GCF Web Platform Change

Global Campuses Foundation is undergoing a web platform change over the next few weeks so please bear with us if anything is amiss on the GCF website or Blog during that time. Everything should be back to normal by the end of July. Thanks for your patience!

"Connecting Our Vermont Communities" Conference at Lyndon State College

Global Campuses Newport, St. Johnsbury and Hardwick presented a dynamic conference at Lyndon State College on April 4th celebrating the interconnectedness of all our Global Campuses and our communities. We wrote a grant in the fall to the Vermont Community Foundation and were awarded the Green Mountain Fund to connect with the other Global Campuses.

"I was the welcome speaker with Steve and Michelle from GC St. Johnsbury. I liked all the classes and speaking with GC Thailand on SKYPE. I liked connecting with the other campuses." - Donna

"I liked my T-shirt! I wore it on stage with my sunglasses for my drumming and singing."

- Buddy

"Participants from St. Johnsbury made films about themselves, we could do that too!" - Steve

"I liked teaching about Elk." - Tammy

"Donna and I got up and did the presentation when we first got there and everyone was pleased." - Steve

"I liked visiting with the other campuses, hopefully we can do something like this again soon!" - Donna

"The food was great!" - Nate

"We all had a blast!" - GC Newport

Global Campus Calendars Online!

We have updated GCF's website! Check it out by browsing through the "USA Campuses" tab and exploring each Global Campuses individual page. For each campus you will find a calendar with classes and events. Just click on any class or event for more information about it. You can also switch the calendar from a monthly to a weekly format. A few of the campuses have not yet posted their Spring Term 2012 calendars so please stay tuned for those and contact us for the information you might need in the meantime by emailing aej@globalcampuses.org or calling 802-274-2190.

Wonderful News From Thailand

Global Campuses Foundation is happy to announce the recent marriage of Kachakorn Thaveesri (Ka), GCF Southeast Asia Regional Coordinator, and Yutthaphon Damrongchuensakun (Non), Director of Global Campus Chiang Mai, on February 24, 2012. Sheryl and James Tewksbury, GCF Directors, attended and were honored to be included in the very traditional northern Thai wedding ceremony, which took place at the Thaveesri family home. February 24th is believed to be the most auspicious day of this year, and therefore brings couples good luck in their married life. Ka and Non have been the key administrators of the Global Campuses network in Thailand for 10 years. In 2008, they visited the Vermont campuses for a two month teaching and learning exchange. The Global Campuses family extends its heartfelt congratulations to Ka and Non for a happy and long life together. Please enjoy the photos of their wedding and explanations about the traditional northern Thai ceremony rituals.

These three photos show the tradition of the groom's family waiting outside of the ceremony grounds until 9:39 a.m. to begin the processional. The number 9 is believed to be very lucky. As we enter the sala where the ceremony will take place, rose petals are thrown on our feet. The original tradition is to wash the feet.

The tradition is that the groom's parents present gifts to the bride's parents to show their gratitude for them giving their daughter to their son. The gifts are called a dowry and were gold rings and necklace, a large bundle of Thai money, and some very special certificates. Ka and Non wore northern Thai style clothing.

The couple give each other wedding rings and then the parents and friends come up and bless the couple by winding white string around their wrists and saying special wishes. Ka and Non then went to their parents and Jim and Sherry and thanked them with gifts. These are fresh jasmine buds and roses in a traditional arrangement.

After the ceremony at Ka's family home, the guests posed with the couple and then went to lunch at a lovely restaurant on the Ping river. Then Ka and Non went to the government office to officially register their marriage.

GC Chiang Mai Receives Visitors

Our friends Jim and Sheryl Tewksbury, a thousand blessings upon them, founded an organization called Global Campuses Foundation, with campuses in Vermont and Thailand.
We visited the Chiangmai campus with them.

Jim and Sherry

The Global Campus participants are people with various disabilities, who teach one another skills and attitudes that will help them become more confident, self-reliant and effective in the world. The participants determine their own curriculum, based on what they want to learn, and what they have to share. They teach one another skills including English, sewing, music, art, Thai language, craft making, small business management, auto repair, how to be a radio DJ, etc.
More importantly, they strive to raise self awareness and self confidence, focusing on disability rights, accessibility issues and advocacy, and women’s rights.
The curriculum is offered at the GCF campus facility as well as in city venues and outlying rural areas.

Ka and Non, who manage the Chiangmai campus, made us feel very welcome.

Ka and Non

Ka and Geng, the campus photographer made tea for us to enjoy while we watched a PowerPoint presentation Non had put together about their program.

Non displays the Queen’s Trophy, a much esteemed award presented to Global Campus Chiangmai.

Khun Yai is working on starting up a campus in her small rural village.

Khun Yai

Yai’s scooter has been cleverly redesigned to accommodate her wheelchair.

- Kate and Grady, USA

We have our feet planted firmly in mid-air.

On my final afternoon in Chiang Mai (and Thailand’s National Disability Day), I was lucky enough to spend a few sunny hours with Jim & Sheryl Tewksbury, residents of Randolph, Vermont and founders of Global Campuses Foundation. GCF - which runs programs in (you guessed it!) Vermont and Thailand - has made incredible progress in empowering and advocating for persons with differing abilities. They operate based on the philosophy that those they serve should not only participate, but also play an active role as leaders and creators within the organization. In this way, small campus communities form and flourish where they are needed most. The campuses provide a space for both personal and professional growth, where individuals wear many different hats as teachers, learners, and stewards of the program. In Thailand, a country where social discrimination and physical inaccessibility still block many paths for those living with disabilities, GCF’s work has been particularly powerful. A great divide still separates those with and without disabilities, as one recent article in Chiang Mai’s City Life magazine explains:The article goes on to comment:

Though this may lead to people disliking and avoiding disabled persons, it more often creates a charitable, often described as “merciful” attitude towards people with disabilities. [however] an inclusive society can only be achieved when people with disabilities are allowed to define their needs and the ways in which they should be addressed - becoming agents of their own lives rather than ‘objects’ to be taken care of.

Jim & Sheryl have dedicated many years to spreading this message as far and wide as they can. Both former professors, they’ve spent most of their lives afoot, always hopping from one school or home to the next - and currently divide their time between Randolph and Chiang Mai, over 8,000 miles apart. With a laugh that could have been interpreted as self-effacing or simply amused by its own absurdity, Jim told me: “we like to say that we have our feet planted firmly in mid-air.” I laughed along, realizing I had begun to understand exactly what that feels like. Whether or not i’ll follow in Jim & Sheryl’s cross-continental footsteps remains to be seen. For now, i’m happy to have drifted into their airspace, even just for an afternoon. Thanks for everything guys!

- Alex, USA

GC Participants: Leaders in their Campus and their Communities

As Global Campus participants all over Vermont and New Hampshire grow through the process of engaging with their campus, they encourage each other to take on more responsibility and leadership. "It's our campus," we always say! Robin, a teaching faculty at GC Bradford decided that the local library would be a good place to spread the word in the community about her campus so she presented to the librarian about GC Bradford. Thanks to her efforts the campus has been invited by the library to have a display of our Fall Term Catalogs for community members to pick up, learn more about our campus, and attend our classes. Rena, a faculty participant at GC Randolph thought it would be great to offer her Baseball Bingo class at MENIG, an assisted living facility associated with Gifford Hospital in Randolph, so she went and talked to the MENIG coordinator and successfully secured both a venue and a very excited class audience there! These are just a few of the countless examples of campus participants taking charge and driving the growth and development of THEIR Global Campuses. Keep up the great work!

Memo from Jim and Sherry to Campus Participants

September 5, 2011

Dear Global Campus Participants,

Congratulations on the beginning of your Fall Academic Term 2011!!! You all are amazing, and we look forward to seeing in your catalog what you plan to teach and learn. We also plan to visit your campus soon.

This past week, the northeastern part of the United States, particularly Vermont and New Hampshire, was hit with a major tropical storm that created great floods and much damage to property, homes and farmland. Many of you live in the communities that were struck by this natural disaster. On behalf of Global Campuses Foundation, we wish to convey our heartfelt concern for all of you, your families, and friends during this challenging time.

As participants of Global Campuses, you have demonstrated your interest and participation in the communities you live. Many of you have taught classes about local areas including about your home town. As a campus, you have contributed to your community through your GCF Community Service Projects and Connections Conferences. This year you have a curriculum theme about “Building Community and Strengthening Connections”. You are a very strong part of your communities throughout Vermont and in New Hampshire.

We know you will support one another as we all process and experience what has taken place. This experience is part of all of our journeys, and we can look to each other to share about and listen to our stories and needs. Your creative educational ideas will most likely demonstrate ways to further contribute to your communities. Stay strong and positive in all you do. We are proud to be your colleagues.

Global Campuses Rocks!

With love from, Sherry and Jim Tewksbury, GCF

GCF Site Visit to Thailand Campuses and Beyond, March-May 2011

It is always amazing to me how each site visit with the foundation’s colleagues in Thailand is surrounded by impressive, inspiring and creatively meaningful accomplishments. Examples and highlights of those accomplishments continue to demonstrate the valuable outcomes of lifelong learning and the transformative power of education.

Global Campus Chiangmai, GCC, continues to be the hub of the foundation’s efforts in S.E. Asia. With two other well-established campuses, GC San Sai and GC Nan, and two newly developed Global Campuses, GC Mae Tang and GC Sangkampang, there is much growth to report. Also, Global Campus Nan now supports four smaller satellite campuses in the rural northern mountains near the Laos border.

GCF and GC Chiangmai have strengthened their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Chiang Mai University, CMU, with a variety of activities. (1) GCF is sponsoring a contest with the Faculty of Architecture third year students to submit building and site plans for a Global Campus Complex that is being planned. This complex will be 100% Universal Design, fully accessible and environmentally green and will become the educational center for GCF’s efforts in S.E. Asia. (2) GC Chiangmai continues to work with the student club at CMU that participates with university students who experience disabilities through natural support efforts and disability awareness seminars.

Additionally, I had the pleasure of being invited by the Vice President of CMU to be a keynote speaker and a panelist for a conference of University administrators from the Chiang mai area. My presentation, “Disability Culture: Changes in Social Attitudes and the Value of Lifelong Learning for All”, introduced the conference focus of exploring disability issues and disabilities studies in higher education.

The efforts of GCF are being recognized in the region, and I was invited to travel to Chengdu, China to share about Global Campuses with colleagues at Chengdu University. It was a wonderful introductory site visit, and as an outcome we are responding to their request to pilot a Global Campus in the Chengdu area.

So, as we at GCF look to the future work for the foundation, we are inspired by the potential for further growth to advance the foundation’s mission in South East Asia and around the world. These are exciting times!

Jim Tewksbury, GCF Director of Programs

Vermont Global Campuses Give Back!

Each semester participants in the eight Global Campuses in Vermont and New Hampshire take the initiative to design and implement a community service project at their campus. Check out all the great organizations we have supported over the years!

Global Campus Newport

NEKCA food shelf, Newport (multiple years)

Red Cross - donations for tornado relief

Green-up Newport

Community Garden - community vegetable donations

Global Campus St. Johnsbury

NEKCA Food shelf, St. Johnsbury

Local Family - $450 donation for house reconstruction after fire

Green-Up Lyndonville

Springfield College - Green up and picnic table repair (multiple years)

Global Campus Hardwick

NEKCA Food shelf, Hardwick

Greensboro Bend Methodist Church - planting flowers

Green-up Greensboro Bend

Global Campus Bradford

Bradford Food Shelf (multiple years)

Collected school supplies for children in Haiti

Orange East Senior Center, Bradford – picked and donated apples (multiple years)

VT Food Bank – helped glean strawberries for the food bank

Global Campus Randolph

Donated Thanksgiving basket to local family

Green Up Randolph (multiple years)

Collected school supplies for children in Thailand

HEIFFER International – donated $500

Global Campus Moretown

AMURTEL – benefit dance for Haiti relief donated over $3000 (multiple years)

Green Up Mad River Valley (multiple years)

Global Campus Springfield

Nirikshea School, Bangalore, South India – Car wash and bake sale donated $240

Mercy Corps – fudge sale raising $250 for Japan Tsunami relief

Springfield Family Center, Springfield, VT

GCF Honored on its 10th Anniversary at the State Capitol!

Global Campuses Foundation was recently honored by the Vermont Senate and House of Representatives on the celebration of our 10th anniversary this year. Representatives from different areas of the state offered and passed a Concurrent Resolution honoring GCF and the foundations creative and dynamic work!

Here's the link to the Resolution on the State of VT Legislature's Website.

Global Campus Participants Invited to Present at the University of Vermont

On Tuesday April 12th, Global Campus Participants responded to a teaching invitation by traveling to the University of Vermont to present about their Global Campuses at a graduate class entitled, "The Culture of Disability", taught by Professor Deborah Lisi-Baker. Scott and Shawn from GC Bradford, Grace from GC Moretown, and Hudson from GC Springfield all spoke about the classes they have taught and how Global Campus has affected their lives in a positive way. Hudson shared how teaching has given him a new light, passion and direction in life. He also spoke about the importance of inclusion, especially for children, which resonated strongly with students in the class and what they have been studying. Shawn shared about the new relationships and friendships she has developed. All the participants spoke about the challenges of teaching as well as the great rewards. Many of the students could relate to the participants teaching struggles, such as gathering materials together and doing research.

The students in the class were quite impressed by the presenters and had many questions. In response to one of the student's questions, each presenter shared a snapshot of one of their classes. Shawn passed around her scrap books from her class on her life story and shared a few of her favorite memories. Hudson presented some of his powerful poetry. Scott shared a few artifacts from his upcoming class on Romania, Bulgaria and Tranyslvania, inspired by his fathers ancestry. Grace spoke about her class on Broadway Musicals that is coming up in a few weeks.

Professor Deborah Lisi-Baker and the Global Campus Participants were very excited at the prospect of future opportunities and collaboration! Congratulations to all the presenters!

Global Campuses Foundation Releases New Video!

Global Campuses Foundation is pleased to present a short DVD production produced by Lincoln Street Inc. highlighting the dynamic experiences of participants at Global Campus Springfield. Lincoln Street is one of GCF’s partnering human service agencies in Vermont, USA. Global Campus Springfield was developed and is administered by individuals who receive a variety of services from Lincoln Street. We are very pleased that this agency felt so impressed by the Global Campus Experience that they wanted to share about Global Campus Springfield with the larger community through this production. Please enjoy this window into another vibrant Global Campus. Global Campuses Foundation would like to thank everyone at Lincoln Street Inc. for your continued positive participation with Global Campus Springfield.

Please CLICK HERE to watch the video!

GCF Presents Conference in White River Junction, VT

Global Campuses Foundation was invited to present a conference at the Coolidge Hotel in White River Junction, VT on Saturday October 9^th to share the Global Campus experience with the community as they consider initiating a campus in the area. Speakers and presenters included GCF Colleagues, Global Campus participants, and White River community members. Global Campus participants Scotty Silagyi, Chris Dubeau, Rick Holbrook, Melissa Campbell, and Patty Morrill embodied the essence of what it means to have a Global Campus in a community through their presentations of classes and by sharing with the audience as a panel discussion. GCF colleagues, Jim and Sheryl Tewksbury and Amy Miller, shared the details of how a campus is initiated, as well as the basic framework, philosophy, and methodology supporting a Global Campus. The audience asked many questions. Folks were tremendously excited about the prospect of a Global Campus in their community. Several potential participants in the audience shared some of their passions, questions, and comments with the audience. Several community members came up to speak positively to the audience about what they experienced and observed that day. The conference was a tremendous success and will be followed up by a series of community meetings including a fund development meeting on October 18^th and an initial Campus Seminar with potential GC participants on October 22^nd.

Global Campuses Foundation Prepares for its Second Decade

Global Campuses Foundation to launch a major funding campaign in the Spring of 2011.

Spring 2011 represents the conclusion of ten successful years for the foundation. The campaign entitled: “Global Campuses Foundation the 2nd Decade”, will bring financial support and underwriting to enact the Foundation’s next five-year growth plan. The final target for this campaign has not been determined, however it is anticipated that the campaign will run for about 24 months. The funding goal is intended to assure the strength and sustainability of the Foundation for the continuation and advancement of its mission.

Seed Campaign Underway

A seed campaign is currently underway to provide financial support to position GCF for success in meeting the major campaign goal of “GCF The 2nd. Decade”. The seed campaign goal is $100,000. To date GCF has realized $35,000. These funds will be used to directly support the material, programmatic and organizational expenses to develop and administer the major funding campaign. There are many levels at which one can support the Seed Campaign, through individual donations or corporate underwriting. For further information about the GCF seed Campaign please request information from donate@globalcampuses.org.

About Global Campuses

Global Campuses Foundation was formed for the purpose of providing advanced learning opportunities for under-served populations worldwide, foremost people with disability. The philosophy and methodologies of Global Campuses offer a unique education paradigm that reorients the experience of disability to a positive life experience with an emphasis on ability.

The mission of Global Campuses is to support adults with differing abilities worldwide to enhance their quality of life as they create, experience, manage, and sustain campuses of advanced learning. Key to this mission is honoring their Voice and full participation as the creators and producers of their educational experiences. Taking on leadership opportunities as faculty, students, and administrative staff strengthens cognitive, emotional, and social outcomes that support self determination, community inclusion, and higher employment/entrepreneurial opportunities.

Global Campuses aspires to achieve its mission by fostering a worldwide network of campuses interconnected to promote high quality cross-cultural learning and cutting edge educational opportunities. Currently, there are ten Global Campuses in Vermont, USA and three Global Campuses in Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand.

Global Campuses facilitates educational formats such as its Campus Seminar, Teaching & Learning Class, Campus Administrative Staff Meetings, Community as Campus Model, Campus to Campus Connections Program and a Community Service and Stewardship Project.

Global Campuses Foundation develops and directs resources to support its mission and, as a nonprofit organization, relies upon a diversity of funding sources, in kind donations, and pro bono services. GCF is an 501(c)(3).

Global Campuses Foundation
Vermont Office
43 S. Main Street, Suite # 3,
Randolph VT 05060
802-274-2163, 5680

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