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, please contact the SSEWA Outreach Coordinator, Hannah Palustre, at ssewa@colorado.edu.
New SSEWA opportunities!
PD Workshop: Afghanistan's Terrain & Traditions
January 24, 2026, Saturday | 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM | CU Boulder campus
Did you know that Afghanistan is one of the top countries of origin for refugees resettling in Colorado? Are you an educator in the Colorado Front Range who teaches about Afghanistan or works with Afghan students and their families? Join this one-day workshop where you'll receive historical and cultural insights, as well as practical knowledge to better connect with students of Afghan heritage.
APPLY HERE (Registration will remain open until January 9, 2026, or until all 20 spots are filled.)
Benefits of participation:
- Gain deeper insights into Afghanistan's geography, religion, and customs.
- Enjoy complimentary breakfast and lunch while engaging with fellow educators.
- Earn a certificate for 4 professional development contact hours, a $75 stipend, and a Choices curriculum unit on Afghanistan.
For questions or more information about this program, contact the SSEWA Outreach Coordinator, Hannah Palustre, at ssewa@colorado.edu.
This SSEWA professional development program is funded by the Title VI National Resource Center grant from the U.S. Department of Education with support from the CU Boulder Office for Public and Community Engaged Scholarship.
New Online Course:
This 6-week online course will introduce teachers to the history of Islam, focusing on Saudi Arabia and Iran, India and Pakistan, and Indonesia. 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 will be taught by Islamic Studies scholar Patrick D'Silva, and include guest lectures from CU Boulder faculty and Muslim educators.
APPLY HERE(Registration will remain open until January 2, 2026, or until all 15 spots are filled.)
Eligibility: Open to secondary social studies teachers from Colorado and the Mountain Region.
Format: Four synchronous sessions on Zoom and two asynchronous sessions on Google Classroom.
Benefits: Receive a certificate for 12 professional development contact hours and a $100 stipend after fulfilling all requirements.
Requirements: Complete attendance, class participation, submission of weekly assignments, and a final paper due on February 27, 2026.
For questions or more information about this program, contact the SSEWA Outreach Coordinator, Hannah Palustre, at ssewa@colorado.edu
This SSEWA professional development program is funded by the Title VI National Resource Center grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
Past Workshops
2024-25
Vietnam through Time: Teaching the History, Culture, and Transformation of a Nation
April 30, 2025 marked 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War, but Vietnam's story goes far beyond the war. This three-day summer program encouraged educators to look behind the curtain and explore the country's rich history, vibrant culture, and its development into one of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing economies.
Cambodia's History and Heritage
This one-day workshop for secondary social studies teachers delved into Cambodia's history and culture, highlighting how archeology and modern science have helped reveal its glorious past. Participants also enjoyed access to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science's temporary exhibit, Angkor: The Lost Empire of Cambodia.
Islam Across Asia
This 8-week online course introduced 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 gained a deeper understanding of Islam as both a global tradition and a collection of local communities, each with distinct beliefs and practices.
Afghanistan's Terrain and Traditions
Colorado has welcomed many Afghan immigrants three years since the United States withdrew from Afghanistan. As Front Range school districts serve a growing number of Afghan newcomers, many Coloradans still know little about the country. This one-day workshop helped social studies teachers enhance their knowledge and understanding of Afghanistan's history, culture, and people.
In the Spotlight: SSEWA featured on CU Boulder Today
Colorado educators explore windows to Asia's lesser-known nations
Workshop taps into sports to energize history, social studies education
Videos from 2023-24 SSEWA Workshops
Inception of Modern Postural Yoga in Colonial India
Globalization of the NBA/NFL
Southeast Asia in a Backpack
This Barbie is a Teacher: Exploring Race, Culture, and Geopolitics of the Barbie Movie and Beyond
Resources for Teachers
The Vietnam Center & Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive at Texas Tech University has on-site and online resources for students, teachers, and researchers. The Vietnam Center advocates research and education regarding the American Vietnam experience to promote greater understanding of this experience as well as the peoples and cultures of Southeast Asia.
The Hajj Trail is a free-to-play text and image-based digital storytelling tool designed to introduce students to the history of the early modern Ottoman Empire and the Islamic World (circa 1500-1800 CE) through a historical simulation of the hajj, the annual pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca. It is designed to be used in the classroom as a different medium in which students can interact with the history of the early modern Muslim world and understand how the hajj fit into the larger social, political, and cultural world of the Ottoman Empire and beyond.
Open Education Resource (OER) language textbooks for South Asian and Southeast Asian languages is available for free to learners from various learning contexts, including those engaging in guided self-study, sponsored by the Michigan State University Libraries.
Teaching materials on several versions of the Ramayana 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.
Teaching about Art and Composite Culture in South Asia 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).
Freeman Book Awards 2024 honors East and Southeast Asian titles for children and young adults. The 2024 winners include several books set in Southeast Asia such as “Rats to the Rescue: The Unlikely Heroes Making Cambodia Safe” by Scott Marley and Sambat Meas (Honorable Mention, Children's Literature), “A Tree of My Own” by Nui Wilson, and “A Roof!” by Stephanie Ellen Sy (both Of Note); “A Two-Placed Heart” by Doan Phuong Nguyen (Winner, Young Adult/Middle School Literature), “The Crossbow of Destiny” by Brandong Hoang (Honorable Mention), and “The Songbird and the Rambutan Tree” by Lucille Abendanon (Of Note); and “A Bánh Mì for Two” by Trinity Nguyen (Of Note, Young Adult/High School Literature).
Thinking Historically and Teaching Globally. 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.