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How can developed nations solve the AIDS epidemic in Africa? Does the International Criminal Court have the potential to promote global peace by addressing international conflicts?
Raising these questions in university classrooms would be viewed as normal acts of intellectual engagement. But Global Connect @ UCI is raising these issues with a group of public school students in grades 8-10.
Through the program, faculty, graduate students and undergraduates in the social sciences have, in fact, addressed these issues with more than 500 students in Newport Mesa School District classrooms. An original educational partnership developed by the School of Social Sciences Associate Dean Caesar Sereseres and Program Director Ellen Schlosser, Global Connect enriches California's secondary school curriculum in social studies by translating current college-level concepts and knowledge into a format (curriculum) that is age-appropriate for secondary schools. The program also serves to encourage underrepresented students to consider higher education in the social science disciplines.
In its second year, Global Connect presented a series of 25 lectures and workshops on globalization to classrooms at TeWinkle Middle School, Estancia, Costa Mesa and Newport Harbor High Schools. A sampler of specific topics covered through the site-school program included:
· Communication technology
· Labor outsourcing
· Developing vs. developed nations
· Global literacy
· Immigration
· International conflict
· HungerBeyond the October through May classroom presentations, the 2003-2004 site students participated in two on-campus academic symposiums and UCI's Dalai Lama Youth Conference. This year's faculty led symposiums were titled "The Global Economy: Nations Rich and Poor" and "The Pursuit of Peace in a Globalized Society".
In spring 2004, Global Connect @ UCI introduced—with the support of Orange County's Department of Education and the county-based AVID Program—a series of Saturday Teacher Seminars for Orange County secondary school educators. The Seminar series allowed local teachers to earn credential certification hours by attending faculty led lectures and curriculum workshops. At the same time, the School of Social Sciences' faculty introduced high school educators to new perspectives on global warfare, cultural impacts of the 21st Century technology, geographic tools to view global change and the concept of Global Citizenry.
A unique by-product of Global Connect has been the establishment of new personal and conceptual links between the School's departments of Political Science, Economics, Anthropology, Sociology and International Studies. The roster of 2003-2004 Global Connect faculty participants includes Professors of Political Sciences James Danziger, Louis DeSipio, Patrick Morgan and Wayne Standholtz; Professor of Economics Gary Richardson & Lecturer Seymour Schlosser; Professor of Geography, Nurudeen Alao; Professor of Sociology, Shampa Mazumdar and Professors of Anthropology, Tom Boelstorff and Paula Garb.
Global Connect is a very special example of human generosity. A generosity built upon compassion, energy, knowledge and a commitment to public service. The undergraduate students from the Social Sciences Ambassadors Council are also vital to defining the program’s heart and soul. Teni Bedrosian ('03), Cyrus Ameri ('04), Yesenia Ortiz ('04), Shirley Chang ('05), Andrea Reyna ('05), Dante Mapanao ('05) and Hugo Salazar ('05) have helped to recruit and prepare over 32 undergraduate classroom interns, serve as liaisons between the campus and the site schools, create original classroom workshops based on faculty/graduate student presentations and host on-campus programs.
Another essential element of Global Connect has been the extensive participation and support of graduate students. At least 12 graduate students have created and presented original lessons at the site schools. Celine Jacquemin (Ph.D., '03), Stephaine Di Alto (Ph.D., '03) and Jesse Valadez (have made significant contributions to the Global Connect curriculum and the training of our 32 undergraduate interns.
If it were not for the initial and on-going funding from the Office of Vice Chancellor Manuel Gomez and the support of School of Social Sciences Dean Dosher, this original UC educational initiative in the social sciences would never have been implemented. Private sponsorships also supported two undergraduate Global Connect Scholarships during the past year.
During the summer of 2004, a community based advisory committee will be established in order to build upon the initial accomplishments of Global Connect @ UCI. Alumni and community members interested in serving on the community advisory board for 2004-2005 should contact Ellen Schlosser at edschlos@uci.edu.
For additional information about Global Connect @ UCI,
please visit: http://www.socsci.uci.edu/GlobalConnect