Degree Name

MA in International Education

First Advisor

Lyneé Connelly

Abstract

Moving within the Military: Intercultural Communication Training (MWM) program is designed for youths between the ages of nine to twelve years old. The participants of MWM and their families are making a transition from one culture they are familiar with to another due to an active military parent that is being relocated to another country. MWM is set to operate for eight weeks located on Naval Air Station in Rota, Spain. Military children have been distant and reluctant to befriend children in their own age group. This is mainly due to one of their parents serving in the military service and having to relocate intermittently. MWM is designed to support the emotional and cultural needs of a youth. It is based on an experiential learning curriculum which the participants can put the acquired knowledge into practice in everyday life beyond MWM training program. The rationality of MWM stems from a need for this type of program, since there are many youths that need emotional assistance facilitated by trained personnel of the military to aid in coping with a new transition due to relocating to Spain. There will be assessments conducted at the entry point and upon completion of this program this will allow associates to collaborate with the necessity to make changes where needed as the program progresses to further enhance the needs of the students.

Intercultural communication curriculums from Experiential Learning Design and Kolb’s model for learning from experience will be used as a guide to advise the staff as to how to access and apply the proper coaching for that situation. Goals and objectives are to provide an adult mentor for emotional support and pair up with another participating youth with a similar situation that can reassure, encourage and share experiences.

What makes the MWM program unique is the use of other participating youths working together to communicate and share their occurrences in a non-evasive environment, to ease the discomfort of a move to a different country other than the United States.

Disciplines

Education | International and Comparative Education

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