No abstract

Intercultural competence and the ability to work with diverse populations are critical for successful experiences abroad. Immersion has been identified as a strong preparatory and developmental opportunity for learners engaging in these experiences. However the increasing cost of higher education and the depletion of federal support for these programs have forced educators to employ innovative means to prepare students for international experiences. The authors address this charge via theoretical perspectives suggesting the inclusion of storytelling and narrative as a means of developing self‐awareness and a pathway towards intercultural competence. This perspective provides the foundation for global competency development in non‐immersive contexts with respect to the underlying financial limitations in the current higher education landscape. The authors provide an educational framework that has the potential for a renewed emphasis on self‐development and ultimately, the creation of more globally conscious study abroad learners.

Evidence exists that international learning experiences provide undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities to develop intercultural competence and global perspectives. This development is grounded in the idea of accompaniment that is prevalent in study abroad programs and international service experiences at the higher education level. Accompaniment is firmly planted in the idea of mutual relationships and sharing culture. However, it only creates a superficial understanding of the community and fails to address and implement systems of sustainable practice. This theoretical supposition challenges educators to go beyond the foundation of accompaniment and explore innovative practice that can benefit the development of intercultural competence in students and promote sustainability in the international contexts that these academic‐based international service programs work with. The authors detail suggestions that educators can use as a framework for transforming international service experiences, their students, and the communities they serve.

Taking a relational and experiential approach to leadership education, an innovative partnership was developed between an undergraduate global leadership course and an on-campus English Language Learning institute. Instructors conducted a co-curricular global leadership workshop to guide both American and international students' (n=18) intercultural interactions into impactful experiences of self-awareness, understanding, and intercultural communication competence. Workshop surveys were distributed to more appropriately evaluate the objectives of the workshop, gain participant insights, and provide recommendations for future workshops. Participants left the workshop with an understanding and valuing of intercultural relationships, how to effectively communicate in intercultural teams, how to successfully adapt in global contexts, and an increased confidence to lead globally. Recommendations of this pilot study provide further insight for future global leadership workshop initiatives, partnerships, and curriculum.

The present methodological discussion describes and reflects on the challenges with decisions made at the planning, implementation, and closure phases of a transformative mixed methods research study aimed at exploring the social connectedness of Burmese, Congolese, Iraqi, and Somali resettled refugees and their perceptions of well-being and belongingness. Although the field of mixed methods research calls for advancement in advocacy, participation, and innovation, little research provides clear guidance in this process. Therefore, this article contributes to the field by providing tangible recommendations to direct mixed methods researchers in their work with vulnerable, cross-cultural populations, promoting a transformative approach to scholarship with vulnerable populations that creates innovative research alongside the community, appropriately representing and empowering participant voices.