from a single tree and was a Guiness Book of World Record’s holder. I also could not believe how many different types of Buddhist statues were there for people to pray to. There were lots of people here praying as well.
Questions # 9. What did you think of the Kung Fu show?
John- I could not believe how strong some of those guys were.
Question #10. What were your memories or shopping and bartering?
John- Bartering wasn’t for everyone but I loved it. I was pretty good so some of my friends had me barter for them as well. I bartered for all kinds of things, shirts, tea, Beats and really just about everything.
Questions for Dakota on her China experience
Question- Why did you want to travel to China?
Dakota- I am studying Chinese at my High School and I really wanted to practice my language and introduce myself to the culture. I have also never been out of the country and wanted to have that experience.
Question- What were you looking most forward to on your journey?
Dakota- I was mostly looking forward to walking on the Great Wall. Just being there in such an ancient place that so many people have been a park of would make me feel more connected to the place. I also wanted to eat the food.
Question- What did you think of the Great Wall?
Dakota- It was much steeper than I thought it would be, even on the so called easy side. It had a gorgeous view of the mountains because it is in the mountains. Sara, Kavyn and I took a man-powered slide down from one of the wall sections. It was fun. But we got separated from our guide so we had to call her. It was interesting trying to find a phone on the Great Wall. It was an amazing place.
Question- What were your impressions on the Forbidden CIty and Tiananmen Square?
Dakota- It (Forbidden City) was so long and big. It just kept going and going. The detail on the buildings were beautiful. Our guide shared some of the amazing history and legends of the place
Question- What did you like and remember about the summer palace?
Dakota- We did Tai Chi here and it helped me wake up as we just arrived from our overnight flight the night before. The buildings, the lake and the marble boat are amazing. There were so many stories and so much history that our guide shared with us. I felt honored to ride the first Dragon boat of 2014 on the lake.
Question- What did you think of the Temple of Heaven?
Dakota- I have always wanted to go here. It was such a beautiful place. Lots of people get their wedding pictures taken here. The brides had such beautiful and colorful dresses.
Question- What did you think of your visit to the Chinese school?
Dakota- The girls dressed so cute. Each of the kids I meet reminded me of some of my friends at home. It was fun to practice my chinese. The students were so disciplined in their performance yet so shy, but very funny.
Question- What were your reactions to the Buddhist Temple?
Dakota- Just being around all those spiritual people praying and stuff was touching. Seeing how that Giant Buddha had an impact on people was interesting and inspiring. The Giant Buddha and the whole scene actually made me cry.
Last Question- What did you think of the food and tea?
Dakota- I really enjoyed the family's home cooked meal. The smells of the city and the different environment and the different foods were more difficult for me than I expected. It did not help that I got sick. But the tea tasting was great. I loved the black lychee tea. Sara our host was so funny and informative. I loooooooove, love, love our experience and guides that we meet in China. I felt like a celebrity because so many people wanted to take pictures with me.
Dakota- I am studying Chinese at my High School and I really wanted to practice my language and introduce myself to the culture. I have also never been out of the country and wanted to have that experience.
Question- What were you looking most forward to on your journey?
Dakota- I was mostly looking forward to walking on the Great Wall. Just being there in such an ancient place that so many people have been a park of would make me feel more connected to the place. I also wanted to eat the food.
Question- What did you think of the Great Wall?
Dakota- It was much steeper than I thought it would be, even on the so called easy side. It had a gorgeous view of the mountains because it is in the mountains. Sara, Kavyn and I took a man-powered slide down from one of the wall sections. It was fun. But we got separated from our guide so we had to call her. It was interesting trying to find a phone on the Great Wall. It was an amazing place.
Question- What were your impressions on the Forbidden CIty and Tiananmen Square?
Dakota- It (Forbidden City) was so long and big. It just kept going and going. The detail on the buildings were beautiful. Our guide shared some of the amazing history and legends of the place
Question- What did you like and remember about the summer palace?
Dakota- We did Tai Chi here and it helped me wake up as we just arrived from our overnight flight the night before. The buildings, the lake and the marble boat are amazing. There were so many stories and so much history that our guide shared with us. I felt honored to ride the first Dragon boat of 2014 on the lake.
Question- What did you think of the Temple of Heaven?
Dakota- I have always wanted to go here. It was such a beautiful place. Lots of people get their wedding pictures taken here. The brides had such beautiful and colorful dresses.
Question- What did you think of your visit to the Chinese school?
Dakota- The girls dressed so cute. Each of the kids I meet reminded me of some of my friends at home. It was fun to practice my chinese. The students were so disciplined in their performance yet so shy, but very funny.
Question- What were your reactions to the Buddhist Temple?
Dakota- Just being around all those spiritual people praying and stuff was touching. Seeing how that Giant Buddha had an impact on people was interesting and inspiring. The Giant Buddha and the whole scene actually made me cry.
Last Question- What did you think of the food and tea?
Dakota- I really enjoyed the family's home cooked meal. The smells of the city and the different environment and the different foods were more difficult for me than I expected. It did not help that I got sick. But the tea tasting was great. I loved the black lychee tea. Sara our host was so funny and informative. I loooooooove, love, love our experience and guides that we meet in China. I felt like a celebrity because so many people wanted to take pictures with me.
Questions for Travis on his China experience
Travis receives a very personal plate
Question- What was one of your most memorable experiences in China?
Travis- It had to be that acrobatic show in Beijing because it was just crazy, they had ten girls on one bike.
Question- What surprised you about China?
Travis- I could not believe all the people that wanted to take pictures with me, I felt famous.
Question- What did you like and find different than you would have suspected about the food?
Travis- I found that it was easy to eat lots of rice or noodles with everything because sometimes you didn't know what it was you were eating.
Question- What was your favorite site?
Travis- Moon Hill was incredible, the views over the karst formations were crazy! This area was my favorite and the crowds on West Street were huge. There were just tons of people visiting for the Dragon Boat Festival.
Question- What differences did you notice in the rural areas and the cities?
Travis- The cities were huge with huge buildings and apartments for the mass of people in these places as compared to the small simple mud brick house of the 84 year old farm lady we meet. It was interesting that she kept her coffin ready in one of the side rooms.
Question- What did you think about the traffic and driving in China?
Travis- There were no rules what-so-ever or so it seemed as they (drivers) would go where they pleased, they would park wherever and if the crosswalk said it was clear to walk well so shouldn't trust it and better pay attention because you do not have the right away!
Question- What was your favorite human experience in China?
Travis- I was being fanned by an elderly lady on my hike down from Moon Hill. She also gave me a basic language lesson on the way up the hill. I learned the words for teacher, moon hill, farmer, "halfway there", and so many more. This was one tough and cool lady!!
Thanks for your time Travis.
Travis- It had to be that acrobatic show in Beijing because it was just crazy, they had ten girls on one bike.
Question- What surprised you about China?
Travis- I could not believe all the people that wanted to take pictures with me, I felt famous.
Question- What did you like and find different than you would have suspected about the food?
Travis- I found that it was easy to eat lots of rice or noodles with everything because sometimes you didn't know what it was you were eating.
Question- What was your favorite site?
Travis- Moon Hill was incredible, the views over the karst formations were crazy! This area was my favorite and the crowds on West Street were huge. There were just tons of people visiting for the Dragon Boat Festival.
Question- What differences did you notice in the rural areas and the cities?
Travis- The cities were huge with huge buildings and apartments for the mass of people in these places as compared to the small simple mud brick house of the 84 year old farm lady we meet. It was interesting that she kept her coffin ready in one of the side rooms.
Question- What did you think about the traffic and driving in China?
Travis- There were no rules what-so-ever or so it seemed as they (drivers) would go where they pleased, they would park wherever and if the crosswalk said it was clear to walk well so shouldn't trust it and better pay attention because you do not have the right away!
Question- What was your favorite human experience in China?
Travis- I was being fanned by an elderly lady on my hike down from Moon Hill. She also gave me a basic language lesson on the way up the hill. I learned the words for teacher, moon hill, farmer, "halfway there", and so many more. This was one tough and cool lady!!
Thanks for your time Travis.
KU Professor meets and eats with Students
Recently East Asian Studies class members and LHS Geography Club members had a lecture lunch from Professor John Kennedy from the University of Kansas. He visited with students on a number of topics but focused mostly on the comparisons and contrasts of students from China with those like themselves from the United States. It was very insightful for our students as was evident from the questions and discussion that emerged over lunch. It was a shame that we only had an hour and a half. We hope to continue this format next year. A special thanks goes to Lucy White as her staff at the Panda Garden provided a fantastic meal. If we are lucky Professor Kennedy will meet with our group of students this summer in Xi'an.
Explore Learn and Teach supports LHS students in Utah
Explore, Learn and Teach along with the Lawrence High Bike Club and LHS Geography Club helped to support and provide opportunities for several club members to hike and bike in Utah over their spring break. Aside from the physical beauty of the area, and the great physical activity we engaged in we know that our students became more aware of the history, geography and conservation efforts of the area. Later this week we will update our Moab gallery to show more of our experiences over the past week.
LHS students learning about Chinese Scroll painting
Explore, Learn and Teach helped to support the efforts of a couple of Lawrence High Students as they traveled to the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City. These students were part of an East Asian studies class that first toured the Asian Galleries and then took a guided painting class. Look for future pictures of the trip in our photo galleries.
Explore Learn Teach and Lawrence High Geography Club Produce Tree!
Members of the LHS Geography Club together with the support of Explore, Learn and Teach created a tree for donations at the 2012 Lawrence Festival of Trees. The tree title was "Christmas Gone Wild" and focused on animals some of which were endangered and all of which were selected by our students to represent the spirit of conservation and protection of animals and their environments.
Fundraising Dinner Tuesday March 6th at the 23rd street Brewery
Update- Thanks for attending! We raised 200$ for our upcoming Visas!.
come join us any time tuesday at the 23rd street brewery as they will donate 10% of their sales to us as long as you present them with our flyer- you can get it on Facebook!
come join us any time tuesday at the 23rd street brewery as they will donate 10% of their sales to us as long as you present them with our flyer- you can get it on Facebook!