Wisconsin-Thailand connection
Sunrise Program: Expanding student horizons
Sunrise Program: Expanding student horizons
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 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
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 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 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.
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 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.
| Nattaporn ‘Opor’ Karnjanapiadit |
| Pannapa “Oui” Tweaikit |
| Thai high school teacher Charat Traiboon |
Thai students & teachers with DPI’s International
Education Consultant Gerhard Fischer (tall guy at the
back)
Education Consultant Gerhard Fischer (tall guy at the
back)
Thai delegates and Wisconsin coordinators
| Jackrapan Onnom, Foreign Relations Group, Thailand Ministry of Education |
“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.
“When they came back to Madison, they were crying because they don’t want to go back to Thailand,” Fischer said, and jokingly added. “‘Can we
stay?’ was their usual question to us. So we measure the success of our program in the amount of tears.”
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. “We have international agreements with Germany, Japan, two in France, and now we’re
working on China,” Fischer said. “So we’re taking superintendents and principals to China in April. Then, Hudson School District will be hosting
administrators in October. We’ll also be starting up one with Jalisco, Mexico.”
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.
“When they came back to Madison, they were crying because they don’t want to go back to Thailand,” Fischer said, and jokingly added. “‘Can we
stay?’ was their usual question to us. So we measure the success of our program in the amount of tears.”
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. “We have international agreements with Germany, Japan, two in France, and now we’re
working on China,” Fischer said. “So we’re taking superintendents and principals to China in April. Then, Hudson School District will be hosting
administrators in October. We’ll also be starting up one with Jalisco, Mexico.”
