IEA Leadership Meeting Summary: October 14, 2003

Summary of Key Points

A. ThinkQuest winners (ThinkQuest is an international competition where student teams engage in collaborative, project-based learning to create educational websites. http://www.thinkquest.org/) made a resounding cry for a global learning community that they could participate…in cyberspace.

PWhy don’t we find a way to make this happen…we could have winners awarded worlds in which to develop cultural projects that are focused at issues of globalization or intercultural collaboration…or to create displays that would foster richer cultural understanding?

PWe could also have them form a Student Intercultural Alliance that would create an active community of students from many nations.

PPossibly we could hold a writing contest for students to explain how they would use such a community to improve relationships and understanding between people from diverse cultures.

PWe could have the Gates Foundation award computers to a couple select winners from each country (to address digital divide issues) to create an international community of young leaders that would help shape our paths to and understanding of globalization.

PSIETAR has a group called Young SIETAR (The Young SIETAR network is an exciting opportunity in the world of intercultural education, training, research and management. It provides a forum for interaction between students and young professionals who share an interest in a wide variety of intercultural practice and research. Through its various activities, Young SIETAR aims at building a bridge in this dynamic field between juniors and professionals, educating a new generation of interculturalists. Young SIETAR is a group of young adults, aged 18 to 40, who acknowledge the need to be profound in how we live our lives and who is willing to tackle the challenge this intriguing planet brings us. ) http://www.youngsietar.org and SONA (The Student Organization of North America (SONA) was inaugurated in 1999 as the North American Student Forum for undergraduate and graduate students. It serves as a framework for student-led cooperation across national boundaries.) http://www2.conahec.org/SONA/en/About.htm

These and other groups like this could also be involved in this effort, creating a unique mentor program and partnership between high school students, college students, and young professional. What a powerful opportunity to truly create a community that would foster greater understanding between people and relationships that would help dynamically prepare leaders for a global society.

PYoung SIETAR will have a conference on Wednesday, November 19, in Austin….I will attend this before our presentation at SIETAR on Friday, November 21. This might be a good opportunity to approach them on this.

O How about input from others on this type of idea…what organizations might also support or fund such an effort?

B. Thinking about the Summit: What do we need to accomplish at the Summit and how should we organize this inaugural event?

PBonnie spoke of not only having a virtual link to people from many countries, but also some form of live (real-world) link.

PStudent presentations (who can establish students groups that will be present to do this?)

PJames Burke Keynote Address (Also, should we get 1-2 other speakers?)

PBreakout sessions (What would these include – purpose?)

PPre-Summit workshops/open rehearsals to provide the basics of navigation, etc prior to the Summit

C. Overlap second Summit (follow-up) with the Vlearn conference in December. Maybe the theme of this year’s Vlearn conference could be about intercultural collaboration – developing/planning collaborative initiatives and funding support for those initiatives (other suggestions).

ä We have one month from our meeting next week until the Summit. I think it is critical we lay out a manageable plan for the Summit (itinerary) and define our needs for making it happen. From there we should do all we can to see that the Summit is well attended. Please look at the invite sheet I have created….from your recent input it seems that it might need some additional reworking, but I would like to start sending out invites soon via email with a link to this page http://www.aweduserve.org/iea/summit_invite.htm. Maybe some of the writing folks on our leadership team J could help me out. Please, between now and our next meeting, email me regarding groups/organizations/individuals/supporters that we should invite mark@aweduserve.org . I will also be making personal contacts with key individuals/supporters/groups in the coming weeks and hope each of you can do the same. I would like to include an itinerary for the summit and information about the pre-summit workshops in a mailing to go out immediately following our meeting next week. Further meetings can focus on details, and plans in collaboration with Vlearn for a follow up session in December.

Next Meeting: Tuesday, October 21 (3:00pm VRT / 5:00pm GMT) in Unite 12S-2W