Your future, our focus
Global Voices, Diverse Visions: Exploring Global Perspectives and Cultures Through Cross-Cultural Education is the title of the 2024 Global Studies Seminar hosted by Northwest College on Friday, April 12. This free event runs from 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. in the Yellowstone Building Conference Center featuring in-person and virtual speakers, learning sessions and panel discussions centered around the theme “Building Global Citizenship”. Lunch is also being provided.
The day’s activities begin with a welcome by Amanda Enriquez, International Student & Scholar Services Manager at Northwest College. The first interactive session then kicks off at 9 a.m., titled “Where to Begin? Collaborative and Trans-Disciplinary Faculty-Led Study Abroad Resources”. Participants will discuss collaborative multi-disciplinary program design, and how to make sustainable and enriching connections with colleagues, both locally and abroad. A key part of the presentation will address the steps and considerations for program development.
“We know that cross-cultural experiences have great potential to enrich students’ lives personally, academically and professionally,” said Enriquez, “yet creating a faculty-led study abroad program can be a daunting task.”
The 10:30 session is named “Expanding Horizons: Faculty-Led Programming for First-Year Students” as participants look at the goals and measurable benefits of first-year programs, as well as the challenges of getting them off the ground. First-year students traditionally make up a small percentage (3-4%) of undergraduate U.S. students studying abroad. However, institutions are increasingly turning to first-year study abroad programs to deliver a high-impact opportunity during a student’s formative first year of higher education.
At noon, keynote speaker Aziz Abu Sarah will appear virtually for his presentation, “The Educational Imperative of Creating Global Citizens: Engaging Hearts and Minds with New Perspectives”. Attendees will hear first-hand stories from around the world that exemplify the value of developing a global perspective in the 21st century.
Following Sarah’s presentation, a panel discussion, “From Home to Campus” takes place at 1:15 as some of NWC’s own international students share their challenges and triumphs in navigating the intricate process of cultural exchange and adaptation, while simultaneously tackling the academic rigors of a new educational system.
Sybil Tubbs, Education Manager for the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, is scheduled to speak at 2:45, presenting “The Fear of Foreigners: A Look at Xenophobia in America”. Tubbs will share the story of Mary Oyama, a Japanese American woman incarcerated at Heart Mountain during World War II and explore the importance of learning about other cultures in order to counteract xenophobia.
The schedule concludes with closing remarks by Enriquez at 3:45.
The 2024 Global Studies Seminar is sponsored by the International Foreign Language Program at the U.S. Department of Education.
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