South Asia Outreach Programming
Who We Are and What We Provide
The Center for South Asia supports extensive research, academic study and outreach relating to the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Tibet.
There are over twenty faculty who devote their work full-time to research and teaching on South Asia. Over 50 courses are offered each semester by these faculty with at least 50% concentration on South Asian studies. In addition, through the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, the Center for South Asia lends both research and fiscal support for the teaching of such South Asian languages as Hindi, Urdu, Sanskrit, and Tibetan (both modern/spoken, and literary).
Current Programs
K-16 Outreach – Educator Workshops and Resources
At the Center for South Asia, we provide access to resources for teaching about South Asia at the K-12 and post-secondary level and to the community at large. We assist teachers and community leaders in designing programs on a number of aspects of the arts, civilizations, cultures, geographies, history, and languages of South Asia.
If you would like to schedule a visitor to come to your classroom to talk about South Asia, show slides, or give a lecture on various topics, please contact CSA’s Outreach Coordinator, Andrea Fowler (assistantdirector@southasia.wisc.edu) with inquiries.
The outreach coordinator along with CSA faculty offer educator workshops, seminars, scholarship access grants, and other opportunities for learning about South Asia. Stay informed by subscribing to our CSA Outreach email list.
South Asia Book Award
The South Asia Book Award, administered by the South Asia National Outreach Consortium, is given annually for up to three outstanding works of literature, from picture books to young adult novels, which accurately and skillfully portray the experience of individuals living in South Asia, or of South Asians living in other parts of the world. Honor Books and Highly Commended Books will also be recognized by the award committee for their contribution to this body of literature on the region.
SABA is co-administered by the Center for South Asia and the Institute for Regional and International Studies National Resource Center (IRIS NRC) at UW-Madison. Please contact saba@southasia.wisc.edu for inquiries.
Documentary Films
The Center for South Asia has been a leader in documentary filmmaking on South Asia, distributing the most extensive and diverse collection of documentary films on South Asia in North America. These films are available for purchase in DVD format. Many have in-depth companion film guides for use by educators. There are more than thirty documentary titles appropriate for secondary, post-secondary, and community use, a religions of South Asia lecture series, and two documentaries appropriate to the middle grades. Complete information on each film can be found on our web site.
We offer a special discount to educators from the State of Wisconsin. With proof of endorsement from your school, we will sell our documentaries for the nominal cost of $20.00 for the video and film guide (regular institutional cost is $145.00).
Discovery Boxes
The Center for South Asia Outreach Team is happy to share Discover Boxes with Educators, Libraries, and Community Groups who wish to incorporate these books and cultural explorations into their programs and curriculum. Each CSA Discovery Box is centered around a book recognized by the South Asia Book Awards. Discovery Boxes contain suggested activities connected to the book, cultural and contextual items and information, and useful links for creating your own lessons and programs!
Past Programming
South Asia in Wisconsin Library Grants
The Center for South Asia at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is pleased to offer public libraries throughout Wisconsin the opportunity to enrich their collections with new titles. Libraries across the state are invited to submit proposals to purchase books and materials and/or facilitate programming that will enable Wisconsin readers to deepen their understanding of South Asia.
ARCPIP
The main goal of this program is to provide an opportunity for Indian and Pakistani scholars, along with US colleagues, to work together on archaeological research projects in both countries.
India 2010 Fulbright Seminar
The Center for South Asia (CSA) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is pleased to serve as the host of the pre-departure orientation for the Summer 2010 Fulbright Seminar program to India.
India 2009 Fulbright Seminar
The Center for South Asia (CSA) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is pleased to serve as the host of the pre-departure orientation for the Summer 2009 Fulbright Seminar program to India.
2005 Fulbright Hays Group Project
K-12 educators from the State of Wisconsin travelled to north and south India on a Curriculum
Development Team. “A Passage to India” enabled teacher participants to gain a rich, first-hand, and focused experience of India, allowing them to develop a complex and complete view of the intersections of urban and rural lifestyles, coastal and agricultural economies, multiple religious communities, and the traditional and modern landscapes of India.
2003 Fulbright Hays Group Project
The Exploring the Cultures and Social Issues of Contemporary South India project was designed to accomplish three major goals:
1) to increase teachers’ knowledge of South India, especially of Tamilnadu;
2) to enhance teachers’ ability to create new teaching materials that integrate learning about India into the curricula of American schools; and
3) to deepen teachers’ understanding of educational thought and practice in India, as it exists in urban and rural settings.
Looking for more information?
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