Global Professional Development Opportunities at Oakton Community College

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"It was a rare opportunity for me to experience a culture I knew nothing about. The effect on the Saudi people I encounter seemed to have been as profound as the impressions I felt. There was instant enthusiasm, spontaneous outpouring of goodwill and the realization on both sides that we are laying a foundation for future understanding." - Bea Cornelissen, College Relations, on her Nov. 2002 experience in Saudi Arabia "Last year, during my sabbatical from Oakton, I traveled to Viet Nam and to Thailand. This was the furthest I had ever ventured from home. There is no way to measure how much travel can deepen you and expand your horizons. I lived through the Viet Nam war, but until I was in that beautiful country I really had no understanding of what it was all about. My three weeks in Viet Nam enabled me to talk with the people, see how they lived, visit the places made infamous by the war, and understand the culture. I was broadened and changed. Although I read voraciously, I could never understand a culture and a people as completely by just reading about them. You have to be there. My travels last year whet my appetite for more adventures, and I have already been to Peru and Brazil with plans to see the world country-by-country. Travel is good for the brain, the body, and the soul." - Linda Zimmerman, Professor of Student Development "I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand from 1971-1974. My Peace Corps experience was really a turning point in my life because it helped me focus on the area of English teaching that I felt more comfortable with and am still doing today. I'd thought about teaching high school English but without much enthusiasm for it. My experience abroad showed me that there were other areas of teaching I was more suited to. My time abroad also made me a more well-rounded, confident person and really opened my mind to other cultures and ways of living. I think studying or working abroad would be a great experience for anyone, in fact, my 21-year-old son just returned from studying in Paris for 5 months. He loved it!" - Diana Allen, Assistant ESL Program Manager and instructor in the non-credit ESL program "I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of very few staff members to have participated in the ICISP exchange program. I was paired with a woman from the Netherlands who has since become a dear, life-long friend. I was a bit concerned when I learned that she had nothing to do with advising students. She was a Dutch as a Second Language teacher. As a result of the "mismatch," I felt it necessary to go beyond helping her to understand what I did at Oakton. I was determined to set up a program here that included meeting the ESL faculty and staff and observing some of the classes and programs. It couldn't have turned out better. The ESL program was thrilled to be able to meet with Marie-José and share pedagogies, ideas, concerns, etc. Conversely, Marie-José also learned more about her own school and the people that help students get started and support them through their programs in the Netherlands. I was also able to get a good idea of how the Dutch teach their immigrants the Dutch language, and brought back several ideas to share with the ESL program here. Both of us came away from the experience broadened and more knowledgeable of our own school, and the others' school system." - Laurie Gunning, Oakton Advisor	line	Global Professional Development Opportunities ICISP Professional Exchanges Oakton belongs to the Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs (ICISP), which offers two-week professional and cultural exchange opportunities with the Netherlands, Finland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The faculty member or administrator will be matched as closely as possible with a faculty member or administrator with similar job responsibilities. Other match factors such as age, gender, personal interests, and family composition will be incorporated into the matching process when possible. The two-week period will allow for approximately nine days of professional exchange, three days of weekend time, plus a day for orientation upon arrival. English is spoken in both exchange locations, which enhances both the professional and personal aspects of the exchange. All arrangements for the exchanges are made by ICISP in cooperation with the home college. These exchanges involve home state to defray some costs of the exchange and to provide increased opportunities for exposure to the cultural aspects of the exchange. ICISP exchange participants will first host their exchange partners from England in late September and from Holland, Switzerland and Finland in mid-October, and complete their exchange in mid-May. Application For more information, please contact the Global Studies Coordinator. Please watch for e-mails regarding application deadlines in the Spring. Teaching Abroad Teaching in Canterbury The Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs (ICISP) offers one semester teaching opportunities at Canterbury Christ Church University College in England. Faculty members have the chance to teach courses to English students and serve as advisors to the American ICISP students studying abroad at the College. For more information, please contact the Global Studies Coordinator. Fulbright Scholar Program In 2005-06, over 800 US faculty and professionals from all disciplines taught or conducted research in over 140 countries as Fulbright Scholars. Their Fulbright grants enabled them to expand their professional interests, enrich their teaching and advance their scholarship. Volunteer English Teachers in Thailand Project The Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), Ministry of Education, Thailand, is initiating a project known as "Volunteer English Teachers in Thailand Project" as part of the effort on English teaching development for basic education. There are 10,000 volunteer English language teachers being recruited to teach in Thailand. Developing an International Field Study Course Short-term study abroad is the most popular and feasible option for community college students. When paired with an Oakton class(es), this option becomes even more desirable for our students due to the ease of transfer. Here are the steps to get started developing a course -- give yourself at least one year: Review your courses, or think of a new course you would like to develop, that could naturally be integrated into an international study experience. Get a copy of the COD Guidelines for International Field Study Courses. Share your syllabus and ideas with your chair and dean. Select from the list of approved travel agencies. Work with the travel agency to develop the detailed itinerary and budget. Submit your proposal, budget and syllabus to the Council of Deans by the deadline on the COD calendar. Once approved, work with the Director of Business Services to draft a Board resolution -- all field courses costing more than $10,000 must have Board approval -- even though the money simply moves through Oakton to the travel agency. (Must be done 2 months before funds are needed.) Work with College Relations to start marketing course! Send the approved course and promotional materials to the Global Studies Coordinator so that the course can be submitted to our consortium, ICISP, for endorsement. This will allow students from many other institutions to enroll in the course (and help it make). Meet with a representative from the business office, accounting office, registration and cashier in order to have the course properly added to the registration and budgeting systems. Please contact the Global Studies Coordinator for help with any step in the process. Volunteer Abroad There are numerous volunteer opportunities abroad. Travel, experience other cultures, and make a difference. One of the most well-known programs is the Peace Corps, but there are many other opportunities, as well. Following are some examples of volunteer programs. This list is not exhaustive and the brief descriptions are taken from their website information -- the information does not represent the opinion or endorsement of Oakton Community College. Peace Corps The Peace Corps traces its roots and mission to 1960, when then-Senator John F. Kennedy challenged students at the University of Michigan to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries. From that inspiration grew an agency of the federal government devoted to world peace and friendship. Since that time, more than 178,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have been invited by 138 host countries to work on issues ranging from AIDS education, information technology, and environmental preservation. Cross-Cultural Solutions Choose from nearly 200 start dates, lengths of stay of 1-12 weeks, and 10 countries: Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Peru, Russia, Tanzania and Thailand. Cross-Cultural Solutions, founded in 1995, is an international not-for-profit organization with no political or religious affiliations. Global Crossroad Registered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (U.S.) in 2003, Global Crossroad, LLC is one of the world’s fastest growing international volunteer organizations. Its ever-expanding program offers a variety of placements in 20 different countries throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America: Volunteer Abroad, Internship Abroad, Mini-Adventure, group Summer Escapes, and paid teaching opportunities. Volunteers for International Partnership Volunteers for International Partnership brings together international volunteers from sending countries with community service projects in receiving countries. VIP offers each international volunteer an opportunity to learn a culture from the inside while doing valuable community service, peer to peer, in a stimulating new environment. World Endeavors World Endeavors is a US-based organization that provides unique and fulfilling opportunities abroad by offering volunteer, study, and intern programs in numerous locations around the world. International Volunteer Programs Association This website provides information on additional programs and allows users to search for a program in a particular country or region of the world. Back to Top

		Start Here... Travel Anywhere! Contact Katherine Schuster, Coordinator of Global Studies, 847.376.7118, schuster@oakton.edu regarding this page and Global Studies at Oakton. Oakton Home General information about Oakton and this web site: Contact Oakton. © Copyright 2005 Oakton Community College. Last update 12/2008 Page designed by Katherine Schuster.