By Donna Lednicky | Director of Marketing and Development
This spring TAEC has been busy visiting schools and improving our activity centre. Although Laos is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, most visitors, and locals themselves, are not aware of this. Through our education and outreach programmes, TAEC aims to inform and engage more people about the cultural diversity in Laos today.
In March, 112 students from Phasouk and Phongvan primary schoolsin Years 4 and 5 received visits from the TAEC Education Team. These students also visited the exhibitions at TAEC and participated in a scavenger hunt to learn more about Akha, Hmong, Tai Lue, and Kmhmu people in Laos.
With the help of volunteer Sylvie from Canada we made improvements to our activity centre. Sylvie works as an intrepretive guide at a seasonal museum in Yukon, Canada. She shared her skills with us to create a more friendly and engaging activity centre for our visitors. This part of our museum provides hands-on activities and books where children and adults can learn more about the ethnic diversity in Laos.
Sylvie and Sai, Education Team Member, worked together to create a self-guided discovery basket about the traditional textiles and baskets made by the people in Laos. Each original, handmade object poses a question such as “Hand or mechanically woven? Are you able to tell the difference?”Answers are provided in English, French and Lao.
In a rearranged space with more books and activities, fresh paint, and bamboo stools, the TAEC activity centre is more inviting for our visitors to spend time and learn more about the many ethnic groups of Laos and the textiles they are known for.
We look forward to continuing to make improvements to our activity centre with more books and the addition of ethnic costumes in children's sizes for our young visitors to try on.
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