Intercultural Activity Toolkit: "Going Global: Log-on & Share"

Activity Information
Recommended Audience	International Students, Study Abroad, General, Community members, ESL, Elementary, Middle and High School Students
Length of Time	Minimum- 10 minutes Maximum- 3 hours
Resources	Computer with Internet access
Number of Facilitators	0
Source of Activity	Maria Moreno, Creator Graphic designer from Ecuador (currently on J-2 visa)
Purpose	Sharing intercultural experiences, self-awareness of one’s cultural identity and appreciation/understanding of different cultures

"Going Global: Log-on & Share"

This interactive web database has been developed with the goal of using technology as a convenient and “fun” tool to educate people around the world about different cultures. It has three major components:

• “Who Am I?” allows one to discover more about one’s ethnic background through a series of questions that are posed on the database. One may search for one’s cultural identity through food dishes and ritual celebrations. For example, if you click on “Sharing a recipe” it will bring up interesting and fun ways that you can combine a variety of ethnic dishes such as a Vietnamese salad, a Mexican entrée and an American dessert. Similarly, by clicking on “Sharing data about a celebration”, you can share your experiences about celebrations of festivals- it can be a festival from one specific culture or you can create your own “festival fantasy” by combining a multitude of cultures.
• “What Do We Have In Common?” builds bridges between cultures as we go in search of our similarities. For example, exploring languages can lead to some amazing discoveries about the similarity of greetings in many cultures; or you can explore are, history, festivals, rituals, etc.
• “Once Upon A Time” provides individuals who prefer a less structured setting on the database to send in stories they either themselves created or heard from their ancestors. You can share myths, legends, short-stories, memoirs, first impressions of the U.S. and other tales.

The Web site is currently under construction as we are still collecting data. The Web site was officially launched in November 2001 as part of the “International Education Week” celebrations.

Program Development Timeline and Advertising/Communication Methods:
Going Global was partially funded through NAFSA’s International Education Week grants in 2001. This web interactive program is a component of FAC-IMC and was designed by a student, Maria Moreno. It was submitted by Jean Hotta, International Student Advisor, and it debuted at the 2001 International Education Week celebration at Cal State Fullerton.

The following extract from the proposal is a projection of the estimated timeline for preparation, promotion, implementation and evaluation:

July	Form International Education Week Steering Committee and sub-committees.
August	Confirm Conference Sessions’ Content and Presenters Design Conference Program, Publicity materials. Begin videotaping at International Student Orientation Program. Contact key faculty regarding classroom presentations and special course credit for attendance at conference.
September	Contact International Student Clubs to participate in event, encourage members to attend and invite them to submit stories, anecdotes for the Web-project. Finalize video clip for email publicity.
October / Week 1	Test and finalize Web-project. Send Postcards, Programs and Publicity to Printers Order banner and materials Send first E-mail bulletin with video clip to promote Study Abroad Fair
October / Week 2	Make arrangements for equipment rental, including use of 2 computer workstations. Confirm Conference Presenters and Panelists.
October / Week 3	Make arrangements for equipment rental, including use of 2 computer workstations. Confirm Conference Presenters and Panelists.
October / Week 4	Send General Email Bulletin with video clip publicizing event. Students do classroom presentations to promote event. Confirm all reservations, rentals, equipment/arrangements.
November 1-9	Students do classroom presentations to promote event. Send General Email Bulletin with video clip publicizing event.
November 12	Send General Email Bulletin with video clip publicizing event.
November 15	GOING GLOBAL
December	Evaluation and final report.

The actual event was held on Thursday, November 15, consisting of an all-day conference, International Opportunity Expo, “Building a Better World” Banner, and web-based project, culminating with the induction ceremony of new members to Phi Beta Delta, an honor society for international scholars.

Advanced Publicity
The University prepared a 5-7 minute video/CD promoting our international “ethos” and publicized its availability to faculty via video clip attachments to all-campus emails. International student and returned Study Abroad student volunteers were available to accompany the showing of the video in classrooms which are linked by video connections, using state-of-the-art technology. Postcard mailers were sent to all students majoring in particular disciplines, including international business, anthropology, foreign languages, linguistics, geography, and intensive English Language Program students.

Building a Better World Banner and International Opportunity Expo (All Day During Conference)
Visitors and passers-by were invited to decorate a huge banner with their answers to “How can I make the world a better place?” A double-width bolt of cloth was available for people to write messages with markers. It was completed section by section as visitors sat at an 8-foot long table and wrote their messages. The completed banner was displayed for one week in a prominent campus location.

Throughout the day, adjacent to the banner project, and under the same tent, the “International Opportunity Expo” featured resource tables promoting study abroad, international student clubs and organizations, AIESEC, T-PAC, Families Across Cultures, and a table featuring our community volunteers who promoted host family opportunities.

Basic Budget
Going Global Log On and Share was awarded a mini grant from NAFSA’s International Education Week special funds. The following budget table is extracted from the final report:

	COOP Funds Granted	COOP Funds Spent	Variance	Cash Contributions	In-Kind
Totals	$1,694.00	$1,597.30	$96.70	$742.29	$18,160.00