Degree Name

MA in International Education

First Advisor

Richard Rodman

Abstract

This paper presents a proposal for a social justice and action-based study abroad program with foundations in the short-term reality tours of the education and human rights-based NGO, Global Exchange, a far-reaching non-profit with friendships built on solidarity against the spread of elite globalization. The program is called the Three Sisters Exchange to honor the sustainable design of indigenous crop planting prevalent around the world. The design comes at a time when international educators offer few programs with foci in social justice. The international education field needs more sustainable programs that take into account global systems. A propagation of such programs will help augment and justify internationalization within higher education by showing concern for the existence of elite globalization. The program’s focus on creating alliances in the struggle for global social justice presents a unique design that grounds the participant in the skills and knowledge needed for actionable change.

Students in the program will study the workings and spread of elite globalization and its effects on human rights through an intentional program design. Each element of the program strives to uphold the commitment to people over profit with ample time spent in homestays, local communities, and with leaders with visions of a more just world. Global Exchange boasts of numerous connections compared to other existing and short-lived programs with similar goals. The design of the Three Sisters Exchange harnesses the connections to develop a design that provides opportunity for visible global change through cross-cultural solidarity, education, and lived experience. The program integrates the practice of a people’s globalization not only into the curriculum but also into the day-to-day operations and practice.

Disciplines

Civic and Community Engagement | Curriculum and Social Inquiry | Education | Growth and Development | Social Work

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