Atayal aboriginal school

A few days ago I visited an elementary school with 98% Atayal aboriginal children and youth. It was in the eastern part of Taiwan so I had to travel about 4 hours to get there (via bus, subway, bus, train, then walking). I traveled with three teacher supervisors from different parts of Taiwan and a local principal. The school is surrounded by green mountains everywhere and the village of Nana'o is very small with few food stalls, fruit stands, and some shops. There is water nearby and an Atayal cultural museum. We observed Mikael (Fulbright ETA) and another local teacher teach an English class (photo). There was so much excitement and energy in the room--the kind of energy one feels when you can just tell the students recognize what a privilege it is to be able to get an education. After the class, I met with the Principal, the two teachers, and a teacher supervisor to better understand the school's needs. It was a wonderful conversation with Chinese English translation throughout. We came up with some initial ideas for some possible programming that Mikael and I could do after school. Mikael is a talented photographer so we may find a way to combine our shared interests in artistic expression, cultural empowerment, and language learning CLICK HERE to see Mikael's photos of Atayal youth at Nana'o elementary school.