The AFS Global Up Program recently secured a grant in order to expand access to global competence learning for community colleges in Minnesota and Wisconsin with the generous support of Trustone Credit Union. Congratulations to the first recipient of this grant: Fox Valley Technical College!
This grant now allows the Fox Valley Technical College to roll out AFS Global Up Programs into other departments, impacting more learners’ global competence development, including their study abroad programs that are primarily faculty-led. Faculty that lead these programs will be able to access the training as part a professional development opportunity through this grant and bring Global Up in to compliment and elevate their study abroad programs for students.
The suite of AFS Global Up programs are intercultural learning experiences designed to build global competence, leadership skills, and cultural understanding among University students, faculty, educators and professionals across fields. These virtual programs empower individuals with skills that are essential for global citizenship such as empathy, open-mindedness, and the ability to navigate complex cultural contexts, all of which are valuable in both personal and professional settings.
AFS Global Up and the Fox Valley Technical College have collaborated for a number of years thanks to the efforts of Leah Cáceres Lutzow, Department Chair of World Languages and Culture, who teaches the Intercultural Relations course. On campus, the students that have been going through the program have run across a few different areas of study, including the supply chain industry. Lisa Angell, Department Chair of Supply Chain Management spoke to why the Global Up program is necessary for students entering into the supply chain workforce, saying:
“Global competence education, such as the Global Up program, equips our supply chain management students with essential cultural awareness and cross-cultural communication skills. This helps them to navigate more confidently in their careers. It also supports their supply chains by building trust and efficiency with global supply chain partners, suppliers, customers, and their co-workers within their own diverse organization. Without these skills, students risk miscommunication, inefficiency, and missed opportunities in the global market. After completing the Global Up curriculum, students often exhibit enhanced empathy, improved critical thinking, and a greater openness to diverse perspectives, which are highly valued in today’s global supply chains.”
We’re very excited to continue this incredible partnership, and find ways to break down barriers for accessing this necessary education for our community college partners. Contact the AFS Global Up team for more information.