Project led by:

Joyce Pittman, PhD

Students today are graduating into a world that is more globally connected than ever before. In fact, studies show that nearly 1 in 5 jobs in the U.S. is tied to international trade. The classroom is no different. To that end, Drexel researchers have teamed with the University of Pennsylvania to develop curriculum and professional development opportunities that will prepare students interested in becoming teachers to be better prepared to teach students from different cultures and backgrounds and will make their classrooms more inclusive to students who would otherwise fall behind in school.

At the curriculum level, faculty from Drexel and Penn developed a pair of courses- Gender and International Education Policy and Migration, Language and Literacy Policy in Global Contexts. Students enrolled in these courses learn valuable lessons on how other nations approach education and the challenges families in different cultures face when it comes to getting the best education for their children.

Drexel and Penn also allow students to put theory into practice by participating in the monthly Global Education Colloquium series hosted at Drexel and available to student both in-person and online. Students and others are invited to share preliminary research on international education before an audience of their peers in education. Colloquiums are also archived on the School of Education website for future viewing and, in some cases, colloquiums have been used in education courses at peer universities across the country.

Penn and Drexel also developed a one-day workshop to bring students and faculty from both universities under one roof for a day of learning, networking and mentoring centered around international education.

This initiative is made possible through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education meant to strengthen the capacity and performance of American education in foreign languages, international and area studies, teacher preparation, and international business education.

Learn more about the grant

Resources

Video of the 2022 Global Teach Connection Summit

Videos from Day 1 and 2 of the 2021 Global Teach Connection Summit