Dr. Tom Schaefer first experienced Central Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer in the mid-1980s. As a result of the excitement of his experience there, Tom reengaged for an additional year with Peace...lihat lebih banyakDr. Tom Schaefer first experienced Central Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer in the mid-1980s. As a result of the excitement of his experience there, Tom reengaged for an additional year with Peace Corps, and then remained in Central African Republic, where he worked for the Central African government at the National Pedagogical Institute. There, he conducted language pedagogy training for secondary school teachers, while also producing a morning radio program "English by Radio" which was broadcasted nationally.
Tom's fluency in Sango enabled him to experience the stories in the book firsthand, and also led him to writing the Sango Language Educational materials which were being used for Peace Corps volunteers sent to the Central African Republic.
After leaving the Central African Republic, Tom spent a year in the Republic of the Congo, followed by another year in Cameroon. Upon returning to the United States, he continued to work in education, spending eighteen years at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from which he holds his Ph.D. Tom has spent the last twelve years at La Roche College, where he continues to work in educational administration. His fluency in a number of languages and desire to further study cultures has influenced his entire global perspective on life.
Tom is an educator and churchman. He presently serves two parishes in the Byzantine Archeparchy of Pittsburgh and also works on numerous boards and foundations. It is his hope that this book of Central African stories will help children to discover how others think and live differently, and open the minds of readers to a new, exciting, and expanded view of the world.lihat lebih sedikit