Karen K. Belote
Community Organizer
San Jose, California
https://www.angelfire.com/nm/kbelote
https://www.angelfire.com/nm/kbelote
https://www.angelfire.com/nm/kbelote
kbelote@hotmail.com, or kbelote33atyahoodotcom
Hi! Here is a brief history of my life: Born in Ecuador, raised in Michigan, schooled at Colorado College, Minnesota State University-Akita (Japan), University of Minnesota Duluth and Finally graduated (after only 4 years total!) from the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities. After graduation I bounced around a while, working at a restaurant, a rape crisis center, a large book store, and a ski resort, until eventually I ended up getting a certificate to teach English as a Second or Foreign language. My first two jobs were in Japan, in Sagamihara and Hiroshima. I left Japan in March (2002) and spent some time in Europe (based in Birmingham, England) and then the U.S. until July '02, when I joined the United States Peace Corps to be a School and Community Resource Volunteer in South Africa. In September, 2002, after too many weeks of Peace Corps training, I finally made it to my assigned town, Moteti (in the province of Mpumalanga, which is to the north east of Pretoria and Johannesburg). I worked with teachers and students in two schools and learned a new language, Northern Sotho. I practiced Karate in Moteti for a year. I never thought I would be hanging out with so many teen-age boys! Or training for violence while working for peace! Or should I say I was training for self-discipline? I stopped training and went on to other activities, most especially working with the Itsoseng Community Organisation, which was working in conjunction with the Love Life Program to reduce the number of new cases of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. I successfully helped both Mohlako and Nkadimeng Primary Schools to build libraries for their students. To read more about my South Africa experiences click on SA photo album Now, back in time--to Japan and other places:
English as a Second or Foreign Language Teacher information:
I Started my TEFL career with a contract working for Westgate Corporation as an instructor at Tokyo University of Technology in Hachioji, Japan, near Tokyo. I had University students who were great fun to teach and chat with. I loved it!
"Karen's natural warmth and enthusiasm combined with a student-centered approach evokes confidence in students which allows them to take risks and develop their language skills" -- Excerpt from CEDEI and Augustana TEFL/TESL certificate
Later I moved to Hiroshima (click here for things to do and see in Hiroshima)where for two years I taught for David English House at various schools and businesses including Bunkyo University and Bunkyo High School in Kabe, Chuo Women's Junior College, and Hiroshima University of Economics.
Below are some other photos that are relevant to my life, some of which are here due to courtesy and creativity of my father.
If you want to see what we really look like, click here.
To see a map of all the places I have lived, click here
Other web sites that might be interesting to the people looking here are:
