International Partner Stories

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Volunteer assistance is critical to enabling our international partners to create change in their communities. Many of them have shared the work they were able to accomplish with the help of international volunteers. Read their stories below.

Cross Cultural Educational Workshop: Day 2 print story

July 04, 2012

Omprakash, United States

Day 2 of the Cross Cultural Education Workshop focused on topics related to schools. To start off the morning, The Academy for Global Citizenship demonstrated their school's unique approach to rebuilding education during their presentation, 'Growing Inquiring Minds'. Liz Wilson from SKIP spoke about 'Child Protection' and urged participants to develop procedures for identifying and managing situations of child abuse. Amara Stuehling, a graduate student in Indiana University's Department of Education, discussed 'Volunteer Cultural Preparation' and steps we can take to promote successful cross cultural interactions.
Next, La Paz Community School Director Abel McClennen spoke about 'Non Profits in Developing Countries'. He started his presentation with an activity in which participants had to complete a task as group. Each participant had a different skill within the group, and the team had to work together offering their specific skills to help reach their common goal. Half way through, someone in the group was given a "magic plank". This was the tool everyone needed to complete the task. Later during Abel's presentation, he asked participants to consider that various members of NGOs and volunteers offer unique skills, and each person is vital to success.

Small groups included 'The Good, Bad and Ugly of Volunteering', Story Literacy, Sports and Play, Conducting a Class, Yoga and Kids, and Give Something.

In the evening, many participants attended the optional viewing of the film, Schooling the World: The White Man's Last Burden by Carol Black, and engaged in a followup Skype conversation with the director. This film sparked lively debate within the group and led to thoughtful questions relevant to the conference theme: "Making Cross Cultural Interactions Mutually Beneficial and Mutually Educational".

In sum, it was another day jam-packed with critical dialogue and an exciting blend of ideas from within and beyond the Omprakash network!