Two Indianapolis colleges are partnering to bring a global perspective on learning

A recently awarded $310,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education will fund a new global learning initiative partnership between Ivy Tech Community College and Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis. Through the collaboration, the two institutions will retool their first-year seminar and world language courses to include a greater focus on establishing connections between global events and local communities. Goals of the initiative include making access to a globally-focused education more equitable, and to meet the demands of employers who are seeking college graduates who have a grasp on global perspectives.

As described in a news release from Ivy Tech one of the main avenues for gaining educational experiences with global perspectives has been study abroad programs. COVID-19 interrupted that tradition this past academic year and even in times without restricted travel, study abroad programs are expensive and not practical for students with children or those who have full time jobs. Hilary Kahn, associate vice chancellor of international affairs at IUPUI and associate vice president for international affairs at IU, leads the initiative. She explained how the grant will help meet the goals of the initiative, "We want to provide as many different opportunities for students to experience global learning as possible. In the past we've relied too much on study abroad. While we’ve been working for several years to successfully increase access to study abroad, this effort will open up the global learning experience to all students at our institutions."

Khan gives an example of how global learning experiences can be introduced to the classroom. She describes a class she co-taught at the IU School of Education at IUPUI. The course, taught online because of the pandemic, gave students an opportunity to interact with students at CETYS Universidad in Mexicali, Mexico. The two groups of students discussed the sustainable development goals set out by the United Nations. They developed relationships as they forged an understanding of the impact of the U.N.'s global initiative on issues like gender equity and education in Mexico and the United States. As Khan puts it, "You could see everyone making connections across a variety of pathways. There was a lot of excitement around linking these big global goals to personal issues about which they were passionate."

Investment in a global learning perspective is something that can benefit students as they begin careers after college. Russell Baker is the vice president for academic affairs at Ivy Tech and co-leads the grant with Kahn. Baker said, "Research clearly shows that employers increasingly expect students to enter the workforce with global competency. Increasing the global competencies of our students was first added to Ivy Tech's strategic plan more than 10 years ago, and this grant will help us better meet employers' expectations by intentionally including it in our curriculum during their first semester at Ivy Tech."

The first step in the initiative will have faculty and staff from both Ivy Tech and IUPUI undergo training in a series of workshops. Both Ivy Tech and IUPUI plan to have the new curriculum integrated into first-year courses for all students by the fall of 2023.