engaging generation z: integrating global and local vision, structure, and innovation

ENGAGING GENERATION Z: INTEGRATING GLOBAL AND LOCAL VISION, STRUCTURE, AND INNOVATION

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UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS PRESENTERS

Camille George, AVP, Global & Local Engagement and Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Elise Amel, Director, Office of Sustainability Initiatives and Professor, Psychology

Sarah E. Spencer, Director, Office of Study Abroad

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This is GEN Z http://www.ologie.com/gen-z/#

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GENERATION Z OVERVIEW

IdentityTechnology Family Life Social IssuesCareers

EducationPrivacy & Safety

Global + Innovative

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OVERVIEW OF GLOBAL & LOCAL ENGAGEMENTS

Purposeful Interactions

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KEY ELEMENTS OF OUR APPROACH

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VISION

Responding to the needs of the 21st century: Students need to demonstrate intercultural agility, curiosity and empathy to navigate the complexities of the contemporary world.

Our vision is to promote a wide-range of experiential learning experiences to all stakeholders.

GALE Vision: The Center for Global and Local Engagement at the University of St. Thomas facilitates learning programs that promote intercultural agility and ethical community engagement. The Center gives all students, faculty, staff, and alumni the opportunity to advance the

common good through study away experiences and transformational community partnerships that address social, environmental, and economic issues important for our

region and world.

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MISSION

GALE Mission The Center for Global and Local Engagement provides a University-wide structure to support ethical and sustainable partnerships, programs, and policies that enable the University to advance the common good through traditional and innovative approaches to study abroad and community engagement.

Responding to our Strategic Plan- St. Thomas 2020: Living our Mission, Expanding Our Horizon

From a global perspective, coordination with study abroad experiences From a local perspective, emphasize the ‘glocal’ and the need to introduce intercultural

learning in our diverse metropolis

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STRUCTURE

Structure: Faculty & staff  for programmatic efforts: Study Abroad, Community Engagement, Sustainability Initiatives, Social Impact.

Directors are both staff and faculty

Directors meet once a month

Shared resources: Centralized administration (event planning, calendar coordination), assessment and budget support.

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AGREEMENTS & ASSESSMENT

Two areas of expertise that are often overlooked

Develop a more coordinated approach to agreements with external partner organizations

Develop consistent policies

Develop an assessment strategy to refine our programs

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OFFICES WORKING TOGETHER

Office of Sustainability InitiativesOffice of Community EngagementOffice of Study AbroadSocial Innovation ‘Collaboratory’

SUSTAINABILITY

energy

water urban wetlandsurban agriculture

waste transportation

community

climate

OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES

GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY

Evolution

Interdisciplinarity

Value

Opportunities

CASE: PSYCHOLOGY OF SUSTAINABILITY ABROAD

•Copenhagen, Hamburg, Berlin, Freiburg, Köln, Lüneburg, Magdeburg, Göhrde

•Explore how behavior affects the environment and how the environment affects behavior

•Understand social, cognitive and developmental aspects of real social problems

•Upper-level credit toward majors/minors in Psychology, Environmental Studies & Environmental Science

LOCAL SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainable Communities Partnership

Collaborates with cities to link city-identified, high-priority,

sustainability projects with St. Thomas courses

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES PARTNERSHIP

SCOPE?

Individual project Unit Group

projectCourse theme

STUDENT WORK

Needs assessment best practices

precedentsData collection

& analysisDesigns, models, prototypes, maps, plans, programs

Cost/benefit analysis

Communication, outreach, education

Policy recommendations

OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES

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OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (OCE)

OCE MissionInspired by Catholic Social Teaching, the Office of Community Engagement accompanies global and local partner organizations by supporting the design, implementation, and evaluation of courses that use collaborative strategies of engagement to advance the common good.

ENGAGE, EXAMINE, EMPOWER

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OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Analyzed past Service Learning Courses in light of the world’s most pressing needs

Identified theme based initiatives

Guiding Principles

Best Practices

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OCE - GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Do no harm & maximize the common good

Recognize the Scholarship of Engagement (community partners are co-educators)

Critical Service-Learning (attends to dynamics of privilege and power)Radically Inclusive (inspired by Catholic Social Teaching where diverse

worldviews and faith traditions are respected)Collaborative Strategies of Engagement (wide framework from charity to

justice)Project-based Approach (partner organizations define deliverables)All staff are educators to extend learning and serve the mission of

education

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OCE BEST PRACTICES

Adopted six best practicesReciprocity (partner articulates a real need)Student Orientation (every student trained for engagement across lines

of difference)Quality Reflection (the experience is not graded; student learning is

evaluated)Common Good (work promoting the net social & environmental

conditions necessary for human thriving)Student Evaluation (connection between academic content and

experiences)Program Assessment/Community Voice (partner’s voice in assessing

success)

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OFFICE OF STUDY ABROAD

Stabilization Assessment & FinanceCommonalitiesCommunity engagement – global or localIntercultural learning/agilityProgram managementShort-term – course-based, faculty-directedLanguage of experiential learning

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EXTRA THOUGHTS

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QUESTIONS?DISCUSSIONHow are your current students engaging with complex, contemporary local and global communities?

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THANK YOU