Currently viewing the tag: "Digital Strategy Works"

Melibee Global Update

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Greetings!  Just wanted to quickly update you on some changes that are underway here at Melibee Global.  I am very focused on making some minor changes to the website. Our digital strategy partner, Digital Strategy Works, is advising on some design and usability features that were rolled out with WordPress 3.0.  As a result, I will not be writing any new postings until after the long US holiday weekend of July 4th. But please be sure to visit us in early July to see the minor changes to the site. Meanwhile, feel free to visit the menu along the top of this page and/or to email me with any topics of interest for future postings. Peace!




Wyclef Jean’s Commencement Speech – His American Dream

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Wyclef Jean

As many of you know, I serve as Coordinator of International Services at Western Connecticut State University.  I have the pleasure of working international students coming to the US and with study abroad students leaving the US.  In addition, I am an active member of the International Center and we work as a team to bring as much international programming as possible to campus.

Last summer, my colleague in the President’s office mentioned that the university was interested in a commencement speaker in the Arts. I mentioned a few fine musicians that I know in the area.  I casually mentioned that Tony Zeoli from Digital Strategy Works (my web guru) may have some connections through his music industry background.  Suddenly, the words Wyclef Jean slipped from my mouth, as I knew that Tony Zeoli had a dear friend who is from Haiti who had some sort of connection in that world of Haitian music.  Needless to say, the President’s office was keen – could we really get Wyclef? The university worked tirelessly to make it happen once the introductions were made through Digital Strategy Works.

WCSU had selected Wyclef because of his humanitarian work in Haiti and also because of his incredible gift of sharing music across cultures.  Fast forward to January 2010.  This was no minor earthquake – this was an earthquake to end all earthquakes.

But how could we help? We all struggled with this question as we watched the live footage of death, despair and lives torn apart. What could we, as a campus, do to show our support?  I’m pleased to say that WCSU acted swiftly and formed a group to support Haiti within days of the earthquake. Students, faculty, staff and community members hosted a range of fundraising events, raising $9500 for Yele Haiti, the not for profit founded by Wyclef.  We watched the news and destruction, and it motivated this incredible campus to fundraise despite the difficult economy.  I don’t think I could be more proud of the response to such a need for humanitarian aid.  It is moments like these that we feel empowered to act and to do more than we knew we were capable of.  We needed to, it was that simple.

In late May, Wyclef delivered his first ever commencement speech at WCSU.  Ironically, I was scheduled to be out of town that weekend (argh!) and was not there, but am thankful for the following video put on youtube by Wyclef’s fine marketing machine.  Upon my return to campus after commencement, I repeatedly heard from colleagues about how kind, easy going, accommodating, and ego-less Wyclef is in person.  As you’ll see in the following video clip, his “real talk” and humor inspired our students to think about their futures despite the rough economy.  He asked the hard questions: “What do you see?” and “What are you going to do when you get it?” Wyclef Jean chose to go back to Haiti to help the less fortunate and I’m certain that his works in Haiti are his proudest moments in his life, more than Grammys and filled houses at Madison Square Garden.

Listen in for some inspiration:

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And if you haven’t heard his music, you must check out this beautiful video from the 2009 Nobel Peace Price performance in Norway. (Skip to 4 minutes in for an incredibly moving  performance of “Sweetest Girl.”)

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Video Interview with Arnd Wächter, Director of “Crossing Borders” Film

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Missy Gluckmann, Founder of Melibee Global with Arnd Wächter, Founder of Crossing Borders Education

I had the pleasure of crossing paths with Arnd Wächter while at a recent meeting at the Institute of International Education.  You may recall that I had arranged for Arnd to screen his film, “Crossing Borders“, in early April at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU). While in the U.S., Arnd traveled to Washington DC for several meetings to discuss the film with organizations and schools.

His meeting at IIE, on his final day in the U.S., conveniently coincided with a training that I was attending.  I managed to steal him for a few minutes to hear more about his vision for Crossing Borders. I was particularly inspired to do so after seeing the response of students at WCSU. Several students who attended the screening wrote “extra credit” papers for one of the Political Science classes.  The professor of the course felt it was important to share them with me as the students commented very candidly on their own stereotypes of the Muslim world. One wrote about how ashamed he felt after seeing this film because he realized that he made assumptions about these people without any facts.

As you have read in my other postings, “Crossing Borders” is a must see film.  To learn more about the film and Arnd Wächter, please enjoy this 10 minute interview (and many thanks to Digital Strategy Works for shooting and editing this interview on such short notice)





Social Media and Study Abroad – Addiction?

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The Chronicle of Higher Education recently cited a new study out of the University of Maryland that indicates that students who are denied social media describe their withdrawal symptoms in terminology similar to those of drug and alcohol addicts. According to the Chronicle article, the study from the International Center for Media and the Public Agenda, “24 Hours: Unplugged,” asked 200 students on the campus to give up all media for a full day and blog on private Web sites about their experience. Student reaction showed addiction like withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, misery, and being jittery, the authors wrote.

I got a taste of this when recently co-facilitating a pre-departure orientation for a summer program in Spain.  The students regularly asked about whether or not to bring their lap tops and how to best manipulate their smart phones to work in Europe.

My gut reaction is to want to stand up and SCREAM at the top of my lungs:  “Drop the technology!  Step away from the keyboard! Dump your phone into the nearest lake (ok, not very green, I admit…but you get my point)!”

Since I could not reasonably do this and remain gainfully employed, I gently interjected, reminding the students that simply walking down the street in Madrid will be a whole new sensory experience -  history, architecture, shops, smells of food, music, traffic, people, sights, etc.  I wanted them to trust that they won’t be glaring down at the cell phone wanting to know who is texting about their annoying little brother, or worse yet, “four squaring you” to tell you that they checked in at the local Seven-Eleven to buy a sugar loaded Big Gulp.

Really, I promise, you will NOT miss it.  I promise you will be so completely absorbed by your new surroundings that you won’t want to observe the musings of your peers on Facebook.  The relationship statuses, random thoughts and “Mafia War”/”Farmville” statuses simply won’t matter.

But how do you get this across to an 18 year old who is socialized to feel withdrawal symptoms when they can’t text or Facebook for 24 hours?

Thankfully, an old soul in the pre-departure meeting makes the connection that plugging in your laptop and sucking up the electricity in your home stay may not be the most appropriate way to introduce yourself as an American college student.  Or an American. Or a guest in someone’s home.  Or a world citizen trying to respect energy resources.

Who says there isn’t hope for our youth?

This is quickly countered by a student who wants to download her photos daily for her art class. Dang it! It is a fair request, I suppose.

I feel the tug of war raging inside of me.  To tech or not to tech? That is the question.

The irony is that I write this on my lap top, post it to my Melibee Global Facebook Fan page and then load it to my LinkedIn profile status update.   I have also partnered with Digital Strategy Works (the shop that created my blog) and we are consulting together in all matters that relate to digital media and international education.  Does this make me a hypocrite?  Sigh.

Ah, technology.  It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…




Melibee Global Partners with Digital Strategy Works: International Education Web Strategy

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As the founder of Melibee Global Educational Consulting, I am delighted to announce our partnership with Digital Strategy Works (DSW). 

DSW designs best of class web sites, blogs, social media widgets and mobile solutions that will make an impact. They can measurably improve your Google, Yahoo! and Bing search engine rankings, resulting in an increase in traffic and conversions through SEO (Search Engine Optimization), social media and online marketing strategies. In addition, their reputation management service will help your brand or business discover what customers are sharing about your service or site online.

The Melibee Global/DSW partnership has been formed with the goal of making these tools and services available at a price point that is economical and results driven.  Special pricing is available to not-for-profit educational institutions.

I will be working closely with DSW on any international education related proposals and/or projects.  My expertise in international education combined with DSW’s talent in user experience on the web, will bring tremendous value add to the web strategy process.

If you are interested in meeting at the Forum on Education Abroad Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina (USA) from March 23rd – March 26th to discuss your web strategy, please email me at info(at)melibeeglobal.com.