Exploring New Cultures for College Students

Your Institution, Department, Your Name, Title

Introduction

In this slide you will want to introduce yourself and tell the audience where you are from and why you are in the U.S. In the next couple of slides you will want to tell the audience more about your home country in greater length.

Home Country

Break up your home country into different regions, then in the following slides highlight the attractions, distinctions, and culture of each region to inform the audience about the various parts of your home country. Introduce the audience to the lifestyle and culture of your country, and emphasize how life differs outside of the U.S.

My Region of the World

Add pictures and information about your region of the world (ex. Southeast Asia, Europe, Middle East, Latin America, Western Africa, etc.)

My Country

Add information here about your country, such as your head of state, types of houses, what your money looks like, types of food, attractions students would be interested in, etc.

My City

Add pictures and information about city views, your friends, where you went to school, places in your community, etc.

Culture

Have a slide here about your culture of your home country and how it differs from culture in the U.S. Perhaps you want to include differences in lifestyle, food, dress etc.

Attractions

Mention here different attractions to your country-both physical and intangible. May want to include picture of a landmark or just a picture you are fond of at home. Another attraction might be the language, and you can say a sentence or two in your native language.

Typical Living in (home Country)Provide information here about what daily

living is like in your home country…include pictures, and highlight the differences between typical living arrangements back home and those evident in the U.S. Include these even if they are minute differences-such as different kinds of toilets or different eating utensils.

Why Learn About Other Cultures?

Gain Global Awareness

Understand International Relations

Enhance Academic Learning

Experience Personal Growth

Make Connections with People

from all over the World

Have a Reason to Travel

Top 5 Reasons to Learn about New Cultures

1. Learning about new cultures is a life-altering experience!

2. A chance to learn about yourself and be independent

3. Gain perspective on your own country and culture

4. Learn a new language

5. Explore your own heritage

Where Can You Learn About?

Africa

Asia

Australia

Latin America

Europe

Middle East

North America

Preparing For Your Future

“In the 21st Century, there will be only two kinds of people: Those who think globally and those who are looking for work.”

-Peter F. Drucker, writer,

management consultant, & professor

Individuals must acquire and demonstrate a number of skills or competencies to be able to live and work successfully in a global economy and a diverse society of people from different backgrounds, cultures and countries.

These skills are often characterized as global competencies

Global Competencies

Clearly, we need to use education to advance tolerance and understanding. Perhaps more

than ever, international understanding is essential to world peace -- understanding between faiths, between nations, between

cultures. Today, we know that just as no nation is immune to conflict or suffering, no nation

can defend itself alone. We need each other -- as friends, as allies, as partners -- in a struggle

for common values and common needs.

-Kofi Annan, Former U.N. Secretary-General

Advancing Tolerance and Understanding

Reasons For Students From Diverse Backgrounds to Learn about Cultures

• Understand the world to broaden your experience.• Gain a new perspective on your own home country. • Explore your ethnicity in a diverse environment.• Gain new insights and outlooks through new

relationships.

• Fight stereotypes by educating others.

• Dispel your own stereotypes.• Take control of your future.• See what influenced great

leaders.

Reasons for Students from Diverse Backgrounds to Learn about Cultures(Con’t)

Why I Studied in the U.S.

Now that students have heard various reasons to learn about other cultures, you can help to inspire them and personalize your presentation by telling them what motivated you to learn about and study in the U.S. You may offer a unique perspective, or what ultimately made you come to the U.S. might be what a student needs to hear to decide to explore new cultures themselves.

Study Abroad Programs

Here you can add information about the Study Abroad opportunities offered in your country. Be creative! Add pictures taken by students on the programs, student testimonials, and any special information that would be helpful to share with students in order to encourage them to participate.

Financial Aid Tips

This slide could be used for listing scholarships available for study abroad through your institution or web sites where students can look for scholarships. This will also be appealing to parents, as they are often concerned about the price of study abroad and are not aware of the financial aid options.

Questions?

Offer here to answer any questions they may have about your home country, study abroad, life back home, or how life is for you being a foreigner living and studying in the U.S. You will want to come prepared to answer questions so consider these issues in advance and how you may want to respond to these concerns.