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People's
Republic of China Program
Summer 2010
Other upcoming GET programs:
Click here
to read about GET’s most recent teacher exchange in
China.

With a population of
over 1.3 billion people, China creates an
interesting political, social, and environmental study.
China is rapidly emerging in to international markets and political
community and provides a dynamic context for studying
environmental education. Due to the recent pushes for environmental
conservation and education, China is a useful place to study
environmental education while simultaneously connecting with educators from
China. Below is some information on this program.
Requirements:
You must be a formal K-12 educator to participate in GET programs. The online
course is a pre-requisite for the travel portion. All online courses are
delivered in English. The travel course is also delivered in English, but
GET attempts to have as much of the program activities translated into the
native language as possible. The most commonly spoken language in China is Mandarin.
GET's China course
includes three components:
Part
One: An online
component worth 1 credit taken prior to traveling to China. During this
course
you will become acquainted with China's landscapes, culture and
history. This course is available to
all K-12 educators. This online course is being offered
separately this fall!
Click here for
more information.
Part
Two: Discover the
Environmental Education advances in Beijing, visit green schools in the arid
northwestern region of Xinjiang, and explore the sub-tropical southern areas
of Yunnan. Participate in workshops and excursions while networking with
educators internationally.
Part Three: Participate in workshops and excursions while networking
with educators internationally.
Program
Details:
When:
Three weeks during the summer of 2010. Please check back for details.
Graduate
Credits: 3 credits (1 from pre-travel online course, 2 while in
China).
Program
Benefits: 3 graduate credits, in-country airfare, food, lodging,
entrance fees, and transportation.
Program Costs: To be determined. Airfare from the US to China is not
included in the costs.
Application:
10 educators (must work within a formal K-12 school) from the USA and 10 educators from China will
be selected for participation on a first-come, first-served basis. Check
back for an application.
Fast
Facts About China:
(Information provided by CIA World Factbook
www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
)
Capital:
Beijing
Status: Communist State
Area: 3.7 million square miles (almost as large as the USA)
Population: 1,313,973,713 (July 2006 est.)
Life Expectancy: 72.58 years (2006 est.)
Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing
dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese),
Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages
Religions: Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2%
Climate: Extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
Currency: Yuan ($1 US = 7.9694 Yuan in August 2006)
GDP per Capita: $6,800 (2005 est.)
Background on China:
(Information provided by CIA World Factbook
www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html )
For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of
the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th
centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military
defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under
Mao Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring
China’s sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the
lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor Deng Xiaoping
and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by
2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards
have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded,
yet political controls remain tight.
News Brief:
Renewable Energy Use in China
In
April of 2005, GET traveled across the Pacific ocean to explore program
options in China. The common day use of renewable energy and attention to
energy conservation quickly became apparent. In the city of Kunming, located
in the Yunnan province in south western China, solar water heaters cover the
roof tops. Solar water heaters are placed on top of buildings and use the
sun to heat water as it passes under the panels. Once the water is heated,
it is stored water containers. This form of heating water saves electricity
costs and substantially reduces the consumption of natural resources.
Click to enlarge
_small.jpg)
Located in the north western part
of the country, the Xinjiang province holds the largest wind farm in China.
Although wind energy potential lies in the northeast, northwest and along
the east coast, it still only makes up .11 per cent of China's energy.
Things are looking up for the commercial industry, which is estimated to
start high volume production of wind turbines. Approximately 70 per cent of
wind turbines are expected to be made in China by 2006. Shanghai has already
started to build two wind facilities that have a combined energy output of
21 megawatts! The use of wind energy may seem slim right now, but the
European Wind Energy Association, Greenpeace and the China Renewable
Industry Association estimate Click
to Enlarge
that China's wind energy
preserves could exceed all current power generation.
_small.jpg)
The use of compact florescent
light bulbs (CFLs) is standard across China. Chandeliers in hotel lobbies,
and every day places have chosen to use CFLs over the standard incandescent
light bulb. CFLs use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and can last up
to ten times longer. Simple daily lifestyle choices, like using CFLs over
incandescent bulbs, is one of the many things we
can
learn from the Chinese!
Source: China: Renewable
Energy Eyed,
Click here for full article.

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