Faculty gain knowledge without borders
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From China to Brazil, faculty and staff have traveled far and wide to improve their skills. Now, they're ready to improve the college.
Their locations may have been different, but the theory behind their trips is the same — learn about different cultures and integrate what they learned into their work at the college. Through the PCC International Education program and the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), more than a dozen PCC faculty attended short-term, intensive seminars hosted by prestigious academic institutions abroad.
"Our mission is nothing less than to increase international understanding and trust," said Russell Wright, manager of Faculty Programs for Europe and South America through CIEE. "Our method is to create and administer programs that help educators, as well as high school and university students, to study and teach abroad."
The staff that returned from this summer's trips were almost speechless.
"How do you limit the experience to a few sentences?" said Sam Morgan, Cascade art instructor who traveled to Japan. "It was amazing. You get a real sense of the more than 63 million people in the Tokyo area. The city is very well organized with efficient train systems. In contrast we went to Bangkok as well and to get from one end of the city to the other it took 45 minutes."
Morgan's experience is part of a theme that is explored through a series of lectures given by local faculty experts from public-and private-sector institutions of that particular country. The workshops are called International Faculty Development Seminars, which encourage U.S. colleges to internationalize curriculum.
Cheryl Scott, who went to India, said it was helpful to travel with peers to share the experience. She had the opportunity to tour Muslim slums with the Hope Project, which helps educate wives and young women on the skills necessary to sell their own hand-made garments and generate a business of their own.
"They taught them sewing or whatever was needed like literacy, or math. Some of the women showed their products and we bought their textiles. To see the joy on their faces was fascinating," she said. "The big thing was convincing the men to allow the women to leave the house to get healthcare and learn the skills."
The CIEE seminars offer participants updates on global issues; a chance to exchange ideas with both international colleagues and fellow participants; and an opportunity to re-examine global perspectives to incorporate into their work.
"I appreciated the quality of CIEE," Scott added. "The site visits and the lectures were well-balanced and top quality. I went with a group of faculty and it was a great mix."
Part of the funding for International Education is set aside to create professional development opportunities for faculty and staff. To date, 16 staff and faculty have taken part in the international opportunity.
"The people who are returning from this opportunity have had such positive experiences," said Kelley Brayton, director of the International Education program. "This opportunity provided faculty participants a first-hand international education experience on global issues."
Returning faculty will use this experience to incorporate international perspectives into their existing courses and administrators will return to assist with the development of grant proposals. Now that they're back, faculty and staff will be busy integrating what they learn into what they do at PCC. That is if they can readjust to the American way of life.
"I am still suffering from culture shock," said Scott. "People here actually drive in their own lanes."
For more information about this opportunity, contact PCC's International Education program.