Champaign-Area Kids Offered Free Lessons on Asian Customs

A Champaign teacher who spent three weeks in China is taking his lessons to local youth.

Doug Butler visited nine Chinese cities, as part of trip funded by the Freeman Foundation and Indiana University's National Consortium for Teaching about Asia. The 6th grade teacher at Jefferson Middle School said the goal of the rip was to create a lesson plan to bring back to local classrooms.

The trip was also supported by the University of Illinois' Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies, which is now loaning out Chinese Culture Boxes to grade school through high school-age kids. Butler said he hopes sharing his experiences from his trip with his student will broaden their horizons.

"We live in a country where we seem to be a little ethno-centric to only U.S. history," he said. "Number two in the economy behind the US is China, and they're our biggest training partner, and they should be introduced to them."

Contents of the culture boxes range from Chinese coins and toys, to historical references and artifacts from the Communist era. Terms for borrowing the boxes can range from a few days to a few weeks, and should be arranged with the U of I. Anyone wishing to borrow the boxes should contact Sandy Burklund at the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies at 333-4850 or e-mail the center at eaps@uiuc.edu. It is located in the International Studies building on South Fifth Street in Urbana.