HUNGKAR DORJE REGIONAL MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TECHNICAL SCHOOL
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
QGF has been officially granted a permit to operate a multi-disciplinary technical school on 18 acres of donated land.
Located in a pastoral setting of grassy hinterland, surrounded by mountain vistas, the site is conveniently located to maximize contacts with the large population of ethnic nomads. It forms a natural connection with the nomadic farmers. Officially named “The Hungkar Dorje Technical School” in honor of its founder, its mission is to further the cultural heritage of indigenous ethnic groups and promote learning and mastery of modern technical skills. Our aim is to promote healthy economic and cultural growth in Tibetan society and to build a private educational facility complete with up to date teaching equipment and capabilities, in accordance with the “Educational Law of the People’s Republic of China.” Our goal is to preserve and protect traditions and culture which would otherwise be lost.
photos: top row: middle class; with headmaster; graduating class; bottom row: graduation, graduatng, homework time
Notes from the Field: MAYUL SCHOOL UPDATE from Ava Fruin, English Second Language Instructor
The Beginning
Having just returned from an incredible three months teaching at the Mayul school, my heart is full of love and inspiration for this incredible institution, its students, and those who work tirelessly to keep it alive. I met Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche at a teaching event in San Jose, California, where he invited me to come and teach English at the Mayul School during the summer of 2011. Despite previous teaching and travel experience I had little idea of what these three months would hold for me, as a result my time there exceeded anything I could have imagined or dreamed of.
Arrival In Golok
I arrived in Gande County in June of 2011, only a couple of days before the new school session was scheduled to begin. Over those first few days I watched students trickle into the village, returning from summer vacation spent in the countryside with their families. The students seemed joyful and excited about returning to school; seeing their smiling faces inspired me every day to match their motivation and excitement in the classroom.
Classroom and Community
Following an opening assembly of students and teachers I moved into my room at the school, establishing my place in a community that, over time, would begin to feel more like a family than an educational institution. Classes began immediately, and I took on a schedule of ten classes a week taught to three different levels of students. It seemed that both teacher and students were nervous on the first day; I was anxious to see how my teachings would be received in a Tibetan classroom while my students seemed unsure of what to expect with a young American woman as their teacher. As soon as classes began, however, lessons felt natural and comfortable. I quickly found that the vast majority of my students were interested in learning and succeeding in the English language, and students responded with open hearts and minds to a new and different experience in the language classroom.
Going into this experience my primary goal was to develop student’s comfort level with the English language, ultimately mastering elementary conversation skills that they could use in the real world with other English speakers. In working toward this goal I created lesson plans that focused on basic and relevant topics that the students could relate to on a personal level and that included practice in speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. My hope was to give the students tools with which to express themselves, and to open their minds to the many opportunities and doors which are opened with the acquisition of a new language.
A Rural Tibetan Introduction to English Language – clearing a path to greater economic self sufficiency and cultural integrity Over the course of two and a half months we covered multiple subjects, from basic conversational introductions to grammar and vocabulary related to food, family, and daily schedules. The students responded most strongly to lessons which gave them language with which to express themselves. For example, they absolutely lit up during a lesson on the use of the verb “to be.” Every students loved learning how to say “I am happy,” or “I am tired,” or even “I am sick,” because for the first time they were able to express these feelings to me and be understood. I loved that personal side of the classroom experience, the students were learning to communicate and I was a real-life guinea pig for them to practice on. I became close with the students during this time, and it was so special to watch them blossom and gain confidence in expressing themselves using brand new language.
Students were tested in the first week of classes, periodically over the course of the session, and in a cumulative final examination. These tests allowed me to gauge student’s prior knowledge and exposure to the language, progress over time, and, most importantly, overall performance and improvement over the 2.5 month period. Some students struggled with very basic reading and writing skills, while others were a bit more advanced. However, by the time the session ended all students had one thing in common and that was vast improvement. On the final exam the majority of students were able to read and understand questions covering previous course material and respond with full sentence answers. This demonstrated a vast improvement that made me proud and spoke volumes to the hard work and dedication of these amazing students.
From The Heart I’d also like to speak to the tireless hard work of the teachers at the Mayul School. I was only there for a few months, and despite the richness of the experience it is not an easy place to live and teach; these other teachers do it year in and year out, demonstrating an incredible dedication to their students and the belief in the great importance of education. These teachers deserve a huge amount of recognition and support for their never-ending compassion, effort, and ongoing commitment to the school and its students. They were a true inspiration that I will never forget; I can only hope that I can be as strong and effective in the classroom and in life as these individuals are.
Following final exams during my last week in Tibet we hosted a graduation ceremony for the Mayul School’s very first graduating class. During this week teachers, students, friends and family came together to celebrate the huge accomplishment of these students, a group that I had the pleasure of teaching. Formal schooling in this setting is not a traditional part of Tibetan culture, so this school and its students are truly paving the way for the development of education in this region, especially for those who have previously not had access to it. Watching these students being awarded diplomas in recognition of their monumental accomplishment as their friends, family, teachers and peers cheered them on was a truly magical moment.
Saying goodbye the day I left the Mayul School was sad; despite the language barrier I formed many incredible and meaningful relationships during my time teaching, so it was hard to leave not knowing when I would return and see these people again. However, of the many gifts of this experience my wonderful memories and an inspired, open heart are the ones for which I will be forever grateful. I hold the students and teachers of the Mayul School in the highest regard in my mind and in my heart and can only hope to return soon to continue supporting the school, its English program, and my new friends.
DONATE NOW
THANK YOU! Without our help most of these young adults would go without an education and would face a life of little or no opportunities to advance vocationally. For those that aspire to go on to a higher education – there would be little hope. Your Donations Will Help Build:
A 10-classroom Vocational High School with 15 teachers
Dorm rooms for 600 girls and boys ages 14 to 21
Office, library, kitchen, cafeteria, medical services clinic, and space for physical activities
My name is Duc Luong. From August to September of 2009, I took a trip to Golog to visit Thubten Chokor Ling. It was during this period that I spent a fair amount of time preparing computers and laptops for deployment to the Hungkar Dorje Technical School. The idea was to bring up-to-date computing technology to this remote part of Tibet so that students could learn new skills and develop a greater appreciation and understanding of our modern world. As the information age pushes forward, I feel it is important not to leave the Tibetans behind in the dust.
It was during this time that I taught a select group of university candidates, which consisted of monks, yogis and lay people, some basic English and western culture and etiquette. I figured if they had pre-exposure to American culture, that it would make life simpler once they do go abroad to study in The States. (Less culture shock and confusion is always a good thing, in my opinion.) Apart from the lessons we had on spelling, grammar, pronounciation and the like, the students also listened to English music and watched American films and tv shows and were always required to write reports and summaries about them afterward. Equal emphasis was placed on reading, wrting, comprehension and verbal communication. Written and oral examinations were fairly common. Despite having such a heavy work load, and especially given the time constraints, I felt we all achieved more than what we set out to do originally. In this regard, I am more than satisfied at what the students accomplished during my time there.
Concurrently, I also took part in beginning a documentary type multimedia project that would, on a yearly basis, record and document the impact and changes affecting the people, culture and local communities surrounding Longen Monastery due to the inception of the vocational school. This was especially interesting because we had the unique opportunity of starting the project right around the time when the school just opened up and began. Because the Tibetans in this area of Golog have never had such an institution and are now taking this big a step forward in terms of education, it will be quite intriguing to see the long term results of this study.
During those two months that I spent in that part of Golog, I really got to know the students and learned a lot about their way of life and culture. I met many of their friends and families and felt like I was always welcome there. Needless to say, this has marked a very enjoyable and memorable milestone in my life, one which I will not soon forget.
Many thanks go to the Long Hoa Buddhist Temple, the Project for Ethics and Art in Testimony, the Blue Valley Foundation, the Blazing Wisdom Institute and the many other individuals and organizations that helped and contributed to the successful completion of this endeavor. Without you guys, these projects would not have been possible. I hope to be able to continue doing this kind of work in the future and to always make a difference for the people of Tibet. ~ Duc
While construction continues and is expected to be completed by next summer, the first group of 100 students comprised of young men and women coming from all over Tibet have begun classes in Tibetan, Chinese language and wood carving. With an awareness of gender equality our first students are comprised of a nomadic, poor, and often parentless group of 14 to 21 year olds who have had little or no opportunity for education prior to our school's opening. They are now enthusiastically enjoying their first opportunity to receive a practical education, which will help prepare them, their families and communities for economic self reliance.
Courses are limited during the building process, and there are only 5 teachers out of an eventual 30 instructors. Our aim is to be at the full capacity of 600 students who have completed 9 years of compulsory education, and any youths without formal education but who have an earnest desire to study, and to train them systematically. This is expected sometime after next summer’s construction comes to an end.
The Hungkar Dorje School will keep costs down to about $80.00 per month for each student in the 3 year program. This includes all costs for boarding, food, health care, educational materials, and teacher’s salaries.
Funds for the school’s operations will come from private donations, a modest tuition, and the sale of handicrafts by artisans affiliated with the school. For families who cannot share in the cost of education there will be no fee. Additionally, much of these costs will be augmented by the ongoing sale of medicinal and culinary herbs as well as by other businesses which are planned for development.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
