Resources for the Classroom
The following resources are general supplementary resources available to help incorporate topics of intercultural dialogue, diversity, and IEW in general.
Find the week's events on the IEW calendar!
International Education Week (IEW) is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education promotes programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences.
Every year, International Student and Scholar Support produces a demographic report to provide data on the international student enrollment at the University of South Carolina. These reports provide valuable information regarding the trends of international student enrollment at USC.
This is a classic exercise to challenge student thinking on cultural sensitivity, cultural normativity, and ethnocentric language. In Body Ritual Among the Nacirema, by Horace Miner (originally published in American Anthropologist, 1956, 58(3), 503-507) the Nacirema people are described in great detail with language typically used to describe “the other”, when in fact the people being described are Americans (“acirema” is “American” backwards). This activity is suitable for classes in sociology, political science, journalism, history, psychology, literature, anthropology, U101, and other humanities courses.
A discussion of updating the material from its 1950’s origins can be found here in this article from The Society Pages.
A simple lesson plan and discussion question can be found here.
Student volunteers are needed to help with several IEW events. Email your interest here.
- http://www.awesomelibrary.org/multiculturaltoolkit-bibliog.html
- http://www.culturaldetective.com/freebies.html
- Greetings around the world https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_hBK8Ni4yQ
- Taboos Around the World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQP0jjSMRgc
- Intercultural Communication Adventure https://youtu.be/PSt_op3fQck
- TEDTalk: The Danger of a Single Story- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie https://youtu.be/D9Ihs241zeg
- TEDTalk: Cross Cultural Communication- Pellegrino Riccardi https://youtu.be/YMyofREc5Jk
- TEDTalk: Why Cultural Diversity Matters- Michael Gavin https://youtu.be/48RoRi0ddRU
Global Carolina Resources for Student Involvement
An important component of the university’s mission is to provide students with the knowledge and cultural awareness to be responsible and successful citizens in today’s globally integrated world. Global Carolina is dedicated to advancing internationalization, developing services and delivering programs to facilitate students' engagement in global learning. Below you will find opportunities for both students and faculty to get involved with these exciting programs on campus.
This webpage features information and links for numerous mentoring and support programs to connect domestic students with international students studying at USC:
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Buddies Beyond Borders program
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Global Navigators Mentoring program
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Face to Face
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Conversation Partners program
These programs can satisfy Graduation with Leadership Distinction requirements for students pursuing the GLD. Please feel free to share this page or any information about these programs. Email to volunteer!
Carolina Intercultural Training, led by International Student and Scholar Support, focuses on understanding cross-cultural communication styles and exploring strategies for increasing intercultural competence. The goal is to help attendees to diffuse commonly held prejudgments and create a more effective approach to communication. The workshop includes information on diversity at USC, models of cultural dimensions, and activities to help navigate cultural differences both in a work and classroom setting. These trainings are available for both students and faculty/staff.
Visit the Carolina Intercultural Training website to learn more.
Nothing exposes a student to the rich cultural diversity of the world as well as travel. Please encourage your students to visit the Study Abroad website to learn more about the opportunities available for them to study abroad, from short two-week trips to full year-long exchanges.
USC faculty and staff are instrumental in developing overseas study opportunities. Explore the ways you can become involved by taking a group of students to Paris, traveling with colleagues to Costa Rica or advising students on courses from across the globe.
Created in Fall 2016, the Peace Corps Prep program prepare students for international development fieldwork and potential Peace Corps service. Through interrelated coursework, hands-on experience, and professional development, students build competencies in training and experience in a work sector, foreign language skills, intercultural competence, and professional leadership development to better prepare them for the competitive process of applying to the Peace Corps.
Thinking Globally enables international students and scholars to broaden the global perspective of both their peers at USC and younger K-12 students through the sharing of their cultures. Thinking Globally student ambassadors go through a training program that assures their flexibility and preparedness in the classroom. Introducing an international perspective to your classroom can intrigue and motivate your students to seek understanding and expose them to the diversity that exists within the Gamecock Community.
International Student and Scholar Support provides essential support services to international students at the University of South Carolina on matters of immigration compliance, academic concerns, cultural adjustment, and personal development in order to promote student success. As a part of Global Carolina, ISS encourages global engagement and facilitates internationalization for the greater USC community through outreach activities and cross-cultural programming.
Learn more about the work of Global Carolina and the many initiatives and offices that fall under its banner.