May 2020 Newsletter
GLOBAL CAMPUSES IN THAILAND DURING THE PANDEMIC |
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Over the years, the international, cross-cultural dimension of the GCF academic model has served as a powerful educational influence for the campus participants in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Thailand.Their Campus to Campus Connections activities have inspired understandings about similarities and differences across cultures, including a primary focus on their shared experience of disability. As the world currently faces the life and death challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, learning how countries and cultures respond and how individual people make a significant difference tends to widen our realization that we are connected in very meaningful ways. The Global Campus participants are keeping connected through videos, recipe exchanges, and other curriculum ideas that they generate through distance learning - all the way from northern Vermont and New Hampshire to northern Thailand and back. The following is an update on the recent experiences of some of the Global Campuses Thailand participants during this global pandemic. Let us all hold our GCF colleagues, halfway around the world from Vermont and New Hampshire, in our daily thoughts. We are all connected! ~Sheryl Tewksbury
What We Are Experiencing
Similar to the USA, Thailand has been in lockdown mode since early March. Immediately, the campus participants scattered across the northern provinces, most returning to their family homes. Those who have internet capacity are connecting via Zoom and many have phones to conduct their campus 
activities to participate and support one another. Yale is conducting GCC research when the internet works in his Chiang Rai village far to the north. Daeng, who lives an hour south of the city, has had to close her beauty salon and worries about her income especially since she recently bought her first home. Khun Nang makes meals and separates herself from her parents in order to not be too close. Pim is also caring for her elderly parents. Nong Kaeng goes to help the community at the temple wearing a mask all the time. For campus participants in Nan Province, they too have been greatly affected by the economy. Narong has a traditional massage shop, now closed. Jack has had to close his electronics repair shop because there were no customers. Many campus participants face food insecurity. Yet, there are also stories of acts of kindness reinforcing the typical cultural way of being kind and generous. Fortunately, through the years of networking, volunteer service, and community outreach, the campus participants have forged friendships and collegial relationships with various community organizations, some that are now providing much-needed items as demonstrated in the story below.
Staying Connected and Delivering Goodwill
Ka and Non drive their van to the agreed meeting place to pick up donated masks and sanitizer gels so desperately needed in rural villages outside of the city of Chiang Mai. From their home, where they are sheltering in place, Ka and Non, coordinated a weekend effort of delivering this very precious cargo to other campus leaders in various locations. Pui, Daeng, Duen, Pim, and many others went around delivering to their frightened villagers too poor and remote to obtain the protective gear from any other source. Pui’s village is located at the base of a mountain where a steep, treacherous road reaches a hill-tribe village at the very top. Arrangements were made for a truck to come down to her home to pick up the supplies to take back to their hill-tribe campus colleagues. It was tiring work, yet all returned to the safety of their homes feeling good knowing that they have supported their peers and neighbors. Just this week, GCC has received 150 brown bags filled with fresh vegetables from the Royal Project. Once again, Ka and Non are now coordinating the distribution of this very special and much-needed contribution. ~ Kachakorn Thaveesri (Ka) and Yutthaphon Damrongchuensakun (Non)
"Overall, all people with disabilities are affected. But by having a family as the basis for support and having the Global Campus Foundation family as another, we will be able to live life safely during the crisis. We are all very grateful that GCF values and supports leaders with disabilities and our activities to be a learning society in the culture of disability in Thailand. We encourage the GCF family members in the United States to have good health and mental stability. We can go through this crisis together." ~Non, Director of GCC
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SMILING IS A PASSPORT: YOU CAN GO ANYWHERE WITH A SMILE
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Jack's Story
Jack rolled up in his wheel chair grinning from ear to ear and through the interpreter, immediately invited us for dinner at his parents’ nearby home. This was many years ago on our first GCF site visit to the remote mountainous region of Nan province on the Thai-Laos border. We were eager to meet the campus participants at their opening event of the first Global Campus outside of Chiang Mai province. That evening, after a delicious traditional meal with Jack’s extended family, we accompanied him to his village shop, where he pulled out a guitar and started singing the songs of Carabao, our favorite Thai rock band, famous for their ‘songs for life’, a style of music that came to prominence through the protest songs of the 1970s. We found ourselves mesmerized by his joy of sharing his music. As dusk was settling in, we then took Jack to his own place on the edge of the village. We drove into the forest, where to our amazement he pointed to a treehouse high up in a towering tree. He parked his wheelchair at the base and proceeded to pull himself up the thick rope using a pulley system to the wooden deck. Waving heartedly from above, we could still see his wide smile as we drove off to our guesthouse. Now, that is one impressive first meeting!
Fast forward to now, Jack is the Director of Global Campus Nanoi, he is self-employed, and also works as an Ambassador/Director with Friendly Design Nan Province, a Thai company promoting universal design accessibility. Jack readily mentions that discovering Global Campuses was one of those big moments in his life where he learned to push harder and strive for more experiences in his life. Acting as a role model for others, he is most happy when encouraging campus peers to develop themselves and to learn from one another. Jack teaches from his own personal experience that we can do good things without expecting to get something back, and in fact that giving generously to others in turn will bring good things to your life - often quite unexpectedly. He is also personally proud of his talent to write lyrics and share his music to help everyone be happy. As you read further, looking back on Jack’s life from an interview conducted by Yutthaphon (Non) Director of Global Campus Chiangmai, you will see that there were many life defining moments leading Jack to the happiness he conveys to all on his path.
~Sheryl Tewksbury
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GLOBAL CAMPUSES FOUNDATION CONTINUES TO PROVIDE
DISTANCE-LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES |
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GCF's Academic Coordinators continue to plan and create distance learning opportunities for
participants at GCF's 11 campuses in Vermont and GC Shiremont in Lebanon, NH. Global Campus participants have also begun to teach their classes via Zoom. GCF is here to provide a welcoming space during this challenging time and will continue to provide weekly distance learning lessons until we can safely meet in person again.
"The winter bird watching lesson was really appreciated. I must stress that although this may seem like a small matter, IT IS A BIG DEAL to that person whose world is pretty small. That's what gets to the core of why Global Campus is so critical right now: it keeps her connected to her world and all the social interaction that she can't get any other way right now." ~Marcy Bartlett, GC Springfield Home Provider
Class About Glee Brings Glee
Grace decided to teach a class about one of her favorite shows, Glee. She did a really good job of researching and pulling her information together in a short time. Grace put her information into a PowerPoint so all could see it. The campus learned about the plot of the show and some of the characters, including Grace’s favorites. She also chose three songs to share from the show: Borderline/Open Your Heart, Don’t Stop Believin’, and Just The Way You Are, which were all great choices.

She has decided to teach her Music Man class later. Pictured above is the PowerPoint Grace presented, as well as an insert of GC Moretown participants wearing their favorite party hat for Grace's birthday.
To experience a distance learning lesson, please go to the links below:
GCF Distance Learning Week 5 Mindfulness and Connections
GCF Distance Learning Week 6 Staying Active
GCF Distance Learning Week 7 A World of Mysteries
GCF Distance Learning Week 8 Our Changing World
DISTANCE LEARNING ACTIVITY CHALLENGE
Participants at 12 New England campuses created an activity challenge to walk outside while being safe.
- In week 6, 17 participants took part in this one-week long activity challenge
- Total miles for the week = 228.63
- Average mileage = 13.4 miles
Activity Challenge Winner - Jordan, GC Champlain Valley, with a total of 24.5 miles.
Jordan will receive a $25 gift card to a place of her choosing.
Congratulations to all the Global Campus participants who took part in the Activity Challenge!
Please check GCF's Facebook page every week for the new distance learning lesson. To learn more, contact Patti Gannon, GCF Associate Director, at [email protected] or (802) 272-1396.
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A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT
TAKES ROOT AT GLOBAL CAMPUS LAMOILLE |
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Global Campus Lamoille has started an 'Adopt a Grandparent Project'. Laura Gale, a Lamoille County Mental Health Services direct support, worked with the Manor Nursing Home to create this "Adopt a Grandparent" project. Many of our senior community members are feeling isolated and are unable to have visitors. This project is designed to connect seniors at Manor with Global Campus participants to become email pals. So far, the campus has several GC Lamoille participants involved, with more in the next few weeks.
Pictured here is GC Lamoille participant, Deb, who has adopted a grandparent. |
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GCF WORLD CULTURES
VIRTUAL CAMPUS TO CAMPUS CONNECTIONS (C2C) EVENT
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Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Time: 1-2:30 pm
Zoom: To join the virtual C2C, contact Patti Gannon, [email protected]
Agenda:
- Introduction: Steve Tavella, Executive Director
- World Cultures Presentation about London, England: GC Brattleboro participants
- Updates about summer term, fall semester, and academic year theme: GC Team
- Everyone is invited to participate in a virtual Tai Chi Exercise Class taught by Ellie Hayes
- Thailand Video Presentation
 High Mountain Flowing Water Tai Chi Instructor, Ellie Hayes, has been learning and sharing Tai Chi since 1974. The classes offered through High Mountain Flowing Water Tai Chi emphasize relaxation of body and mind, freeing internal energy to maximize health benefits, and bring mindful awareness to the present moment. Ellie will teach us about Tai Chi and help us learn this ancient Chinese martial art at our virtual C2C event on June 16.
At the end of the C2C, everyone is welcome to remain on Zoom for a virtual lesson about how to make a smoothie, presented by a Global Campus Lamoille participant.
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FOLLOW GCF ON INSTAGRAM
Global Campuses Foundation has recently joined Instagram. Follow us below on Instagram at globalcampusesfoundation for the most recent updates about what is happening
at all of the GCF campuses. Also, please remember to like us on Facebook too!
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FEBRUARY 2020 NEWSLETTER
Full Circle: An Award with Powerful Meaning- February 17, 2020
Full Circle: An Award with Powerful Meaning- February 17, 2020
The gift of reflection upon one’s life is a treasure whenever it is presented, especially when totally unexpected. For Global Campus Chiang Mai participant, Ms. Walailuck Chantarat, nickname Nang, the year 2019 stands out as a time of profound learning for her. She received three distinctive awards, the first two in February and March for her community service and work on behalf of women’s issues, and the third in December- with this recent one the most impactful of all. But, let’s go back to her personal life story before we elaborate on 2019.
Nang, first learned of Global Campus years ago when she was busy earning her university degree and beginning her career as a high school librarian, two significant achievements for a woman who experiences a disability in Thailand. Now, she is an active campus member and serves as secretary of the Global Campus Chiang Mai, Disability Culture Association. Her cheerful personality and genuine helpfulness stand out along with an enthusiastic willingness to join in all activities. These personal qualities seem to come naturally to Nang, yet a powerful life story reveals the influences that refined her character and reflect a well-earned happiness. “My education, my power, my self-confidence, are a result of following my mother’s teachings.”
As Nang begins her story, she readily states that her Mom is her idol and shares that she was born without the full formation of 16 of her vertebral bones, a rare physical condition called Congenital Neural tube defects" (CNTB). The doctor then and there presented a challenging, life-saving decision to Nang’s young mother to choose between surgery that might help her to walk but risked her intellectual ability or vice versa. “From that moment on, my Mom became my advocate. Luckily for me, she was a teacher who believed strongly that education was the means to a promising life.”
Nang’s mother gently pushed her to be strong and independent promoting self-reliance, a positive attitude, and giving to others. This was not easy for Nang especially, as a young girl, when her mother chose to enroll her in a highly esteemed private school for girls rather than the traditional special school where her mother was concerned that she would not have been challenged. As a kindergartener, on her first day, Nang right away realized that she was not accepted, and in fact, she was bullied. Only six years old, Nang shared her sadness with her mother, and two important teachings stood out from her mother’s response. She said, “If you think this is a big deal with your life, it will be big. If you think it is a small thing, then it is small.” This message that your attitude is powerful in how you live your life guided her as well as another teaching, “If you give to others, others will give back to you.”
For all of those years at school, Nang tried to do what her mother said, but it took way too long-nobody accepted her and she was very lonely. Isolated from social interactions throughout, K-9th grades, no one ever befriended her, likewise her teachers did not come to her rescue. Yet, she believed her mother and followed her encouragement to be giving and to cultivate a positive attitude. Fortunately, her high school years and onward were less lonely.
Fast forward to today, Nang drives a car, is a swimmer, holds a Bachelor’s degree from Chiang Mai University, and works as a high school librarian. She now has a wide circle of friends including Global Campus peers, and has become a key leader in Women and Disability activities through her GCF involvement. She enjoys posting on social media such as Line and Face Book, and, here is where we arrive at the life changing award in 2019.
Nang was nominated for the Regina Coeli School Alumna award by some of her former K-9 classmates. Yes, the very schoolmates who had isolated and taunted her long ago had followed Nang’s recent active life through Face Book. They later shared at the event that it had struck them that she was an amazing, active, giving person, more so than themselves. Some were able to attend the award ceremony, and some have written Nang since. Each has made a point of directly apologizing for their misunderstanding of her when they were children. They explained that they did not know how to interact with her, nor how to help her, and that they were concerned that they might physically hurt her. Now, they were moved to express how they admired her strength of character during all those years in school and into her adult life.
Nang shared her conclusion to this part of her life story, “This is the powerful moment for me, because it changed my entire understanding of my early school year experiences. At the time, I thought nobody cared about me and I did not have value. I was so lonely. This third award helps me to understand myself and my schoolmates. This once again validates my dedication to my mother’s teachings to believe in myself, to maintain a positive attitude, and to know that when you give, in return you will be given back. It brings my life full circle, and I am very happy!”
Submitted by Sheryl Tewksbury and Walailuck Chantarat, February 17, 2020
JANUARY 2020 EDITION
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