Education Commons^™

Engaging In Social Justice With Toddlers, Susan M. Nasiombe

Capstone Collection

This study was created as a way to highlight and begin filling a large void in academic information regarding the ways caregivers engage in social justice with the toddlers they care for. Through an online survey, participants were asked to explain their role and experience as caregivers, give their definition of social justice, share the social justice resources they use to help inform their engagement with toddlers, and list the limitations and barriers they face in achieving their goals in this area. Participants were also asked to assess their value of various elements commonly used to engage toddlers in social …

Collaboration In Campus-Wide Internationalization Initiatives: A Case Study Of The Beyond Initiative At Ferris State University, Kate Davidson

Capstone Collection

The purpose of this study is to explore how the collaboration of stakeholders across a college campus influences the success of a campus-wide internationalization initiative. A case study analysis was conducted to provide insight into collaboration efforts in a campus-wide internationalization initiative. Faculty and staff who have been involved with the BEYOND Initiative at Ferris State University (FSU) were surveyed to gauge their perspectives on the level of collaborative development within the initiative. Kezar’s (2005) model of collaboration development and Knight’s (2008) definitions of internationalization and internationalization “at home” provide a framework for this study. The findings were analyzed on …

Designing And Delivering Staff Training For New Student Advisors: A Residential Esl Pathway School In Massachusetts, Brodie Henry

Capstone Collection

This capstone master’s thesis explains the comprehensive 100-hour training program for a team of new student advisors at Massachusetts International Academy. The training was designed and delivered in May-August 2014 for the 2014-2015 academic year. The school, in a partnership with the University of Massachusetts, provides English as a second language (ESL) instruction exclusively to the increasing numbers of Chinese students seeking undergraduate and graduates degrees in the United States. The school is in eastern Massachusetts and was developed by the China Education and Research Network. The academy is a residential ESL pathways program that prepares students for undergraduate and …

Language Diversity In Trainings: Analyzing The Use Of English In A Writeshop Process, Elis Cardoso Motta

Capstone Collection

This capstone paper discusses a learning process called “writeshop,” and the role played by language use in a writeshop I co-facilitated in November 2013 in South Africa. A writeshop is a workshop to collectively create a written product for publication. This paper starts with a description of my experience in co-designing and co-facilitating a writeshop as part of my practicum, followed by a reflection on the process and the different roles I played, from a trainer lens. The third part of this capstone paper presents an analysis, based on a survey and individual interviews conducted with the writeshop participants, of …

An Examination Of South Carolina’S Institutions Of Reform And Their Impact On The Self-Narratives Of African American Men, Ashley E. Krejci-Shaw

Capstone Collection

In the State of South Carolina (SC), African American male adolescents disproportionately face disciplinary action in public schools and other institutions. In 2013, South Carolina’s Department of Juvenile Justice (SCDJJ) released data that listed Black male children comprising 57% of all juvenile referrals in the state. This disproportionate trend is also present in South Carolina’s correctional system. In 2013, South Carolina’s Department of Corrections (SCDOC) reported that out of 20,777 male prisoners, 13,631 were Black. For adolescents or young adults looking to continue their education, alternative programs are available. One program that captures educationally displaced children in South Carolina is …

Comprehensive Approaches To Health And Safety: A Program Design Context, Dan Loughrey

Capstone Collection

The following paper is an attempt at a comprehensive health and safety plan for an experiential program studying the history and practice of martial arts in Japan. The focus of this work is meant to be on health, safety, and risk management, which therefore puts less of an emphasis on other program design elements. The paper makes an effort to recommend certain policies and procedures where Rutgers University lacks them. The broad health and safety plans outlined below are based in the policies and procedures of Rutgers University and may not be suitable for adoption by other institutions. This program …

Creating A Community Of Support: An Evaluation Of The Healing For Educational Achievement Resource Team, Ann M. Quintrell

Capstone Collection

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Healing for Educational Achievement Resource Team (H.E.A.R.T.). H.E.A.R.T. is a committee of staff at a middle school in Dorchester. Dorchester is a violence hotspot in Boston, MA, and students in such areas need to heal from traumas while meeting academic requirements. In order to meet their students’ needs and achieve their goals, schools need to practice trauma informed care. H.E.A.R.T. represents a staff-driven effort to meet student needs and establish trauma informed care. H.E.A.R.T.’s effectiveness was evaluated through surveys and interviews of committee members, interviews of the school’s …

A Holistic Approach To Homestay: A Homestay Program Proposal For Cats Academy Boston, Nora Salmon

Capstone Collection

The following is a proposal for an academic yearlong homestay program for international students attending high school in the United States. This proposal examines what research conducted on homestay programs says about the effects of living in a homestay, what the perceived benefits of living in a homestay are and what is the role of homestay hosts in the homestay experience.

The homestay program developed is entitled the CATS Academy Homestay Program. This proposed program design incorporates the homestay experience as part of the students’ overall education at the high school CATS Academy, located in Newton, Massachusetts. It uses a …

Incoming Erasmus Student Orientation: An In-Country Orientation Program For Incoming Erasmus Students Studying At Istanbul Bilgi University, Ayla H. Ugur

Capstone Collection

Incoming Erasmus Student Orientation: An In-country Orientation Program for Incoming Students Studying at Istanbul Bilgi University is a two-day orientation program designed for students spending a semester or full year in Istanbul, Turkey. This Course-Linked Capstone (CLC) proposes a program design that welcomes Erasmus students to Istanbul Bilgi University while preparing the students in various subjects in order to aid in a successful transition to their new surroundings. A needs assessment included in this proposal provides evidence that there is a need for an updated orientation program. The in-country orientation will be provided by the International Center of Istanbul Bilgi …

Investigating India: A Strategic Recruitment Plan For Indian Students, Alana Stuart

Capstone Collection

This paper outlines the strategic recruitment plan for Indian undergraduate students designed for the Michigan State University (MSU) Office of Admissions. The title “INVESTigating India” refers not only to the finances that are necessary to fund the strategic recruitment plan, but also to the investment of time and human capital that must be devoted to the strategic recruitment plan in order to succeed. Furthermore, INVESTigating India utilizes deliberate methods to investigate the various reasonings behind Indian student mobility to the United States, while looking at both internal and external environmental factors at the micro (institutional) and macro (country) levels that …

Yes Means はい, Oui, Sí: Cross Culturally Competent Sexual Assault Prevention For International Education Programs, Tara Jorgensen

Capstone Collection

This Course Linked Capstone (CLC) proposes a new orientation model for harassment and sexual assault prevention on International Education Programs. The program is based on significant recent research representing a paradigm shift in how to understand and effectively address sexual violence, which is taught to the students, and practical skill training for risk mitigation. Both active programming elements are additionally assessed through the lens of intercultural communication theories to ensure their value in intercultural interactions. The three pillars of this programming are Enthusiastic Consent for consensual relationships; Bystander Intervention within the group to mitigate and prevent students from becoming a …

Enhancing Student Learning Outcomes Through Increased Predeparture Preparation For Study Abroad, Catherine J. Raleigh

Capstone Collection

Numerous studies have shown that each year, more students in the United States choose to study abroad. Some universities have even taken steps to make international study a requirement. Similar to the increased competitiveness for students to attend and thereafter, to stand out in college, making the most of one’s overseas experience, going to more exotic locations and delving deeper into the local culture, will follow in this pattern as a means to be more competitive upon graduation. Increased awareness of the needs of students studying abroad will need to be addressed and students across the spectrum of both mental …

Reframing Sea Semester®: A Model Living And Learning Program In Education Abroad, Katharine W. Enos

Capstone Collection

Sea Education Association (SEA) has educated nearly 7,500 undergraduates through its SEA Semester^® study abroad programs since 1971. In an effort to refresh the brand and marketing efforts to influence enrollment and develop more institutional relationships, the program is being reframed in the context of a living-learning program (LLP). Two electronic surveys with Likert and open-ended questions were distributed to SEA Semester program alumni and academic contacts at sending institutions, both seeking to determine whether such an endeavor would be accurately representative and beneficial to enrollment and institutional relations. Alumni were asked to consider: what characteristics of SEA Semester …

The Culture Conundrum: Training Faculty And Staff For Effectively Working With International Students, Mckenna S. Pencak

Capstone Collection

Over the past five years, the number of international students studying at the University of Notre Dame has increased by 30 percent. The increase in the numbers of undergraduate international students, as well as Chinese international students, has been even more significant. This rapid growth in the number of international students has created challenges for University faculty, staff, and administrators, both inside and outside of the classroom. International students typically face different challenges adjusting to an American university from their American peers, stemming from differences between their home country cultures and American culture. When an international student is facing a …

Long-Term Impacts And Outcomes: Sit Study Abroad, Marianne Mcgarrity

Capstone Collection

This capstone reports on the results of the SIT Study Abroad Long-Term Impacts and Outcomes survey, a research project designed to investigate how alumni would self-report impacts of their study abroad experience with regard to academic, personal, and professional outcomes. The principal question the study sought to answer was “How and to what extent do SIT Study Abroad programs impact alumni in the long term?” This paper focuses largely on the career outcomes of the alumni who participated in this research. A large percentage of SIT Study Abroad alumni report that impacts to their career choices were significant and that …

Wildcats International Neighbors: Bridging International Students With Local Community At Northern Michigan University, Manato Kaisho

Capstone Collection

In Fall 2013 semester, Wildcats International Neighbors (W.I.N.) was designed and implemented as a pilot program for the International Programs Office (IPO) at Northern Michigan University (NMU). It was a cross-cultural program to connect international students and local community members for mutual cultural exchange. Moreover, this program served as a support program for international students during their transition to American culture. Fall 2013 semester was first time when the IPO implemented this program. At the end of the semester, the IPO conducted a program evaluation, and the office discovered there were several aspects of the program that needed to be …

Teaching The Moral Imagination: How Global Education Aids In Peacebuilding, Charlee Bianchini

Capstone Collection

In this paper I present distinctive information from written resources and in-depth interviews with 17 constituents who are in some way involved in the incorporation of Global Education curriculum in the US. I specifically looked at Brookwood School in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, a private school looking to develop programming around this subject. I also looked at World Learning Youth Programs in order to gain insight from an institution solely focused on GE. The aim of the research was to learn why and how Global Education programs are being incorporated into curriculums, what skills schools are aiming to have their students learn …

Intercultural Communication In Brazil: An Approach To Engage Multicultural North Dakota State University Students In Study Abroad, Allison Wright

Capstone Collection

Intercultural Communication in Brazil (IC Brazil) is a course-embedded program aimed at multicultural students by building off of the curriculum in one of the general education requirement courses at North Dakota State University (NDSU). It has been designed to fit within the confines of NDSU’s existing study abroad structure and uses a targeted approach to student recruitment that can be utilized by other faculty-leaders at NDSU, universities, and members of the IE field.

IC Brazil is an experiential learning course-embedded program that contains on-campus learning, fieldwork in Rio de Janeiro, and course reflections upon the students’ return. IC Brazil students …

Mi Cultura, Su Cultura: A Cultural Exchange Program For Central College, Whitney J. Longnecker

Capstone Collection

Central College is a 1,500-student, liberal arts higher education institution located in Pella, Iowa. The College boasts a study abroad participation rate of over 50 percent; however, the institution seeks to internationalize the campus beyond study abroad. At the request of Central College President Dr. Mark Putnam, a global taskforce consisting of faculty, staff and students formed to consider internationalization strategies and the taskforce is keen to welcome international students to the institution. Currently, a very small number of international students attend Central College and international student support services are decentralized and limited.

Mi Cultura, Su Cultura (MCSC) was developed …

Global Education In New York City High Schools: What We Can Learn, Emily Gifford

Capstone Collection

In an increasingly globalized world, where international issues affect local communities, it is important for students to learn about global topics. International education in colleges is becoming more ubiquitous, but many students do not go to college and need to be introduced earlier. Is global education being taught in high schools? How have educators incorporated international issues into their classrooms? In this study, I spoke to educators in New York City to examine what public high schools are doing to integrate global issues into their curricula.

The study examines what obstacles teachers and schools face, what helps teachers to be …

Volunteering And Social Development Across Cultures: A Credit Bearing Course For The Alliance For Global Education's Global And Public Health Program At Manipal University (India), Katie Jo Walter

Capstone Collection

This course-linked capstone presents full details for the creation, facilitation and evaluation of a new field-based course for the Alliance for Global Education’s (Alliance) Global and Public Health program at Manipal University in India. Operating in partnership with Manipal University’s Volunteer Services Organization (VSO), the course will increase opportunities for participant interaction with people both on and off campus, actively respond to participants’ stated interest in volunteer work, and strengthen institutional ties between the Alliance and Manipal University.

The plan for the course, titled, “Volunteering across cultures: India and the United States”, incorporates best practices and theories from international service …

Setting Expectations: An Onsite Orientation For Intern Abroad Programs In London, Ilse B. Damkoehler

Capstone Collection

International internships have been continuously rising in popularity over the past decade, with participation in work, internships, and volunteering abroad (WIVA) more than tripling over a ten year span from 1999/2000 to 2010/2011(Farrugia, 2013). One of the most important elements of an intern abroad program is to set expectations so that students can have a successful program, both personally and professionally. The onsite orientation is therefore a vital piece of an effective intern abroad program.

Setting Expectations: An Onsite Orientation for Intern Abroad Programs in London is a four-day orientation program in London, England developed for participants in the Intern …

Intercultural Communication In Florida: The Immigrant Story - A Program For Adult Learners, Stephanie V. Wobensmith

Capstone Collection

Although participation in university study abroad programs has grown steadily within the United States in recent years, many students are still being left without access to the important intercultural learning that it allows. Adult learners, students over the age of 25 who often have family and work responsibilities outside of the academic setting, are frequently included in this underrepresented demographic. In order to create a more accessible program for these students, the Intercultural Communication in Florida: The Immigrant Story (ICC in Florida) program uses the same learning paradigm as short-term study abroad but combines it with lessons learned through newer …

North Dakota State University Study Abroad Strategic Plan: Enhancing Student Mobility For The 21st Century, Krysta Gorder

Capstone Collection

This study analyzes current study abroad efforts at North Dakota State University (NDSU) and aids in the design of a strategic plan to grow student mobility numbers. The NDSU study abroad office (SAO) desires to increase the number of students studying abroad from two percent to five percent of the study body by the year 2019. In order to establish accountability across the entire infrastructure of the institution, NDSU has signed onto a commitment with the Institute of International Education (IIE) and its Generation Study Abroad (GSA) initiative that aims to double the number of U.S. students nationwide that study …

Exploring Service Learning In Study Abroad: An Evaluation Of The Umbra Institute’S Urban Spaces Course, Lisa M. George

Capstone Collection

Over the proceeding decades, service learning programs combining academic study with community service have been growing in popularity at U.S. institutions of higher education. This growth has been equated to service learning’s ability to assist students with achieving personal and academic goals, as well as broader goals of civic engagement for communities. With these programs occurring in an increasingly interconnected world, that is also seeing growth in study abroad participation, it is only natural that students would seek out similar service learning opportunities in their international destinations.

Today more than 80% of students enrolled at The Umbra Institute in Perugia, …

Preparing Teen Girls To Enter The Workforce Through A Job-Readiness Training Program In The Dominican Republic, Genevieve F. Corrin

Capstone Collection

A recent shift has concentrated international community development efforts on women, many specifically aiming to work with adolescent women. This capstone explores the design, facilitation and potential developmental impact of work-readiness training for teen girls in Cabarete, Dominican Republic. Such training comes with many challenges and possibilities for positive outcome. Methodologies and frameworks introduced through SIT courses aid in the examination of these challenges, the solutions used to transform them and possible preventative approaches. Tools gleaned from the spring SIT TDEL course, to which this capstone is linked, inspire the creation of the training. These tools are also used to …

Pushing Forward: The Climate For Lgbtq Student Advising In Study Abroad Of South Carolina, Alexandra Seay

Capstone Collection

This study uses quantitative and qualitative analysis to examine issues of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) minority undergraduate student inclusivity within the 32 study abroad programs offered within the 51 of the institutions of higher education in the state of South Carolina. Findings in this study suggest that study abroad programs are delivered to students in 1 of 3 ways: Direct Exchange, 3^rd Party Provider, and Faculty-Led. Findings in this study also indicate that faculty and study abroad advisers view study abroad as a useful and transformative experience for all students and that these programs should be …

An Expanded Field Guide On Cross-Cultural Learning For Faculty Leaders Of University Of Missouri Study Abroad Programs, William Palmieri

Capstone Collection

As the term global citizen becomes ubiquitous in our world, it is imperative that faculty-led programs abroad challenge students’ understanding, as such. Therefore, by accompanying students abroad, educators must adopt methods that guide and challenge students to have a command of the impact of the experience. This paper will present the rationale for maximizing the impact abroad for faculty-led programs and ways students can gain an informed global perspective in their respective fields. Participant partners were University of Missouri and The School for International Training in creating an Internet –based resource manual, An Expanded Field Guide on Cross-Cultural Learning for …

Internationalizing The Study Abroad Classroom: An Intensive English Program At The American Graduate School In Paris, Jordan A. Caley

Capstone Collection

The American Graduate School in Paris (AGS) is a not-for-profit institution founded in 1994 to provide U.S. higher education in France to students from around the world pursuing graduate degrees in International Relations, Diplomacy, and Business. Since 2008, AGS has partnered with Arcadia University located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, USA, to provide summer, semester, and academic year undergraduate study abroad programs in these fields. While current study abroad participants are undergraduate students pursuing degrees at U.S. institutions, AGS has recently received permission to internationalize the study abroad classroom by recruiting students from around the world. Because AGS courses are delivered exclusively …

A Student Assessment In Value Of Cooperative Education Curriculum Integrated Through Character Development: The Greenwood School, Rebecca Clarke

Capstone Collection

Cooperative education programming as a model of teaching to varied learning styles, is based on a small scale school working to teach children to their specific learning styles centered around their brain function strengths and limitations. The Greenwood School is a boarding school located in Putney, VT specializing in teaching boys with academic, social, and behavioral differences. The school caters to about fifty boys from ages ten to eighteen. Within all of the programs operating on this campus, one of the newest is the internship program, which offers off-campus, community based work learning opportunities with adult mentors and small business …