The Learning Abroad Center hosts sessions with discussion topics relevant to current and past learning abroad program leaders as well as those interested in leading a program in the future. All sessions are facilitated by current or past program leaders, or campus experts, and will be highly interactive.
Contact Lindsey Lahr, Assistant Director in the Learning Abroad Center, at [email protected] with any questions.
Academic Year 2023–2024 Workshops
Spring 2024
Sustainability & Instructor-led Programs
- The UMN-Twin Cities Office of Sustainability will host a workshop for instructor-led Study Abroad programs to reflect on course integration with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- The workshop will help confirm and brainstorm this integration with program development, course outcomes, and operational integration. The workshop will be interactive with peers, LAC, and Office of Sustainability.
- No prior knowledge of the SDG's required. Just bring any current syllabi to the meeting if you have one.
- Session facilitated by Kate M. Nelson, Director of Campus Sustainability, UMTC
- Tuesday, April 23, 2024 from 12:00 – 2:00pm at the University International Center (UIC) Room 101.
Big 10 Academic Alliance Collaborative Workshop Series
Inclusive Identities Abroad: Supporting Neurodivergent Students in their Global Education
- This virtual session will discuss supporting neurodivergent students as they navigate their global education experiences. Participants will be able to learn more about the autism spectrum and how autistic students can be supported while away from campus.
- Hosted by Louise Yahiaoui, Global Education and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Specialist, The Ohio State University
- April 10, 2024 1:00 PM Central Time
- Register in advance for this webinar:https://osu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fsNJnYi1T6mjgBhqnU-sJQ
Queer Identities Abroad: Supporting LGBTQIA+ Students in their Global Education
This virtual session held on March 1, 2024, discussed supporting LGBTQIA+ students as they navigate their global education. The presenters discussed what it means to be queer in a modern context, the act of studying abroad as a queer individual, and examples of tools and resources to share with program leaders and students alike, were provided.
Hosted by Kyle B Sturges, Associate Director, Global Education, The Ohio State University and Zac Macinnes, Associate Vice President, Campus Partnerships, WorldStrides Higher Education
Student Veterans: Faculty-led Implications and Inclusion
- This virtual session, hosted on January 23, 2024, highlighted inclusion and considerations for student veterans interested in study abroad/faculty-led programming.
- The webinar included a conversation around student veteran identity, funding implications, and a student veteran panel to have questions answered by some amazing veterans working to complete their degrees.
- Hosted by UMN's Katherine Mary "Kate" Meyer, Ed.D (Instructor Led Program Manager, student veteran & education abroad subject matter expert with NAFSA, and proud member of a military family) and UM's Wyatt Boykin (International Travel Safety Coordinator and USMC veteran), UM's Janelle Pangilinan (Global Engagement Project Manager)
Fall 2023
Program Excursion Simulation (this session has passed)
What should a program leader anticipate before and during an excursion? Hal DeLaRosby, Assistant Dean for Student Services & International Programs in CFANS, and experienced program leader, will lead us on an excursion to the Raptor Center. Experience a program excursion IRL (in real life). See what it is like to move with a group and facilitate an excursion. This session will allow you to see how you can adapt what you've learned to your course content and program context.
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
1 p.m.: Meet in Coffman Union—take Connector bus as a group to St. Paul Campus
2 p.m.: Arrive at Raptor Center for guest lecture (20 mins). Hal will then facilitate an activity and debrief the experience
3 p.m.: Optional extension of excursion to St. Paul Campus' Meat & Dairy Salesroom
In-person session.
Big 10 Academic Alliance Collaborative Workshop Series- Fall session:
Racial and Ethnic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Education Abroad
- This workshop is designed to help faculty develop the knowledge and skills they need to create more inclusive and equitable education abroad experiences for all students. Topics to be covered include:
- The importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in education abroad
- How to identify and address barriers in education abroad
- Strategies for creating inclusive learning environments abroad
- Resources for support
- Presented by Dr. Nick Gozik and Dr. Keshia Abraham
- Wednesday, December 6: 11:30 a.m. CT (12:30 p.m. EST) on ZOOM (est. 60 mins).
Academic Year 2022–2023 Workshops
Spring Semester 2023
ELLAS & ICC (Internationalizing the Curriculum & Campus) Collaboration- mini training series
We're teaming up with GPS Colleagues in ICC to curate a training series that takes from the existing ICC Webinars on Engaging Global Diversity in our Classrooms. We have put together a series of trainings especially for program leaders and prospective program leaders. And allows for interested leaders to work toward the Teaching in Globally Diverse Classes Certificate. Sessions will be facilitated by ICC staff- Ann Smith and Yuliya Kartoshkina
The sessions will take place on three Fridays in February from 1:00 – 2:00pm CST. Come to any and all you are able!
Session 1
Toward More Inclusive Participation
Join a conversation on class participation to learn and share ideas, resources, and tools for establishing broader and deeper student engagement and interaction. We will facilitate this discussion using an activity to ensure all voices are included, the whip around.
Communication styles
This 30-minute session is designed to help you consider the role of cultural communication styles in your classroom, so that you can help your students deepen their intercultural communication skills. During the webinar, we will review high-context and low-context communication styles used in different cultures and countries and provide you with an opportunity to reflect on your own communication style. You will also experience a teaching activity that you can do with your students on cultural communication styles.
Friday, February 3, 1:00 – 2:00pm CST
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Session 2
Leveraging interactions for intercultural learning
Let’s talk about how we can leverage all interactive classroom activities for deeper content learning and interpersonal and intercultural development. In this session, we will share considerations, strategies, scripts and tools (including a student handout you can adapt) that can help you and your students realize the full potential of classroom interactions. When you facilitate student interactions around content area learning objectives, students are not only engaging with content, they are also engaging with each other. This affords them an additional learning opportunity to practice critical interpersonal and intercultural skills with intention. Naming these skills for students and providing periodic opportunities for reflection are all essential for building students’ global competence. We can’t assume students are aware of or thinking about these competencies. Just as with subject-area learning outcomes, we need to actively and intentionally facilitate this learning.
Friday, February 17, 1:00 – 2:00pm CST
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Session 3
Navigating the unfamiliar (DAE)
In this session, you will learn about and experience an activity called Describe, Analyze, Evaluate (DAE). The DAE is a framework for practicing one’s ability to ‘frame-shift," that is, to understand a situation from another’s point of view. This involves cultivating a critical skill-set and attitudes for interacting effectively across differences. Nam and Condon (2010) explain, this “exercise is intended to foster self-awareness of personal and cultural assumptions, promote the appreciation of cognitive complexity, and the importance of frame-shifting when encountering the unfamiliar” (p. 81).
The DAE can be used daily in a variety of ways by students and faculty alike- join us to learn how!
Friday, February 24, 1:00 – 2:00pm CST
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Guiding Leaders on Student Misconduct
Program leaders will often confide that one of the great uncertainties of leading students abroad is managing student conduct and not really knowing how to best engage students in a productive manner around the choices they make. Leaders who have taken a passive approach, hoping for the best, or waiting until something happens often find themselves in a much more complicated situation. This session brings together two experienced professionals who have worked with student conduct in various contexts - before, during, and after conduct violations. A plan for engaging students in peer to peer collective accountability will be shared and discussed. And there's likely to be a few fun stories shared as well.
Friday, April 14, 1:00 – 2:00pm CST
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Kevin Dostal Dauer, is the Director of International Health, Safety, & Compliance in Global Programs and Strategy Alliance
June Nobbe, is the Assistant Vice Provost for Student Life, and has led multiple Global Seminars to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, Turkey, Argentina, and Panama. June has developed cultural engagement curriculum for Learning Abroad Center programs in Rome, Florence, Montpellier, and Istanbul.
Student Mental Health Abroad
Hosted discussions on Student Mental Health and leading students abroad. Updated information on the types of mental health concerns we are seeing on campus will be offered, as well as how we can prepare ourselves to support students during your programs abroad. We'll also discuss processes and support systems you'll have while abroad.
Spring Break and May/Summer leaders will be invited to a virtual session, prior to your program term, on Student Mental Health Abroad.
Laura Dupont-Jarrett, Ph.D., L.P., Assistant Director for Education Abroad Mental Health in the GPS Alliance. She is an experienced college mental health counselor, a former instructor of undergraduate and graduate courses, and a licensed psychologist.
Fall Semester 2022
Creating your Study Abroad Program Syllabus
Creating a study abroad course syllabus can present different challenges compared with developing an on-campus course about a similar subject. A key aspect is finding ways to allow the experience of going abroad, the schedule of onsite-visits, and being in a new culture to help guide the progression of the course content. Creatively incorporating the cultural differences students experience abroad along with the course content can provide a powerful lens through which students can learn the course content more deeply. Also, frequent debriefs, group dynamics, and learning to take advantage of unique ‘teachable moments' can really enhance the learning experience. Two seasoned study abroad instructors will share their journeys and process for study abroad syllabus development. Come and bring your ideas and experiences to share for a rich learning conversation.
Wednesday, November 9, 1:00 – 3:00pm CST
Location: 3-104 MCB
Nikki Letawsky Shultz, is the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and International Programs in the College of Biological Sciences. Nikki has led Freshman Seminars Abroad to Ireland, as well as a Seminar to Sweden multiple times.
Mike White, is a Morse Alumni Distinguished Professor in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences, as well as the former Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Faculty Affairs. Professor White has led programs to Italy focusing on food sustainability since 2007, is proficient in Italian, and is leading a new seminar to Montpellier, France during spring break 2023
Academic Year 2020–2021 Workshops
All workshops will be hosted via Zoom.
A Room of One's Own: Finding Balance as a Program Leader
How well we are able to take care of ourselves directly reflects on how we take care of our students. This session will focus on how to balance the multiple roles of a program leader while still finding time to recharge and take care of your own needs during what can be a physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting journey. This workshop will provide resources and tools for self-care and well-being.
Thursday, August 6, 2020
1:30–3:00 pm. CST
Aaron Asmundson is the Program Director for Leadership Enrichment Programs in the Leadership Education and Development - Undergraduate Programs office. He has led several Global Seminars to South Africa, as well as programs to Malawi and Thailand. Aaron is also a certified yoga instructor.
Forming–Storming–Norming–Performing: Supporting the Diversity within the Group
Students on instructor-led programs have often thought about, and are ready, to experience culture shock within the host culture. However, they are often less prepared to confront diversity within the group. Learn from experienced leaders how they take the group "temperature" and support the stages of group development. Learn techniques and tools for setting up the group development in advance vs when one might need to pivot and respond in the moment to identify the confrontation to work through it.
Friday, October 9, 2020
1:30–3:00 pm. CST
Join Zoom Meeting
Simone Gbolo is the Executive Director of the Public Policy & International Affairs program in the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Simone leads the winter break Global Seminar to Ghana. She is also an instructor in the University of Minnesota's Leadership Minor.
Mike White is the Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Faculty Affairs in CFANS. Mike has led a May Global Seminar to Italy over a dozen times.
Laura Dupont-Jarrett is the Assistant Director for Education Abroad Mental Health in the GPS Alliance
Student Conflict Resolution Center: Supporting YOU as a leader
Building off of the previous session about group formation and supporting your group, in this session you will hear from the Student Conflict Resolution Center (SCRC) and how they can be a resource for leaders. You'll get an overview of what the SCRC does, how the LAC and SCRC interact, as well as how program leaders can engage and employ the SCRC for support. This session will explore real examples of how the SCRC has supported, or could have supported, leaders on instructor-led programs, as well as discuss additional tools for group building and establishing norms, such as the Circle Process.
Friday, October 23, 2020
11:00 am–12:00pm
Join Zoom Meeting
Email Lindsey Lahr for Meeting ID and Passcode, if needed.
Beyond Band-Aids and Ibuprofen: Preparing for Student Mental Health Abroad
How can program leaders prepare for and support student mental health abroad? In this session you will learn how to understand your students' mental health needs before departure and engage in planning to support those needs using specific tools to engage students in self-care planning. You will also discuss ways to respond to mental health situations that may arise while abroad.
Thursday, November 12, 2020
2:00 pm-3:00pm
Join Zoom Meeting
Email Amy Garwood-Díaz for Meeting ID and Passcode, if needed.
Laura Dupont-Jarrett, Ph.D., L.P., is the Assistant Director for Education Abroad Mental Health in the GPS Alliance. She is an experienced college mental health counselor, a former instructor of undergraduate and graduate courses, and a licensed psychologist.
Meaning Making through Short-Term Programs
Explore ways you, as a program leader, can incorporate activities and assessments for meaning making in a short-term program. We'll discuss the use of student digital stories, journaling, and concept maps in your course as methods of processing and synthesizing learning. Additionally, we'll think about scaffolding assignments and activities to facilitate reflective and content learning over the length of your course.
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
1:00–2:30pm
Join Zoom Meeting
Email Amy Garwood-Díaz for Meeting ID and Passcode, if needed.
Nikki Letawsky Shultz, PhD, is the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and International Programs in the College of Biological Sciences. Nikki has led a Freshman Seminar Abroad to Ireland multiple times, as well as an LAC Seminar to Sweden.
Tipping the balance: Strategies promoting student mental health & wellness abroad
Learning abroad leaders will consider ways to promote positive mental health & wellness during their programs so as to reduce the occurrence of emotional distress, instead eliciting resilience and effective coping, resulting in awesome learning experiences. Strategies will include attending to basic as well as advanced needs, encouraging self-care, facilitating processing space and social support, normalizing reactions, and providing basic emotional support.
Thursday, March 4,
3:00–4:30pm
Join Zoom Meeting
Laura Dupont-Jarrett, Ph.D., L.P., is the Assistant Director for Education Abroad Mental Health in the GPS Alliance. She is an experienced college mental health counselor, a former instructor of undergraduate and graduate courses, and a licensed psychologist.