Center for International Understanding

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• Learn more about cultural awareness and global education.

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The Center for International Understanding, a public service program of The University of North Carolina, sponsors a number of programs to help link North Carolina teachers and students with the rest of the world.Since 1995, more than 300 North Carolina educators have traveled with the Center’s EducationInitiative to England, Germany, Holland, Japan, Spain, China, Canada, Mexico, Sweden and New Zealand. Exposure to other cultures can provide important tools that teachers need for both developing a globally competent workforce and serving a growing population of immigrant and minority students.North Carolina in the World “is an initiative to increase student knowledge and skills about the world, so that the next generation of North Carolinians will have what they need to communicate, cooperate and compete in an increasingly interdependent world.” This section includes resources for teachers, goals, and an action plan.The Latino Initiative “was designed to build capacity in state and local leaders to respond to the challenges presented by rapid growth in their community’s Latino immigrant population.” Information is included about upcoming programs, community learning centers, the Latino Health Coalition, as well as educational practices that are benefiting Latino students in North Carolina.

Professional development offerings

The Center for International Understanding professional development involves an international study program, in which K12 teachers and administrators learn about other countries and use their new knowledge to improve education in North Carolina. The Latino Initiative’s goal is to provide school systems impacted by growing Latino/Hispanic populations with a forum for professional development and strategic planning, building their capacity to advance the annual yearly progress of their Latino/Hispanic students and to respond positively to their changing demographics for the benefit of all students within the system.

• Workshops typically serve between 10 and 30 educators per session.
• Content is aligned with North Carolina standards for professional development and is tailored to the needs of the requesting school system. Offerings are based on classroom strategies and subject matter content.
• Sessions offered are a combination of lecture and processing activities with time to process the learning with other participants.
• Follow-up activities include an optional and/or required evaluation of the professional development session depending on the program as well as electronic follow-up via email or the Internet.
• Materials are included in the cost of the workshops.