ASIA LITERACY AMBASSADORS – PARTNERING BUSINESSES & SCHOOLS Building demand for Asia literacy © The University of Melbourne – Asia Education Foundation, 2013

What is an Asia Literacy Ambassador? Ambassadors are individuals who: have been influenced by the Asian region and/or by Asian communities in Australia in their life and work are interested in volunteering their time to link with local school communities and act as role models & mentors will invest their expertise in helping young Australians explore future work and life pursuits © The University of Melbourne – Asia Education Foundation, 2013

School Business Partnerships © The University of Melbourne – Asia Education Foundation,

Enhancement: including your partner school Students seek input from students/teachers at partner school Partner school contribution adds another perspective to interaction Engaging Students in Contemporary Issues Ambassadors share their expertise on an issue Students have access to a primary source of information about an issue they are studying Speakers Bureau Ambassadors share their stories: role-model / mentor Students gain insight into a world outside the classroom, picture themselves in the speaker’s shoes © The University of Melbourne – Asia Education Foundation, 2013 School Business Partnerships

Engaging students in contemporary issues Curriculum based unit: not an add on  3-4 week unit Careers unit? end-of-year elective/enrichment?  opportunity to be creative with your syllabus Allow at least 6 weeks for AEF to match you with an ambassador Ambassador’s role: ideally, at least 1 interaction with students and engagement with the school over 1-3 months (negotiated) Other partners: BRIDGE partners school, other school staff, members of your school/local community AEF report - June 2014: doesn’t mean the project has to end there © The University of Melbourne – Asia Education Foundation, 2013

How can an ambassador contribute? An ambassador and/or representative of their organisation may contribute by: – Being present in the classroom – Providing input during the inquiry project on their areas of expertise/knowledge – Being available virtually (video-conferencing) – Being available by telephone – Arranging a site visit to their workplace – Linking students to other resources – Assisting in planning the demonstration of learning and making a presentation © The University of Melbourne – Asia Education Foundation, 2013

Possibilities…. © The University of Melbourne – Asia Education Foundation, 2013 Will Chinese be the next lingua franca? Online forum engaging Year 9 students in Melbourne, their sister school counterparts in China and 5 ambassadors (4 in Melbourne, 1 in Hong Kong) Melbourne-based ambassadors to visit class for debrief Cert II in Applied Languages (Yr10): Indonesian in the workplace Presentation from a marine scientist who works in Indonesia Access to the scientist’s blog Students to write thank-you letters in Indonesian Why learn Chinese? Small groups interview different ambassadors about how speaking Chinese has helped them in their careers Students design pamphlets for next subject information/careers night More ideas on our website….

Roles and responsibilities Schools: – Complete an inquiry project focused on a contemporary issue relevant to Australia and Asia – Organise a demonstration of learning – Engage effectively with an Ambassador and other partners where relevant – Report to AEF on project outcomes Ambassadors: – Engage with a school over 1-3 months involving one or more interactions – Support the demonstration of learning as negotiated AEF: – Match ambassadors with schools – Provide support and advice for schools and ambassadors where required – Provide tools for students, teachers and ambassadors (website) © The University of Melbourne – Asia Education Foundation, 2013

Enhancement: including your partner school Students seek input from students/teachers at partner school Partner school contribution adds another perspective to interaction Engaging Students in Contemporary Issues Ambassadors share their expertise on an issue Students have access to a primary source of information about an issue they are studying Speakers Bureau Ambassadors share their stories: role-model / mentor Students gain insight into a world outside the classroom, picture themselves in the speaker’s shoes © The University of Melbourne – Asia Education Foundation, 2013 Engaging Students in Contemporary Issues

Where to from here? © The University of Melbourne – Asia Education Foundation, 2013 Identify a curriculum need or opportunity Could be your own or another’s learning area or a co-curricular area (e.g. career education) How could it be enhanced by involving an ambassador or ambassadors? ‘Contemporary issues project’ or ‘one-off’ speaking engagement? Is there a way you could involve your partner school? Explore ‘contemporary issues’ project: Register a project by clicking on ‘Project Registration Form’ (this doesn’t lock you in, but helps us to know you are interested and we will follow up with you). Search for ambassadors: Report back to the group: Your idea for partnering with ambassadors

Asia Education Foundation The University of Melbourne Telephone: Website: asiaeducation.edu.au Contact: © The University of Melbourne – Asia Education Foundation, 2012