South, Southeast, and West Asia Outreach Program
Welcome to SSEWA!
The South, Southeast, and West Asia (SSEWA) Outreach Program offers professional development programs for K-14 educators in Colorado.
We aim to help deepen educators' knowledge of these Asian regions, equip teachers with new content and strategies, and improve educational outcomes and cultural competency for students.
SSEWA spans 35 countries, each with its own diverse culture and history. Every SSEWA program aims to make the study of Asia more approachable and relevant, especially with the growing South Asian, Southeast Asian, and West Asian communities in Colorado.
The SSEWA Outreach Program is funded by the Title VI National Resource Center (NRC) grant from the U.S. Department of Education and supported by the CU Office for Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship.
For inquiries about the SSEWA Outreach Program or to join our email list, please contact the SSEWA Outreach Coordinator, Hannah Palustre, at ssewa@colorado.edu.
Upcoming SSEWA Program
Islam Across Asia
January 14-March 4
Islam Across Asia will introduce secondary social studies teachers to the history of Islam, tracing its origins in 7th-century Asia and its spread throughout South, Southeast, and West Asia. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of Islam as both a global tradition and a collection of local communities, each with distinct beliefs and practices.
The course includes synchronous and asynchronous sessions, with weekly readings and discussions via Google Classroom. The course will run from January 14 to March 4, 2025, every Tuesday from 6:00-7:30 PM (MST).
To qualify for the completion certificate and $100 stipend, participants must attend live sessions, actively engage in online discussions, complete assignments, and submit a final project.
For more details, including program expectations and conditions, contact the SSEWA Outreach Coordinator, Hannah Palustre, at ssewa@colorado.edu.
CU Boulder Today Article:
Workshop taps into sports to energize history, social studies education
Past SSEWA Workshops
Inception of Modern Postural Yoga in Colonial India
Globalization of the NBA/NFL
SE Asia in a Backpack
This Barbie is a Teacher: Exploring Race, Culture, and Geopolitics of the Barbie Movie and Beyond
Resources for Teachers:
is a collection of 2- to 5-minute videos featuring Nu-Anh Tran, Associate Professor of History and Asian Studies at the University of Connecticut, and Seth Jacobs, Professor of History at Boston College. This is part of the Choices Program at Brown University.
is available for free to learners from various learning contexts, including those engaging in guided self-study, sponsored by the Michigan State University Libraries.
were designed as an entry into the study and tradition of the Ramayana story, which continues to influence the politics, religion, and art of modern India. Professor Susan S. Wadley of Syracuse University designed and led this seminar.
is an interdisciplinary “learning through visual analysis” teaching material designed by the University of California Berkeley Office of Resources for International and Area Studies (ORIAS).
for children and young adults. The 2023 winners of two categories are set in Southeast Asia: “My Grandfather’s Song” by Phùng Nguyên Quang and Huỳnh Kim Liên for Children’s Literature, and “The Cricket War” by Thọ Phạm and Sandra McTavish for Young Adult/Middle School Literature. Honorable mentions in the Children’s Literature, Young Adult/Middle School Literature, and Graphic Novels categories include several other Southeast Asian titles.
Speakers talk about using primary sources and online materials in teaching, including digital archives on Southeast Asia at Cornell University and Asian and other collections at the Library of Congress for World History. This online workshop was held on November 8, 2022, sponsored by the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, with funding support from the U.S. Department of Education Title VI NRC Program.