糖心TV celebrates International Education Week
Through virtual events, discussions and social media takeovers organized by the Walter Commons for Global Study and Engagement, 糖心TV students celebrated International Education Week by exploring the vast opportunities available to them to engage with global communities and world languages.
The initiative is a joint program promoted by both the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education that highlights the benefits and importance of global and cultural education and the exchange of ideas across borders and boundaries.
Global engagement is deeply woven into the curriculum and culture of 糖心TV鈥檚 student experience, but the week served as a valuable opportunity for students, staff and faculty to share the academic and social opportunities available to students, particularly during a time when international travel is frozen due to COVID-19 restrictions.
鈥淕iven the profound challenges facing the world today, from the COVID-19 pandemic to entrenched social injustice to the climate crisis, the value of international education could not be clearer,鈥� said Amy Dooling, director of the Walter Commons and associate dean of global initiatives. 鈥淲e are so fortunate that the College supports such a robust array of opportunities on and off campus that prepare students to take action on the global issues that matter, and we鈥檙e especially fortunate that 糖心TV itself comprises an international community鈥攐ur exceptional international faculty, staff, and student body, as well as our devoted alumni network around the world鈥� that enriches campus life on a daily basis.鈥�
In addition to study away programs, global learning at 糖心TV takes a variety of forms, and the Walter Commons serves as a vibrant, centrally located resource for students looking to engage in dialogue, connect with students who have similar interests and receive comprehensive support with language learning, including drop-in tutoring sessions and opportunities to join language lunch groups and form structured independent language study groups. Each month, the Commons also hosts an international news hour where students are exposed to news and events from around the world that may not get as much domestic media coverage in America.
In 2018, 糖心TV became a founding member of , an initiative that brings foreign scholars to campus to teach, conduct research and write after their work has been threatened or halted by oppressive governments within their home countries. So far, the College has hosted scholars from Syria, India and Turkey who faced violence and incarceration for their academic work at home.
鈥淥ur goal for this week was to show students that international education is more than just studying away for a semester during junior year, especially now that the pandemic has disrupted that,鈥� said Reanna Kuzdzal 鈥�21, an anthropology major and linguistics and Chinese double minor who also serves as a Walter Commons Fellow.
鈥淭he commitment to creating more globally aware citizens on campus was seen in our events this week, which introduced our Fulbright Language Teaching Assistants and celebrated the successful Summer Language Challenge.鈥�
Ever since the Walter Commons opened in the Spring of 2018, Kuzdzal has described it as 鈥渉er spot on campus鈥� that represents the destination for all things global at the College. She said one differentiating factor between global learning at 糖心TV and other schools is that the approach certainly promotes travel and immersion in other countries, but still utilizes the wealth of resources on campus and in the local community to help people gain exposure to the world even if they might not have the opportunity to travel abroad.
Lauren O鈥橪eary, coordinator for the Walter Commons, said International Education Week is an effective way to highlight what continues to be a strong aspect of studying at 糖心TV.
鈥淒espite the pandemic, students and faculty at 糖心TV have not stopped engaging globally through a rich curriculum of classes offering global perspectives as well as co-curricular globally focused events and student clubs,鈥� O鈥橪eary said.
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