international programs

edition
Fall
2015
IP
The
Newsle tt er
For
nternational
rograms
What’s New Creating a New Generation
Contributed by Maria Rivera, Office of International Programs
Study Abroad
Creating a New
Generation
Page 1
becAloS cohort
The Alamo Colleges
Welcome the 2015
Becalos Cohort Page 2
“The more young people get the opportunity to travel the world, live in other cultures and learn new
languages, the more they will begin to understand our shared ideals and the shared opportunities to
keep moving this world forward.”
This statement by First Lady Michelle
Obama illustrates efforts by Alamo
Colleges as we accept the challenge of
the Generation Study Abroad initiative. Generation Study Abroad is a fiveyear commitment of the Institute of
Partnership
Alamo Colleges
& Aguascalientes
Partnership
Page 2
25 th Annual IASJ
Meeting
What Dreams are Made of
Page 3
Brazil scientific
mobility program
Science without Borders
Page 3
International Education (IIE) to mobilize
resources and commitments with the
goal of doubling the number of U.S.
students studying abroad by 2019.
Since accepting the Generation Study
Abroad challenge, Alamo Colleges has
implemented strategies to increase the
number of students participating in
education abroad programs. This
includes an aggressive awareness
campaign alerting faculty and students
to opportunities to develop and
participate in study abroad programs. A
Student Ambassador Program was also
developed for education abroad alumni
to share unique experiences and
promote the advantages of studying
abroad.
The campaign continues with activities
and initiatives that encourage student
participation and increase faculty
preparedness in programs designed to
enhance
global
awareness
and
accountability. The voices of our
students and faculty illustrate this.
In 2015, students participated in
programs in China, France, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, and Spain. New programs
have been added for summer 2016
including programs in Costa Rica,
Hungary, London, South Korea, and
Turkey.
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
“My journey began before I left
for Japan. I was able to take a
Japanese language and culture
class before, during, and after my
trip. The most important part of
my adventure is that I had a
wonderful time in Japan. I was
able to learn about a completely
different culture first hand with
my friends and classmates. We
also got to participate in a
homestay program for a night.
This experience is something I
will treasure my whole life.”
Alyssa Kopecko
Student, Japan Program
For the 2015 summer, I led a
study abroad program to Italy.
Over the course of 22 days, we
visited Florence, Sienna, Lucca,
Pisa, Fiesole, Rome and Pompeii.
For most students, it was the first
travel abroad experience. We
explored beyond the usual and
sought out the unusual. The rich
his-tory and culture provided a
learning atmosphere unlike any
traditional
Mark Hogensen
Faculty, Italy Program
Alamo Colleges Welcome the 2015 Becalos Cohort
Contributed by Fernanda Uribe, Office of International Program
In Fall 2014, the Alamo Colleges’ Office of International Programs launched the Secretaria de
Educacion Publica (SEP) – Becalos Santander Universidades Exchange Program, an academic and
professional devel-opment program for 87 undergraduate students from Mexico’s bilingual
technical universities. Students studied at four of the Alamo Colleges.
INTERNATIONAL
EDUCATION
WEEK
Each year, the Alamo Colleges
participate in International Education
Week in an effort to increase
awareness of the benefits of an
international learning experience and
to continue advancing the mission of
internationalizing the Alamo Colleges
and developing leaders who are
globally component. This year’s
celebration begins November 16 with
the annual opening ceremony in which
one individual from within Alamo
Colleges and one individual from the
San Antonio community is recognized
for their leadership in academic and
community
internationalization.
Additionally, events hosted by each of
the colleges are posted on a dedicated
microsite and shared on the Alamo
Colleges homepage.
The 2015 theme for International
Education Week, “Access for All”,
echoes the Alamo Colleges’ Strategic
Objectives for developing pathways by
which all Alamo Colleges students can
gain the knowledge necessary to not
only perform well academically, but to
also identify and cultivate leadership
skills that will allow each student to
succeed in an increasingly global
workforce. In this way, while
International Education Week is a
celebration
of
our
diverse
communities, it is also an opportunity
to discover the excitement of global
learning.
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International Education Week is a joint
initiative of the U.S. Department of
State and the U.S. Department of
Education. The goal of the effort is to
promote programs that prepare
Americans for success in a global
environment and to attract the
international leaders of the future to
the United States to study, learn, and
exchange experiences. Learn more
about how Alamo Colleges celebrates
International Education Week at our
microsite
at
www.alamo.edu/
International-edweek.
The Becalos program, underwritten by Mexican industry, provides a four-month academic program
of at least two science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)-related academic/technical
courses, local STEM learning experiences, contextual STEM-related English as a second language
(ESL) programs, and cultural inter-change opportunities. The 2015 cohort of students includes 88
participants who are enrolled at four of the five colleges through December 19. Areas of study
include business management, marketing, international business, animation and design, and
biomechanics, to name a few.
Alamo Colleges - Aguascalientes Partnership
Contributed by Jose Luna, Alamo Colleges Corporate College
In August Alamo Colleges hosted a group of nine faculty members from the Universidad
Tecnológica de Aguascalientes. The group arrived in San Antonio on August 9 to participate in a
three-week Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC) Certification program.
Participants studied the MSSC safety and
quality modules Monday through Friday at the
Workforce Center of Excellence. Weekends for
the group included explor-ing many of San
Antonio’s cultural and historical sites such as
the missions, in-cluding The Alamo, San
Fernando
Cathedral,
the
Riverwalk,
Fredericksburg, San Marcos and various other
sites.
The certification program also included tours
of local industry partners, such as Pressure
Systems
International,
to
see
the
practical
implications
of
the
MSSC
training. Participants also toured the
manufacturing plant at St. Philip’s College
Southwest Campus. Following the training,
participants received certifications in safety
and/or quality. A debrief and program
reflection period was also set for the group to
share their experiences and provide feedback
to the Vice Chancellor for Economic and
Workforce Development. Participants from
this certification program are being prepared
to become trainers for a larger group of indivi-
duals as the Alamo Colleges and the Universidad
Tecnológica de Aguascalientes continue to move
toward establishing a corporate college in
Aguascalientes.
ps
1
Institute of International
Education
www.iie.org
2
Fulbright Programs
www.iie.org/en/Fulbright
3
NAFSA
www.nafsa.org
4
Center for
Internationalization
and Global Engagement
www.acenet.edu
5
U.S. Global
Leadership Coalition
www.usglc.org/
Thomas Mullins - What Dreams are Made of
Contributed by Katharine Cartwright, Northwest Vista College
Thomas Mullins spent one intensive lifechanging week abroad this summer as
the 2015 A-JAM delegate to the
prestigious international jazz meeting of
the International Association of Schools
of Jazz (IASJ), held this year in Lisbon,
Portugal. It was the 25th anniversary of
the unique global jazz meeting and an
unforgettable experience for all
involved. Hosted by a different member
school each year, students, teachers,
and school representatives from all over
the world gather to learn, perform,
exchange ideas, and generally live and
breathe jazz. Fresh from the trip, Mullins
shared some of his insights and
experiences.
"My participation at the 25th Annual
IASJ Meeting was unlike anything else
I’ve experienced in all my life. The sights
of the city were like stepping into a
postcard. Everyone involved was
unbelievably welcoming, eager to share
their friendship and love of music.
There, I met people from all corners of
the world, brought together by the
uniting force of music. I had the
privilege of talking with David Liebman,
founder of the program. When I
commented on what an amazing
experience he has provided to all with
the talented students and educators, he
responded, “Good people, great music.
Where else are you going to get this?”
"I would be lying if I said I wasn’t overwhelmed at times," Mullins
continued. "There I was, far from home, surrounded by unfamiliar
sights and faces. I would leave the master classes feeling as
though I knew nothing about music. I would leave rehearsals
thinking we would never make the deadline. My mind was
constantly screaming, ‘Fight or flight! Given that the flight was a
literal 19 hour flight, fight it was. I would find myself questioning
my abilities and my right to participate with this caliber of
musicians, but through my conversations and experiences with my
fellow students, I learned that I wasn’t alone. And that was the
beauty of it all. None of us were truly alone, despite what we felt
at times. We were together in our pursuits, ambitions, struggles,
and triumphs. The international meeting is what dreams are made
of."
Mullins, a 2015 graduate of Northwest Vista College, entered the
UTSA music program with a full scholarship in composition in fall
2015. A student of classical guitarist Dan Smith, Thomas auditioned
on guitar. He studies trombone and improvisation with Armin
Marmolejo of Palo Alto College. As a composer, Mullins received a
Jack Stone Award for New Music in 2013, while at Northwest Vista.
Science without Borders
Contributed by Patricia Garza, Office of International Programs
The Brazil Scientific Mobility Program,
also known as Science without
Borders, is an initiative of the Brazilian
government to grant 100,000 study
abroad scholarships to Brazilian
students. The program exposes
participants to an environment of
competitiveness and entrepreneurship, planting the seeds to help
transform the Brazilian educational
system.
The motivation for this unique
program comes from Brazil’s need to:
•Increase the number of PhD’s relative
to population
•Enhance the interaction between
academia and the business sector and
civil society
•Promote international collaborations
in scientific publications, and
•Foster the rate of patent applications
nationally and internationally.
Additionally, this program strongly
encourages the internationalization of
technology and innovation. The mobility
program is mainly administered by the
Institute of International Education (IIE)
who connects Brazilian students with
U.S. four-year universities to widen the
academic and research exchange
between U.S. and Brazil. A smaller
cohort is administered by Northern
Virginia Community Colleges (NOVA) and
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de
Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), the
Brazilian Ministry of Education. This
cohort works specifically with Brazilian
students who are looking for the handson experiences provided by technical
programs.
This fall, the Alamo Colleges proudly
hosts six Brazilian students at Palo Alto
College. These students are enrolled in
courses on a J-1 Exchange Visitor visa
and will be at PAC between three and four semesters.
Students are participating in Veterinary Technology,
Agriculture Science, and Oil and Gas programs. The
Science Without Borders students currently live at
Tobin Lofts and are successfully adjusting to student
life in San Antonio. The cohort is grateful for the
warm Texan welcome and the gracious hospitality of
Alamo Colleges.
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