Children from USA to learn more about Turkmen culture
In 2018 Michigan State University Extension will launch a pilot project “4-H Children’s Art Exchange” with Turkmenistan.
The Michigan 4-H Children’s Art Exchange with China has had a positive impact on youth for more than 25 years.
The idea on such exchange with Turkmenistan was initiated by Turkmen student Enayi Kurbanova. She studied in Branch County under 2016-2017 Michigan States’ 4-H International Exchange Programs’ Academic Year Program.
The girl learned about the 4-H Children’s’ art exchange with Michigan and made proposal to try this program with her country.
So, it was decided to introduce the art-exchange in Branch County at Quincy Schools in 2018 with prospect of further expansion to other Michigan schools in future years.
The program envisages that children of the same age send visual letters each other in both countries. The pictures are usually supplemented with teaching aids and description of the pictures. The teaching kits facilitate teaching about the country, its people, culture, history.
The program will help to learn of the many similarities between the lives of peers and give children the feeling of being part of one world, regardless of where they live in Michigan or in Turkmenistan.
The organizers of the project hope the pilot in 2018 will be a successful and the exchange will continue for many more years between Michigan and Turkmenistan.
