OVERSEAS TRIP: Edenhope College art program teacher Adele Booth will volunteer her teaching skills in Mongolia for 18 months from March. PICTURE: CONTRIBUTED.
A WIMMERA art teacher will volunteer in Mongolia for 18 months through AusAID.
Edenhope College art program leader Adele Booth will start the Australian Agency for International Development program in March.
She will live in Mongolia's capital city Ulaan Baatar.
Miss Booth has taught at Edenhope College for three years and will aim to create a partnership between the college and the Mongol Aspiration International Laboratory School.
She will volunteer as a teacher-trainer in art and design to help improve teaching methods and raise the standard of curriculums to an international level.
Miss Booth said she had always wanted to work overseas and to volunteer.
"It's an opportunity where you can offer the skills in your training area, rather than helping out generally," she said.
"I will be training teachers in Mongolia, so I can apply specific skills to the program.
"I like that idea."
Miss Booth will train Mongolian teachers in student-centric learning methods.
"I will help to spread Australian teaching theories," she said.
"Mongolia was the only option for the program.
"Initially I thought it would be way too cold.
"Then I thought about it and realised it would be good.
"Ever since I started reading more about Mongolia, I have become more interested in the country."
Miss Booth said traditional tourism experiences lacked depth.
"I try to go overseas once a year on a short holiday," she said.
"But I get quite frustrated with my experiences with tourism; just turning up, everyone else helps you out and then you leave.
"So it will be nice to live somewhere.
"I want to learn as much as I can about Mongolian art and culture."
Miss Booth will stay in touch with the Edenhope College community while she is in Mongolia.
She hopes to start joint projects between the college and the Mongolian school where she will volunteer.
"I have talked to Edenhope teachers already and hope to do joint health and human development projects," Miss Booth said.