ABSTRACT
Objective/Purpose/Rationale: Three professors in different disciplines collaborate across languages to make a priority at our college the education of our students to become global citizens. Whether raising consciousness about gender discrimination, sustainability, international human rights, global genocide, or any number of other world issues, our philosophy is to combine intellectual pursuits with the international learning experience and engage what we call a “co-educational experience.” Research Design/Methodology: Through our own experimental co-education and sharing our learning experiences and enthusiasm with our students and college community, we’ve created programs, as well as a space, both physical and abstract, for celebrating and encouraging international awareness, discussion, and learning for students and faculty alike. Faculty grow and share that growing with our students and the larger campus community by creating resources and infrastructure that will persist into the future and only continue to evolve and grow. Sample Involved: Silicon Valley community college professors in fields of French, English, and Women and Social Justice Studies have led the way in producing the Global Education Conference, Global Gender Symposium, Global Citizenship alliance (from high school through community college to university), an interdisciplinary study abroad learning community in France, international service learning, international publication, and scholarships to encourage faculty study internationally. Overview of Major Findings/Trends: When faculty are energized, that positivity transfers to students. This cooperative work across disciplines and nations has resulted in the Global Citizenship committee, Global Citizenship space, Salzburg Fellows program, Study Abroad program, and international scholarships.
KEYWORDS
International education, “co-education,” experiential education