Fulbright ETA Monthly Highlights

March 2017 AMINEF proudly presents the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Monthly Highlights. Each month we showcase the various activities ETAs have been involved in throughout the past month, both in and outside the classroom. AMINEF oversees 29 ETAs who are placed in high schools across .

Foreword

Welcome to the March edition of the Fulbright States while increasing the US student’s own ETA Monthly Highlights. Throughout March, language skills and knowledge of the many host Fulbright English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) countries around the world. led and participated in a range of activities with their schools and communities. This month, ETAs In Indonesia, the Fulbright ETAs are placed in continued to engage in cultural exchange at their high schools (both SMA and madrasah) where sites. ETAs joined their schools on field trip and they assist local English teachers. The program welcomed visitors to their own sites, creating new has now been going for 12 years and has affected friendships and maintaining already established many thousands of Indonesian students and relationships. ETAs continued to work with English their communities across the archipelago over Clubs in both their schools and their communities, that period. AMINEF, in charge of the Fulbright and several held their local WORDS Competitions, program in Indonesia since 1992, works closely leading up to the national WORDS Competition in with the Indonesian ministries of Education and Jakarta in early April. Culture and Religious Affairs to administer the ETA program in Indonesia. The ETA Program, one of the US State Department- funded Fulbright programs carried out in many The Highlights recount in an informal way the countries throughout the world, places recent stories and experiences of the ETAs, their co- college graduates and young professionals teachers and students, and the people in the as English teaching assistants in primary and communities where they are placed. We hope they secondary schools or universities overseas. The are informative and capture the special value of program helps improve foreign students’ English- this program. We welcome your feedback. language abilities and knowledge of the United

We’d love to get your feedback. learn from Americans and vice versa? We’ll post your feedback in the next newsletter and you may For ETAs: please share with us your favorite win a special thank-you gift from us. Email us at: stories: which teaching method is most fun or [email protected] you’d like to apply, or which activity you’d like to hear more of, or what is happening in your Many thanks to all of the ETAs for their wonderful community? stories and photos. Be sure to get next month’s newsletter! For Indonesian teachers, students and the general public: Send us your reactions: which stories struck you as interesting, which experiences are AMINEF American Program compatible with your own, how can Indonesians and Communications Teams

1 Edition March 2017 Local WORDS Competition

MAN 1 Kendari The highlight of ETA 18 students participated in the event on March Kendari, Mackenzie Findlay’s 3rd. The topics of the speeches ran the gamut Southeast Sulawesi month was hosting the from wanting to be a “cicak on the wall” in an alien WORDS Competition at spaceship, to Heaven, to Willy Wonka’s “Chocolate her school, MAN 1 Kendari. Through the whole Factory” to her parent’s shoe store, to Thomas month of March, Mackenzie worked with her Edison’s workshop as he made the first lightbulb, students to write and practice speeches on the and on and on… In addition to the speech, theme, “Cicak on the Wall” (If you could be a cicak students also had to present a talent. Singing and on the wall in any room, at any time in the past, dancing were favorites among the students. They present, or future, and observe a room without also had students do magic tricks, taekwondo, and being seen or heard, where would you go?) Initially, one student painted a beautiful watercolor. All in this theme was a little difficult for the students to two-three minutes! The winner of the competition understand, but she believed in their creativity. was Elanda Yovita, an 11th grader who wrote With a few of her classes (the English language an inspiring speech on the Indonesian heroine, track) they worked on brainstorming ideas and Kartini. Elanda, as a cicak, wanted to go to the topics in class. Mackenzie had them come up with past to be in Kartini’s room and observe her as she nine different potential places and then helped wrote letters and educated herself. Elanda had put them choose their best three (most creative!) ideas. in a lot of work and her speech was well-thought From there, students wrote further on each topic, out and passionate. describing what they might hear, see, feel, think, smell, etc., there. Then, together, Mackenzie and Mackenzie was so proud of her students for the the student chose the best one. hard work they put in to the competition. It went perfectly and she was beaming the entire day!

Edition March 2017 2 Local WORDS Competition

The WORDS Competition talented young students practicing their hand SMKN 2 at SMKN 2 was an obvious at public speaking in English and sharing their Pangkalpinang highlight during the hidden talents. The winner of the local competition Pangkalpinang, month of March for ETA was Dimas Pratama. Stay tuned to hear about Bangka-Belitung Kiana Ward. Students his performance in the national competition in danced, beat boxed, and Jakarta in April’s edition of Fulbright ETA Monthly sang their hearts out. It was a joy to see so many Highlights.

English Club Field Trip

A few MAN 1 Gorontalo MAN 1 Gorontalo English Club students went Gorontalo City, on a field trip to the mall after Sulawesi school with ETA JoAnn Doll on Thursday, March 9. After practicing comparative and superlative adjectives in English Club earlier in the week, the students raced through the mall to complete a scavenger hunt in which they compared prices, quantities, and locations of items in different stores. The students also enjoyed creating their own extremely challenging scavenger hunt questions for the other English Club students to complete later this month.

3 Edition March 2017 School Field Trip

SMA Kristen As the rainy season comes which funds students from remote villages in East Mercusuar to an end, folks in Kupang Nusa Tenggara to attend high school in Kupang, Kupang, are spending more time in hopes of giving the students a better education. East Nusa Tenggara outside, especially with It’s sometimes difficult for the students being so far the weather cooling down away from home and their families, but they have a as well. In the last week of March, ETA Christal close-knit community in Kupang and they also live Clemens went on a field trip with her school, SMA together in a school kost. The fishing village was Kristen Mercusuar, to a nearby fishing village called about two hours away, east of Kupang. The students Noekele. All of the students who joined the trip are and teachers spent the day catching, cooking, and part of a special government scholarship program, eating the fish, sharing a delicious meal together.

Edition March 2017 4 Foam Run

In March, the Bringin Running Club flew out to bathroom in the morning. Early in the morning on Surabaya for another 10K race, the “Iconic Foam race day, everyone made and headed to Run”. ETA Katarina (Kata) Krueger, three student the race course. True to the name, there was a lot runners, PE teacher and of foam at the start/finish line, providing lots of fun Katarina Krueger co-teacher Tyas, who photos. Joined by ETAs Caroline Rose and Shreya SMAN 1 Bringin, came along to make sure Kundur, and three of Miss Krupa’s student runners, Central Java the trip was smooth and everyone headed out for some sightseeing together, to take photos and cheer which included a tour of a submarine and stopping everyone on, stayed with ETAs Kelly Fitzgerald and by the famous Surabaya statue of the fighting shark Krupa Patel in Surabaya. The boys loved their first and crocodile. After lunch everyone said good-bye flight, observing all the night lights from the sky as and the Bringin group headed to the train station they flew over Java. The whole group had dinner at for the ride home, the first train ride for some of the Kelly’s house where they spent the night before the group, including Kata! It was a very full, fun, quick race. It was so fun to meet other Americans and have trip. Kata was so glad to have another great race a big meal together. Having everyone stay together with her runners and introduce them to more of her felt like being at camp, complete with a line for the Fulbright friends from the US.

5 Edition March 2017 Jalan -jalan

In late March, ETAs day on the water, the ETAs met up with ETAs Anna Labuan Bajo, decided to explore the Katomski and Samantha Geary, the current ETAs Flores beautiful island of Flores. in Labuan Bajo. Together, they enjoyed eating lots of On Thursday, March 23, and at the local fish market. ETAs Ayat Abourashed, Edmund Pacleb, Kayla The ETAs loved and admired the beautifully vivid Stewart, Kelly Fitzgerald and Mackenzie Findlay sunsets and the pride the locals had for their culture. spent the day on a boat exploring Komodo National The time spent in Labuan Bajo was wonderful and Park. The ETAs trekked up Padar Island, saw eight the ETAs were sad to leave, but they were grateful Komodo dragons on Komodo Island, snorkeled at they had the opportunity to explore Anna and Pink Beach, and swam with Manta Rays. After a busy Samantha’s placement.

Edition March 2017 6 Visitors at Site

ETA Shelby Lawson’s kost was full of guests this Just days after her mom’s sendoff, Shelby hosted month! She kicked off March by hosting her mom for a friend she met while traveling last summer. Sarah two weeks. They spent the first exploring Kendari, was eager to jump into Kendari life and see what it going to school, judging was all about! Shelby and Sarah caught up at local SMAN 7 Kendari the WORDS competition, cafes, hiked the mountain at sunset, and enjoyed Kendari, and trying local foods! free movie theater tickets on the opening day of Southeast Sulawesi Her mom really enjoyed Kendari’s new cinema. getting to know Kendari so intimately, and fell in love with the people, just Both Sarah and Shelby’s mom emphasized how the as Shelby has. The following week they took off people of Kendari are so friendly and welcoming. for a whirlwind tour of Bali. They spent their time Shelby learned even more about her site by guiding snorkeling with manta rays, watching the fire dance, others through her life here. She wants everyone playing with monkeys, and hiking in the paddies. to know just how wonderful her students, friends, school, and city are!

7 Edition March 2017 Pulang Kampung

SMK Stella Maris Saying goodbye to sites Labuan Bajo, and your keluarga besar Flores, in Indonesia can be an East Nusa Tenggara emotionally exhausting and bittersweet experience, and it was no different for second-year ETA Samantha Geary when she had to leave , North Sulawesi last May. In March, while her current students in Labuan Bajo were away from school on holiday, she finally found the time to pulang kampung, and travel from her new site (Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara) to Manado for a few days. During her visit to Manado, she visited her old friends, neighbors, afternoon les students, former teachers and former students from both her and her site-mate’s schools. It’s amazing how much kids can

grow and mature in 10 months! She also managed to eat all of the Manadonese culinary delights that she had been missing in East Nusa Tenggara, and even learned to cook the elusive tinutuan, or bubur manado at her old tailor’s house (a special request from her former sitemate in lieu of oleh-oleh). All in all, it was a whirlwind four days of old and new friends, banjir, sea and mountain views, a full belly and lots of Bahasa Manado. Most importantly, it reminded her that even when she’s far away, she can always come back to visit the communities that have meant so much to her.

Edition March 2017 8 Birthday Celebrations

March was a busy month SMKN 2 in Pangkalpinang, and Pangkalpinang included a fun birthday Pangkalpinang, party for ETA Kiana Ward’s Bangka-Belitung co-teacher, Pak Priyo. Happy Birthday Pak Priyo!!!

Neighborhood English Club

ETA Kiana Ward re-started SMKN 2 a neighborhood English Pangkalpinang Club began by the pervious Pangkalpinang, ETAs at her site, and this Bangka-Belitung neighborhood English Club has evolved from a sporadic tutoring session for a few neighborhood kids to a weekly lesson for often more than twenty children, ranging from 4-18 years old. The children gather each week on the front porch of Kiana’s house. Lessons cover basic English (body parts, colors, adjectives), and give neighborhood children a chance to learn fun English songs and games.

9 Edition March 2017 Local Waterfalls

March was a busy month friends. The waterfall was just as beautiful as it SMAN 4 Kendari for ETA Katerina (Kate) had been when they visited before, but it was Kendari, Barton at her site. There made more beautiful by sharing it with friends and Southeast Sulawesi were plenty of days off Shelby’s mom. They even met some SMP students from school, some traveling who showed them how to jump off a log into the and many visitors! When her site mate ETA Shelby cold water (with only minor injuries). These are the Lawson’s mom came to visit their site the ETAs moments Kate will keep with her when she returns to were excited to show her around. They took her to the US. a nearby waterfall with some of their Indonesian

Edition March 2017 10 Pen Pal Letter Exchange

After many months of the envelope was opened, Kelly’s students eagerly SMA Wachid Hasyim 2 waiting, the students of searched for response letters addressed to them Taman Sidoarjo SMA Wachid Hasyim 2 by name. They spent well over an hour reading Sidoarjo, East Java Taman’s English Club letters, looking at photos, and asking questions finally received responses about unfamiliar vocabulary and cultural references from their American pen pals. With help from her that they found in their letters. Kelly is still in awe high school World Literature teacher, ETA Kelly that she was able to help facilitate this exchange Fitzgerald organized this letter exchange between just seven years after graduating from high school her students and students at her former high herself. She hopes that at least some of the students school in St. Charles, Illinois. The goal of this letter will continue to stay in contact even after this letter exchange was to increase cross-cultural awareness exchange ends. between Indonesian and American students. Once

11 Edition March 2017 Pramuka Field Trip

SMA Khadijah ETA Krupa Patel team building activities with their fellow students. Surabaya, accompanied her 10th There was even a cooking competition in which East Java grade students and a few the students had to create a dish by using cassava, teachers on a field trip to potatoes or bananas. Of course, Miss Krupa was a Lawang in East Java for a Pramuka (Scouts) weekend judge for this event. She enjoyed the opportunity camping trip (persami). The students joined formal to spend time with her students outside of the class scouting ceremonies, sang songs, and enjoyed the and to see them use and develop their leadership wilderness. They participated in leadership and skills.

Edition March 2017 12 Student Film Festival

ETAs Shreya Kundur groups of students. They asked questions to the SMAN 2 Malang & and Caroline Rose students like “What was the most interesting thing SMKN 4 Malang participated in a film you learned about the culture you researched?” and Malang, East Java festival in March at SMK “Did you face any challenges during this project?” Putra Indonesia Malang. This was an opportunity for the students to practice Students of the vocational high school created short their English and show off their newly acquired films showcasing the cultures of various regions knowledge of the region they studied. Shreya and in Indonesia such as Bali, Papua, South Sulawesi Caroline had a great time, loved meeting the eager and more. Shreya and Caroline watched each film and hardworking students, and definitely learned a and had an interview session afterwards with the new thing or two about Indonesia!

13 Edition March 2017 New Friends

SMAN 2 Balige You never know who you’re Together, they ate pizza and drank mango wine at Balige, going to meet in Indonesia. A one of Balige’s local restaurants, Pizza Andaliman. North Sumatra planned lunch with one person Afterwards, they took a long drive to Simarjarunjung, turns into a group event, a little place way out in the mountains with platforms suddenly you’re hopping into a car, caravanning out in trees that you can climb up to better see Lake for hours on a winding, bumpy mountain road with Toba, and swings hanging from the branches that strangers, your back and butt stiff and sore, singing you can, well, swing on. It’s mostly a place where along to pop and country music, arriving some place friends and lovers gather to take cool, cute photos. you’ve never heard of and otherwise never would As with most things, it doesn’t matter as much what have seen, ending, as most things do here, with a you’re doing, but with whom you’re doing it. gorgeous view and countless photos. Perhaps a few good memories, too. The ride back home was long, it was late and everyone was tired and hungry, but Daniel bonded Last month, ETA Daniel Gerardi met his firstbule , with Alex over old country music (the kids these days Alex, in Balige, who just happened to be from a just don’t like it much) while the others in the car town about an hour away from Daniel’s home in quietly tolerated listening. A quick dinner in Balige San Diego. Small world! They made plans to get ended the night for Daniel, though the others still lunch, Alex driving from his work in Tarutung (two had two more hours until they got home. A simple hours from Balige) accompanied by several of his lunch plan turning into a full day’s journey was quite co-workers, all engineers from different countries. a fantastic surprise!

Edition March 2017 14 AMINEF American Indonesia Exchange Foundation Intiland Tower, 11th Floor Jalan Jend. Sudirman Kav. 32 Jakarta 10220 Tel : (021) 579 39 085 / 086 Fax : (021) 579 39 089

If you would like to have more information Visit us at about Fulbright ETA Program, please call us at (021) 579 39 085 or email us at [email protected]