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Cultural Exploration Project
The Cultural Exploration Project (CEP) is a series of inquiry-based micro-projects designed to encourage students to explore and discover their new community firsthand.
- The syllabus includes topics such as:
– The history of their host family
– A photo-story of a location
– An exploration of 3-4 words, phrases, or mannerisms that are unique to the region - Every week students will share the results of each mini-project via video, audio, and/or written word on the digital platform of their choice.
- Coaches will work with students to provide guidance.
Retrospective Interview – The exchange will culminate in a filmed retrospective interview where students will present their entire CEP and its overarching lessons.
Communication Workshops
Before their exchange, students will participate in a series of remote leadership development workshops. Taught in partnership with CuriosityBased, these workshops provide frameworks for building strong social intelligence and adaptive communication skills to enrich their exchange experience and foster their continued growth. Workshops consist of dynamic lectures, multimedia presentations, short reading/reflection assignments, guided discussions, and hands-on exercises.
- Reflect on your underlying assumptions.
- Practice talking about your assumptions.
- Build more trusting relationships.
- Learn about your own preferred questioning style.
- Practice a variety of different questioning methods.
- Gain buy-in from your peers through asking questions and being curious.
- Learn about the Seven Forms of Respect.
- Practice talking about why certain forms of respect matter to you.
- Practice explaining to someone why you feel disrespected.
- Overview of the 11 cultural nations of North America and their history.
- Identify your nation’s cultural dimensions.
- Explore how your home and host nation’s cultural dimensions relate to you.