U of A students who have participated in the Play Around the World (PAW) program in Thailand invariably find it a rich, transformative and rewarding cultural experience.
Starting this summer, the program that began in 2001 will broaden considerably thanks to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) currently in the works that will forge stronger ties between the University of Alberta, 17 Institutes of Physical Education (IPEs) in Thailand, Srinaharinwirot University and the Sport Authority of Thailand.
The agreement means students heading to Thailand this summer as part of the PAW contingent will work alongside Thai post-secondary students from IPEs (degree-granting institutions dotted around the country) ? for the first time. For program founder, Jane Vallentyne, it?s the fulfillment of a long-held wish.
?It?s always been my wish for our students to work alongside other university students in Thailand because, for me, the richness has always been in the cultural exchange, sharing and friendship,? says Vallentyne, who began the Play Around the World program in 2001 as a joint program with the University of Toronto.
The MOU has come about thanks largely to Dr. Nat Indrapana, a U of A alumnus and Thailand?s IOC (International Olympic Committee) member. In addition, Dr. Indrapana was most recently Thailand?s deputy minister of Tourism and Sport and is a former chancellor and professor at Srinaharinwirot University. Along with Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation Dean Mike Mahon and Vallentyne, he?s helped the U of A expand its ability to internationalise the student experience. As well, the partnerships with Srinaharinwirot University and the Sport Authority of Thailand will also broaden international opportunities for research and other collaborations and faculty exchanges between the two countries.
PAW has blossomed into one of U of A?s premiere cultural exchange programs, currently preparing two teams of four students annually, and two leaders from the previous year?s program, to spend three months in Thailand where they work in teams with Thailand?s underserved and most vulnerable populations including orphans, people with disabilities, street children children from hill tribe communities and those affected by HIV/AIDS.
?The number of students may have to be expanded now that we have these partnerships,? says Vallentyne, ?I would certainly entertain preparing groups of 12 at a time but it may mean having to stagger the times when the students are in Thailand so that we can continue to prepare small groups.?
For Vallentyne the three-month stint students spend in Thailand is an ideal length and won?t be changing because of the MOU. As she sees it, PAW is a mentored, first, international experience, and a stepping stone for students wanting to take on longer, more demanding international assignments in the future with other aid organisations.
To accommodate the expanded program, Vallentyne foresees PAW students offering the programs they currently offer in Pattaya and Chiang Mai, differently. ?We won?t be able to have a team of students at each IPE because there are so many of them. We may do a rotational program,? she says. A proposal she?s developing to collaborate with the IPEs would see a third site starting up next year close to Bangkok that would make it accessible both to students at an IPE in the area and Srinaharinwirot University to join up with the U of A students to offer play programs together.
For Vallentyne, this would be an ideal way to engage students in a cross-cultural partnership. ?It?s the rich cultural exchange that occurs and the ?getting in touch with otherness? that is so important,? she says. ?Living in a different community is one thing, but when you start to understand the day-to-day living reality of people in other cultures and around the world, you become even more compassionate and develop a global ethic, so that when we come home we?re a little more aware of our footprint, actions and non-actions.?
Currently, each U of A student receives up to 70 hours of preparation in Thai language, group dynamics, cultural sensitivity and awareness, play leadership, and global citizenship, prior to their departure for Thailand. There?s no doubt the MOU will mean ?more resources and ongoing preparations,? says Vallentyne, adding that PAW raises $50,000 each year to cover students? costs and another $20,000 for program and administrative costs.
Gifts from donors like Eric Wah, owner of the King and I Thai Restaurant, who donates two large-scale fund-raising dinners per year, a scholarship set up by PAW advisory committee member Royle Harris, small grants including the Lee Global Education Fund, as well as numerous fund-raising events conducted by team members, help to cover the costs of the experience which begin May 13th. .
Vallentyne says PAW can be a catalyst for lasting change, but needs backing from the Thai government: ?The biggest impact we have had (in Thailand) is in the promotion of play ? not just the physical or educational value, but the spiritual value as well. Play is critical to human development and in enhancing the human spirit."
?If the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation?s three MOUs can promote the development of Thai leaders who understand the value of play for all people and particularly those who are more vulnerable, and promote programs of play through quality leadership ? that would be a more lasting impact.?
Vallentyne's considerable efforts over eight years to build PAW into the high-calibre international leadership development program it has become, were recognized by the Government of Alberta's Department of Advanced Education and Technology in 2007 when she won an Award of Distinction for Internationalizing the Teaching and Learning Practice.
Play Around the World 2008 is gearing up for this year's program and is accepting donations of lightweight sporting equipment to ship to Thailand. If you can help, please contact: Jane Vallentyne at 780.492.8369 or email jane.vallentyne@ualberta.ca