While the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) framework and movement has its origins in the United States, nations around the world are pursuing their own efforts to ensure fair treatment and full participation of everyone in their respective societies. The different global contexts and approaches to these issues create a unique opportunity for educators to think about ways they can teach their students about different cultures and societies around the world. This is exactly what the attendees of the 2023 annual summer Community College Master Teacher Institute (CCMTI) did in July 2023.
Held in person this year on the University of Washington campus, the Institute welcomed nearly 20 community college educators from across Washington and Oregon to participate in a curriculum development workshop which focused on learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion in a global context and bringing that perspective into their own teaching. The two-day workshop, held on July 24 and 25, featured a range of academic and practitioner experts examining these topics from various disciplinary and regional perspectives.
CCMTI is co-sponsored by the National Resource Centers of the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies (Canadian Studies Center; Center for Global Studies; East Asia Center; Middle East Center; South Asia Center; Southeast Asia Center) – University of Washington, Northwest International Education Association (NIEA), the Global Business Center at the Michael G. Foster School of Business – University of Washington, and funded by the United States Department of Education. The 2023 CCMTI was made possible with additional assistance from the UW Taiwan Studies Program and China Studies Program.
The goal of the CCMTI is to give community college educators an opportunity to learn and share strategies for how to incorporate timely global topics into existing curricula, plus develop new classroom activities. The 2023 CCMTI was built around two major components: expert speakers presenting on recent developments in global affairs complemented by community of learner and working group sessions in which community college educators took the lead in discussing ways to integrate workshop themes into their teaching.
“One of the major goals of the workshop is to give community college educators a venue in which to share insights on teaching global themes,” says Phil Shekleton, managing director of the UW Center for Global Studies. “A very impressive part of the workshop is seeing educators from different disciplinary backgrounds collaborating so productively to generate new teaching ideas.”
The workshop’s smaller size and in-person format is designed to facilitate discussion, networking, and the sharing of best practices among attendees. Stated one participant, “from the engaging presentations on fascinating topics to lively faculty discussions about instructional challenges we currently face, [CCMTI 2023] was truly the highlight of my summer and I can’t wait to apply what I learned in my own classes back home.”
Presentations at the CCMTI 2023 included:
- Images and Difference, Images of Difference in Teaching International Affairs, Danny Hoffman, Director, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies
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- Godwin Gabriel, Chief Executive, Moovn Technologies
- Gender Equity Activism in China, Celine Liao, Ph.D. Student, Department of Sociology, University of Washington
- LGBT Rights in Global Perspective, Doug Janoff, Ph.D., Senior Foreign Service Officer, Global Affairs Canada
- Indigenous Rights and Representation in Taiwan, Margaret Yun-Pu To (Nikal Kabala’an), Ph.D. Candidate, University of Washington School of Law
- Imagined Nation and its Discontents – A Case of South Asia, Alka Kurian, Ph.D., Associate Teaching Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, University of Washington Bothell
In addition, Community of Learners sessions gave participants a chance to present curriculum ideas, share best practices, and discuss potential ways to incorporate the workshop themes into their teaching. These were led by:
- Christina Sampson, Everett College
- Mary Haberman, Whatcom College
- Robert Johnson, Pierce College
- Lisa Luengo, Green River College
“CCMTI has done an excellent job of selecting themes and gathering Subject Matter Experts to share their knowledge with us,” reflected another participant after the workshop’s conclusion. “The materials presented at CCMTI are relevant and immediately applicable to the community college classroom.”
Hattie Sanders (B.A. Global and Regional Studies; Minor in Anthropology, 2023) and Center for Global Studies student assistant contributed to this blog.
