Each year, the US State Department and Department of Education partner together to support International Education Week initiatives that take place all over the country. Their web site houses a myriad of ideas for educators from K-12, college/universities, embassies, businesses and the local community. The site also includes a logo that you can cut and paste for your promotional materials. You can find out if you’re a “worldly whiz” by taking one of the three “Global IQ” quizzes on the site – they’re great fun and you will be stumped by at least one question!

At my current campus, Western Connecticut State University, we are coordinating a variety of events for the week. These include a Language Panel where professionals share their journeys learning a foreign language (or multiple) and explain how it has opened doors in their work and personal lives. Our faculty will be presenting on the history and economy of the European Union. The Business School students who participated in a virtual marketing project with students from Loyola College in Chennai, India will be sharing their insights about how working on virtual teams across cultures has deeply enhanced their educational experience.

I encourage each of you to find a creative way to educate another about the joy and value of being internationally aware. There is no greater way that you can share your experiences abroad than educating another and broadening a mind to a different way of looking at the world we ALL live in. Happy International Education Week!