CAORC (Council of American Overseas Research Centers) recognizes the immediate and growing need for professors at U.S. community colleges and minority-serving institutions to provide a global perspective to their students. These administrators and faculty understand the value of developing “internationalized” learning environments that both broaden their students’ cultural horizons and foster critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills for an increasingly interconnected world.
To support community colleges and minority-serving institutions, CAORC offers innovative, cost-effective programming that helps faculty and administrators gain the requisite first-hand experience needed to develop and improve international curricula.
This award program, administered by CAORC in collaboration with its member center in Dakar, Senegal, the West African Research Center, funds participation in a two-week capacity building workshop in Dakar that will also include visits to Toubacouta and Saint-Louis.
Round-trip travel, accommodations, and meals will be provided for the seminar, along with a stipend of $500 for travel and living expenses incurred during the program.
SEMINAR OVERVIEW
This seminar, based in Senegal’s capital city of Dakar but also visiting the historic towns of Toubacouta and Saint-Louis, will grapple with the complexities of diversity, religion, and migration in contemporary West Africa. As these issues attract greater attention across the globe, it is critical that American educators be able to interpret them for students eager to understand the rapid changes taking place in both the larger world and their own communities.
This two-week seminar geared towards faculty at U.S. community colleges and minority-serving institutions will feature lectures, panels, film screenings, and discussions on the history, culture, economy, and political life of Senegal, with a special emphasis on the country’s spiritual diversity and interreligious dialogue and tolerance. In addition, the seminar will explore the region’s growing transnational movements and their impact on society and especially young people. Click here to view the preliminary program itinerary.
ELIGIBILITY & PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS
Participants must be faculty members or administrators of a community college or minority-serving institution and must be available to participate for the duration of the seminar. Both full-time and part-time faculty may apply. At the conclusion of the program, participants must have developed either a proposal for a new or improved course related to West Africa and/or provide improved student access to study abroad opportunities or virtual exchanges. In addition, participants must demonstrate how they will improve knowledge and awareness of West Africa on their campuses and in their local communities, such as through workshops, open houses, or information sessions. Finally, participants may be asked to attend a funded follow-on workshop in the U.S. to reflect on program achievements, lessons learned, and future collaborations.
Please refer to the Department of Education for a complete listing of minority-serving institutions. Read and follow the instructions carefully prior to submitting your application. Please have application statements, CV, and letter of recommendation prepared prior to completing the application.
Deadline for submitting applications is Monday, October 22, 2018. Successful applicants to the program will be notified by mid-November 2018. Applications can be found on CAORC’s online grant portal at the Apply Now link below.