Rachel Hii

Student, Institute of Information and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand

Renu Bhardwaj

Associate Professor, Indira Ghandi Open University, New Delhi.

dbwaj@hotmail.com

Richard Coll, M.Sc.,Ph.D.

Placement Co-ordinator, Cooperative Education Unit, School Of Science and Technology, University of Waikato.

rcoll@waikato.ac.nz

http://sci.waikato.ac.nz/cgi-bin/show_staff.pl?dept=coop&name=rcoll

Robert Johns

De Montfort University, Hammerwood Gate, Kents Hill, Milton Keynes, MK7 6HP, UK

Phone: 01 908 834 970

RJohns@dmu.ac.uk, cantamus@telinco.co.uk

Robin Day

Ph.D.

Dean, Faculty of Health and Community, The Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin [New Zealand

Robin Usher

Professor and Senior Advisor Post Graduate Education

Office of the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Development

RMIT University

Bundoora West Campus

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

email: robin.usher@rmit.edu.au

Phone: 9925 7750

Fax: 9466 9980

Robina McCurdy

Earthcare Education Aotearoa.

robina@win.co.nz

Robina McCurdy is a trained State and Steiner school teacher, specialising

in Environmental Education, Ecological Restoration and Gardening. She is also a facilitator of sustainable land use design, working with Permaculture methodology.

In 1990, with support from Otago science advisers, Robina worked with school communities on the Otago Peninsula in New Zealand to bring wholistic school grounds development into the arena of environmental education. This practical application was backed up the production of educational resource materials for teachers, commissioned by the NZ Natural Heritage Foundation and NZ Ministry of Forestry.

This focus heralded the beginning of a major work, which took her to South Africa in 1995 & 96 to work as a Permaculture trainer for community and schools, with Tlholego Development Project and in 1998 to work in Capetown’s squatter settlements with the Novalis Institute & Abalimi Bezekhaya, to initiate and direct SEED (‘Schools Environmental Education & Development’). During these past four years Robina has trained teachers in South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Brazil in SEED methodology.

For a more detailed background, visit Robina's bio on Context Institute's website: http//www.context.org/PEOPLE/RMBio.htm

Rochelle Bradwell

Training Support, Project Adventure NZ, Wellington, New Zealand

rochelle.b@panz.org.nz

Ruth Cohen

University of Technology, Sydney, Australia.

Ruth.Cohen@uts.edu.au

Sarah Giddings

Graduate Student, Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

My name is Sarah Giddings. I am Navajo Indian and half English. My mother is from a remote place called Navajo Mountain located on the border of Arizona and Utah. Many people there still practice the traditions and cultural practices, and continue to subsist by herding sheep. My father is from Michigan, who has lived most of his life in the United States. I have an older sister and a niece and nephew who mean the world to me. I am twenty-seven years old.

Soon after finishing my degree in psychology I entered into the M.Ed program through Simon Frazer University. My life has begun to have new meaning and I feel as though everything is beginning to come together. I recently assumed a position in a local School District where I work as an Aboriginal support worker. My role is multifaceted: primarily consisting of tutoring, counselling, coaching, etc. My new job is truly a rewarding one as I work with Aboriginal students on a one to one basis.

I am certain in terms of what lies ahead upon the completion of my Master’s degree. I have aspirations of teaching. I also envision myself as part of a team that designs and implements course material aimed at a more pluralistic (multicultural) approach. Time will tell.

Saara Repo-Kaarento,

University of Helsinki, Finland

Saara.repo-kaarento@helsinki.fi

I am a social psychologist and I have worked in adult education for 15 years.

I am involved in an educational development project in higher education. I specialise in co-operative and collaborative learning.

Sari Bar-On

Levinsky College of Education, Ramat Gan, Israel

Sarib@macam.ac.il

Shaheena Hafeez, D.V.M.

Program Incharge, Gender and Development ( GAD) Program, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), P O Box 1031, G 5/1, Islamabad, Pakistan.

TEL: 00-92-51-9203070-75 ext: 2516;

FAX: 00-92-51-9202968

sharmon@isb.comsats.net.pk; shazaf_55@yahoo.com

Dr Hafeez has had 23 years of progressive, responsible and professional experience in planning and administering, implementing, monitoring and evaluating various agricultural development programs in developing countries, government agencies and similar work in international organizations.

Her areas of work and expertise include Gender Issues, Farming System, Rural Development, Agricultural Extension and Training, Community Development, Administration and Management, Microbiologist, Veterinary Sciences, Livestock, Poultry, Food and Beverages, media, Science and Technologies.

Sharon Gordon

Graduate Student, Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

My name is Sharon Gordon and I am a member of the Namgis First Nation. I was born and raised on the small island of Alert Bay, BC. This is a community on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island. I have always lived on the Namgis Reserve, except when I left to go away to university. There are about 2000 people living in Alert Bay, with half of this being of aboriginal ancestry. I am a member of the Kwakwakawakw (Kwakwaka speaking) people. This is an amalgamation of about 15 difference tribes on the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. I am very proud of my heritage and history as an aboriginal woman.

In recent years there has been a resurgence of cultural activities among my people. Local elders and other aboriginal authorities are taking real pride in teaching the young our traditional languages, songs, history, and dances. Our people are taking an active role in their quest for self government in the areas of health care, education, housing, and economic development. I believe there are many parallels to be drawn between the history and struggle of the Maori and Canada’s aboriginal people. This is an area which I am interested in exploring and finding out more about when we visit your country.

Over the years I have worked in a number of different occupations. I began as a Long Term Care Attendant and worked closely with local elders in the aboriginal community. After this I worked in our independent Band-run School as a Teacher Assistant. At this point I went on to become a licensed Preschool Teacher, and finally went to university to become an elementary school teacher. Upon returning home from university, I worked for two years as an Adult Learning Instructor where I taught an Adult Literacy course at our local college. Over the past five years, I have been teaching in our Band owned operated school. I taught grades 2, 3 and 4. I have recently taken a leave of absence from this position and am considering a return to working with adults.

I enjoyed meeting new people and experiencing other cultures. I have been to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, which is where I got married about seven years ago. I have two children and have recently become the guardian of my niece and nephew, therefore I now have four children. I have a strong sense of family, community, and pride in my aboriginal ancestry. I am interested in hearing and learning about the history and cultural practices of the Maori. I am particularly interested in the language nests and look forward to visiting the schools to witness this firsthand.

Recently I have become very interested in social and economic development within my own aboriginal community, and would be interested in exploring this area as well. I would be interested in seeing what types of services and programs are in place in your community and how you work to address difference social and economic conditions among your aboriginal people. In my community, commercial fishing used to be a way of life for most people. Unfortunately this is no longer the case as fish stocks continued to decline as the fishing fleet became increasingly larger and larger. Forced to get out of the industry, many families are in economic distress. Recently one of the alternatives to fishing that is being implemented in our community is Eco-Tourism. This is an exciting and viable alternative for many of our people as we can integrate much of our cultural practices into this.

I really look forward to my time in New Zealand and hope to come back with some information that I can share with my community as we work towards independence and self government. I hope to bring my family with me on this trip although our financial situation will determine that for sure.

Gilakasla (Thank you) and until we meet

Sheila Hardy

Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario [Canada]. Using Experiential Teaching in Social Work Education.

shardy@sympatico.ca

Sriramulu Mohan, Ph.D., D.Sc.

Professor of Physics & Head of Department, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry 605 014, India

s_mohan@mailcity.com

From 1991, actively taking part in education. Organised third International conference on experiential learning and first Indian National Conference on Experiential Learning. Contributed several papers in computer based education in National conferences held at Trichiraplalli. Presented 9-research papers on Experiential Learning at USA, Cape town and Tampere, Finland. Delivered several lectures on Value based education and on Creativity to the teachers and principals of ordnance factory educational institutions. Has also published extensively on scientific and technical matters especially in solid state physics.

Secretary, Indian Society for Experiential Learning, and Editor, Indian Soc. for Experiential Learning News Letter. Has contributed several articles in Experiential Learning in local journals, and participated in all ICEL conferences except the second.

Susan F. Graham

Senior Lecturer (Dance), School of Community Health & Sports Studies, Auckland University of Technology, P.O. Box 92006, Auckland 1020, New Zealand

Tel: 64 9 307 9999 Ext. 7841

Fax: 64 9 307 9960

susan.graham@aut.ac.nz

Te Ripowai Higgins

School of Maori Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

Teripowai.Higgins@vuw.ac.nz

Thomas F. Thornton

Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Alaska Southeast, 11120 Glacier Highway, Juneau, AK 99801, USA

Phone: +1 (907) 465-6397 Fax: +1 (907) 465-6406

tom.thornton@uas.alaska.edu

Tukaki Waititi,

Consultant on Social Work, Kaikohe, Northland, New Zealand.

tuki.waititi@xtra.co.nz

Trevor Tyson

School of Business, Swinburne University of Technology, John Street, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia

ttyson@swin.edu.au

I have designed and taught experiential programs in organisational behaviour, communication, planning and management for over 25 years, first at the University of Melbourne, and mre recently at Swinburne University. I was formerly a member of the Australian Consortium on Experiential Education, and an now an Associate Member of the Australian Institute of Socio-Analysis. I am the author of Working With Groups, the 2nd edition of which was published by Macmillan in 1998. I am deeply interested in experiential learning in all its forms and areas of application, and my current special interest is in the dynamics of very large experiential learning groups.

Trudine Dunstan

Graduate Student, Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

trudine@hotmail.com

I am a Nlekepmuxcn woman born in 1945. I grew up on a small isolated, subsistence farm in the interior of British Columbia with my grandparents, parents, six sisters, and one brother. One other brother lived with his grandparents and visited often. My early schooling was through public school, correspondence, residential schooling and public school at the end. Formal education was considered very important in our family. Unfortunately, all of my schooling was away from home because we were so isolated. So I spend much of my growing up years away from my parents, grandparents and often some of my siblings.

My first language was our Nlekepmuxcn language and I started learning English when my oldest sister began school. However, over the years I was somehow convinced that there was no need to continue our language. I unfortunately did not teach my children to speak the language. They only know a few words, I have been trying harder to use the language, but I need to motivate myself somehow. I am no longer fluent, and need to practice and work my memory. However, I still enjoy gathering our traditional foods, which fortunately I have included my children in and am now teaching our grandchildren. We still pick huckleberries, soapberries, bitterroot, and some green vegetables during their season. We fish sockeye salmon every summer, which we smoke, can and freeze for winter use.

Although. I grew up on a farm, I, for family reasons have lived in the urban centers as I was raising my children. My oldest son was born deaf, so his schooling was limited to Vancouver, which is the largest city in BC. A very difficult adjustment for a small town farm girl, we later moved to the second largest city when integration into the public schools began for the deaf. I now call Kamloops, home since we have lived here since 1974. However, I am very family oriented and maintain close ties with all my siblings. My children know all their many first cousins very well and continue the tradition of maintaining close ties.

I graduated from high school in 1964, went to grade thirteen, one year university and then got married and had three beautiful children. My son is thirty-three, my daughters are twenty eight. I have three wonderful grandchildren. One granddaughter is five, one is four months, and my grandson is two month old.

I returned to University when my daughters started grade one, I joined the Native Indian Teacher Training Program (NITEP) in Kamloops. I received my teaching certificate in 1981, and completed my Bachelor of Education in 1988, after having attended many summer sessions at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver .My fIrst job was working as an Interpreter Tutor for the deaf at the grade eleven and twelve level, which I enjoyed very much. I remained there for five years until all the deaf children graduated! I then worked as a Life Skills and Job Readiness Coordinator for adults for one session. Then I returned to the public schools system. I worked as an Itinerant Counselor for three years, working with First Nations children, trying to incorporate our culture into the system. I remained there for two years. I then worked in another community where I was the High School Counselor and also worked with an Elder and we co- taught our language and Indian Studies, I enjoyed this very much, but it was very difficult as we had very little materials and basically had to improvise every class. I moved ftom there and worked as the coordinator for NlTEP for five years. I took a leave for two years. I am now working on my Masters Degree, which I am enjoying very much. I am working part time, temporarily in Vancouver, counseling youth.

I love working with people of all ages very much and enjoyed every job I have had. I am also, an avid organic gardener, I raise enough fruit and vegetables for my family and friends. My children help with the planting, weeding and harvesting. This is part of our family's quality time. I also enjoy sewing, knitting and crocheting when I can. I help my mother tan buckskin as well when she calls me and tells me she needs a little weight, that I can provide!

I am looking forward to my trip to New Zealand very much. I have very much respect and admiration for the Maori. I know that you have gone through a similar history to ours and you are able to move forward and are maintaining, reclaiming and living the culture. Which I think is so wonderful. However, I realize that requires determination, sacrifice, hard work and a belief that this is possible. I know that is happening here, also and it will be very interesting to see and compare so that we may learn from each other .

Tuihana Bosh

Aotea, Raglan, New Zealand