Indonesian Partnership Program

School Partnership Program

MSDLT and Lamongan, East Java, Indonesia

Lawrence Township Schools has formed a partnership with the school system in Lamongan, East Java, Indonesia. 

You may recall that last year, Lawrence North High School was selected as one of 15 schools nation wide to participate in the East-West Center’s Partnership for Schools (P4S) for Muslim educators initiative in October, coordinated by our own Rachel Layman. (School psychologist Beth Williams housed our three guests.) The goal of The East West program, supported by the U.S. Department of State, was to foster understanding between the United States and Indonesia, the country home to the largest Muslim population. This  program provides opportunities for U.S. schools to learn about as well as alongside their Muslim Indonesian counterparts. These Indonesian teachers bring not only exceptional knowledge about Islamic religion, cultural traditions, and practices, but also interesting professional as well as personal backgrounds and varied experiences for our schools to tap.

We have now established a partnership with the schools in Lamongan, East Java, as an outcome of the original program last fall.

Here is what we need right now for the School Partnership:

Although any schools or grades may participate, the focus will be on middle and high school students and teachers. School Psychologist Beth Williams will be visited SMP! and SMP4 as well as many other schools and the Islamic University on her 3 week trip, arriving in Bali on Christmas day!  She and her husband also visited local government officials in Lamongan.. She  shared information about the American educational system, best practices, including project based learning, as well as general cultural information about day to day American life. LNHS International Baccalaureate students also preparied a  presentation about "American Halloween" as this topic was requested by the Indonesians.   Currently, some LNHS and Fall Creek Valley Middle School students are pen pals through e-mail and Face Book ( teachers, students and families can join the Facebook group called "School Partnership Lamongan Lawrence" to communicate with students and teachers in Indonesia. 

We want to encourage teachers, students and families who may be interested in sharing lesson ideas, or just communicating about their subject, or even day to day life with their counterparts in Indonesia to join the Facebook group!  Or consider having a Skype conversation!  It's free and it's fun!

For example, the math teacher in Lamongan wanted ideas on how to make his math lessons more engaging to his students. The science teacher wanted ideas on how to teach certain science concepts. Every subject area is of interest to them!   Your involvement could be as little or as much as you want it to be. We would also like students communicating with students. They do have Skype (although the time factor would be something to work around). I took letters from students at LNHS and FCVMS to the students in Lamongan in December, and these were received with so much joy and appreciation!  I brought back many letters from Indonesian students to MSDLT students.  

 The school in Indonesia is hopeful that at some point, teachers, administrators or even students from MSDLT could go to spend time in Lamongan and they in turn could send teachers, administrators or students to visit our schools. If you are interested in this as a possibility, please consider participating now! 

There is no set commitment on your part, only an interest in fellow educators and students, and a desire to improve cultural understanding through people to people interaction.

If interested, or you think your class or family would be able to participate in some way, please contact Beth Williams (bethannwilliams@msdlt.k12.in.us) or contact Mr. Chusnu, our Indonesian counterpart , directly at r_chusnu_ys@yahoo.co.id or simply join the Facebook group, "School Partnership Lamongan Lawrence."

GO GLOBAL!!!!