Global Source Education

GLOBAL SOURCE EDUCATION CURRENTLY DELIVERS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING THROUGH TWO MAJOR INITIATIVES: EDUCULTURE AND THE ONLY WHAT WE CAN CARRY PROJECT. AS A RESULT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, ALL OUR MAJOR FIELD-BASED, SCHOOL-BASED AND IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING CONTINUE TO BE ON HOLD AND HIATUS. THEREFORE, WE WERE ONCE AGAIN LIMITED IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS, EDUCATORS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WE COULD DIRECTLY SERVE DURING OUR 2022-2023 SEASON. EDUCULTURE CREATES LOCALLY GROWN EDIBLE EDUCATION PROGRAMS WHICH BRIDGE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES AROUND THE STUDY OF FOOD AND FOOD SYSTEMS IN ORDER TO FOSTER DEEPER SCHOLARSHIP, STEWARDSHIP, CITIZENSHIP, AND SUSTAINABILITY. EDUCULTURE'S MISSION IS CENTERED AROUND CONNECTING PLACE AND TASTE WITH WHERE WE LIVE, EAT AND LEARN. EDUCULTURE PARTNERS WITH SCHOOLS, FARMS, AND OTHER COMMUNITY ASSETS TO TRANSFORM WORKING LANDSCAPES INTO OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS. THE LARGER AIM BEING TO DELIVER AUTHENTIC, LIVED EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES THAT INFORM A MORE LIVED SCHOOL CURRICULUM. OUR EDIBLE EDUCATION PROGRAMS MEET ACADEMIC LEARNING GOALS, WHILE TEACHING STUDENTS OF ALL AGES ABOUT WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM AND HOW THEIR FOOD SYSTEMS WORK. IN THE PROCESS, WE ARE HELPING TO PRESERVE AND STRENGTHEN LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOOD COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMIES, WHILE HELPING TO CONSERVE PLACE AND TASTE FOR THIS AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. THE ONLY WHAT WE CAN CARRY PROJECT (OWWCC) USES THE STUDY OF WWII, JAPANESE AMERICAN INTERNMENT, AND ITS IMPACT ON BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, TO FOSTER LEARNING EXPERIENCES ABOUT EXCLUSION, INCLUSION AND CITIZENSHIP FOR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY. THE BAINBRIDGE ISLAND JAPANESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY WAS FORCED BY US GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE ORDER 9066 TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES, FARMS, LIVELIHOODS, FOR AN EXCLUSION THAT WOULD LAST THROUGH WWII. BAINBRIDGE ISLAND HAS A WEALTH OF LIVING RESOURCES THAT ILLUMINATE A TUMULTUOUS ERA AND ENDURING STORY THAT OFFERS A LENS INTO HISTORY BEYOND TEXTBOOKS. OWWCC IS AN EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT FOUNDED TO PROVIDE EDUCATORS, STUDENTS AND CITIZENS LIVED EXPERIENCES THAT CAN INFORM A MORE LIVED CURRICULUM, LIVED COMMUNITY AND LIVED DEMOCRACY. OWWCC AND ITS PARTNERS HAVE MADE BAINBRIDGE ISLAND A LIVING INTERPRETIVE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE JAPANESE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE OF INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION, AS IT RELATES TO THE LARGER AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN THE 20TH AND 21ST CENTURIES. EDUCULTURE AND OWWCC'S BASE OF OPERATIONS IS SITUATED ON HISTORIC SUYEMATSU FARM. FOUNDED IN 1928, THE ORIGINAL FORTY ACRES OF SUYEMATSU FAMILY FARM IS ONE OF THE OLDEST, CONTINUOUSLY FARMED WORKING LANDSCAPES IN THE REGION, AND TODAY IS THE LARGEST PRODUCTION FARM IN KITSAP COUNTY. PARTLY OWNED BY THE CITY OF BAINBRIDGE, THIS PROPERTY REPRESENTS A UNIQUE PRIVATE-PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP. TODAY, IT IS THE HUB OF OUR ISLAND'S FARMING COMMUNITY AND A TREASURED AND ICONIC CULTURAL ASSET. IN 2022-2023, EDUCULTURE CONTINUED SUPPORTING WORK ON THE PRODUCTION OF A BOOK PROJECT AND DOCUMENTARY FOCUSED ON THE LIFE AND LAND OF AKIO SUYEMATSU (1921-2012), THE LAST JAPANESE AMERICAN FARMER ON BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WA. THIS HISTORIC, NINETY-SIX YEAR OLD FAMILY FARM HAS BEEN THE HOME BASE OF EDUCULTURE'S CORE PROGRAM ACTIVITIES SINCE 2007. THIS MULTI-YEAR PROJECT REPRESENTS A CULMINATION OF EDUCULTURE'S WORK AS RESIDENT EDUCATORS ON THIS HISTORIC, WORKING FARM, AND BRINGS TOGETHER OVER A DECADE OF RESEARCH, DOCUMENTATION, AND EDUCATION ABOUT THIS LEGENDARY FARMER AND THIS LAND. THIS DOCUMENTARY PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THOUSANDS THROUGH ITS BOOK, VIRTUAL, AND ON-SITE INTERPRETATIVE FORMATS. OWWCC CONTINUED WITH OUR RESEARCH TO COMPILE AND EDIT A BOOK PROJECT DOCUMENTING THE IMPACT OF EXECUTIVE ORDER 9066 ON THE JAPANESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, DURING WORLD WAR TWO AND ITS AFTERMATH OVER EIGHT DECADES FOLLOWING THIS PERIOD OF GOVERNMENT MANDATED EXCLUSION AND EXILE. THE BOOK PROJECT WILL PRESENT A SERIES OF PRIMARY SOURCE MATERIAL AND PHOTOGRAPHS ARTFULLY SELECTED AND ARRANGED, SEQUENTIALLY, COVERING OVER A CENTURY OF THE BAINBRIDGE ISLAND JAPANESE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. THE AIM OF THIS PROJECT IS TO CREATE AN ENDURING EDUCATION TOOL AND RESOURCE TO SERVE MULTIPLE AUDIENCES FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. IN SUMMER AND FALL 2022, EDUCULTURE AND ONLY WHAT WE CAN CARRY ORGANIZED, PRODUCED AND FACILITATED A TWO-PART SYMPOSIUM ON THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF HISTORIC SUYEMATSU FARM ON BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WHICH TOOK PLACE IN LATE OCTOBER AND EARLY NOVEMBER 2022. CLOSE TO 50 PEOPLE REPRESENTING KEY LOCAL STAKEHOLDER GROUPS INVOLVED WITH THIS ICONIC WORKING LANDSCAPE CONVENED TO SHARE, LISTEN AND LEARN ABOUT THE FULL HISTORY OF THE SUYEMATSU FARM, THE ENDANGERED STATE IT HAD FALLEN INTO, AND CALL ATTENTION TO THE LEGACY OF AKIO SUYEMATSU, AS A CITIZEN AND FARMER. FOLLOWING THE SYMPOSIUM, OVER THE COURSE OF 2022-23, SIX OF THE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, INCLUDING EDUCULTURE, ALIGNED AROUND RESCUING, REPAIRING, AND REVITALIZING THIS ENDANGERED COMMUNITY ASSET, AND FORMED THE SUYEMATSU FARM LEGACY ALLIANCE (SFLA), WITH EDUCULTURE SERVING AS ITS FISCAL SPONSOR. SFLA BEGAN WORKING TOWARDS THIS COMMUNITY LANDMARK REALIZING ITS FULL POTENTIAL AS A CULTURAL, INTERPRETIVE, AND EDUCATIONAL CENTER FOR THE HISTORY, CULTURE AND HERITAGE OF AKIO SUYEMATSU, THE SUYEMATSU FAMILY, THE ISLAND'S LARGER AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE, AND JAPANESE AMERICAN AND INDIPINO EXPERIENCES ON BAINBRIDGE ISLAND. SFLA'S GOALS INCLUDE: STABILIZING AND RESTORING THE SUYEMATSU FARM HISTORIC PROPERTY LISTED IN THE BAINBRIDGE ISLAND REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES; PLACING THE SUYEMATSU FARM HISTORIC WA STATE AND NATIONAL HISTORIC REGISTERS; AND IMPROVING THE SUCCESSFULNESS OF THE CURRENT MASTER FARMERS ON SUYEMASTSU FARM WHO ARE AKIO SUYEMATSU'S AGRICULTURAL LEGACY. EDUCULTURE AND OWWCC CONTINUED TO OFFER PRO-BONO CONSULTATIONS TO REGIONAL FOOD AND EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS.