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PVAMU students from left to right: Robyn Green, Alexis Mack and Stephanie Turner; 2019 Study Abroad – Beijing

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (May 25, 2021) – An exciting pilot program at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) is looking to educate and inspire the university’s newest students to become globally aware and interculturally sensitive leaders.

Broadening Global Learning Opportunities, Building Academic Leaders (B-GLOBAL) launches this fall. First-time freshmen of any major who submit an on-campus housing application are eligible to apply. B-GLOBAL is a two-year learning community that integrates curricular and co-curricular programming, which develops and enhances students’ global competence skills. These kinds of skills have been proven to promote effective communication, leading to open and appropriate interactions with people from all races and backgrounds.

“We’re trying to provide a holistic approach so we can reach students where they are,” said Nathan Mitchell, Ph.D., PVAMU associate professor of political science and co-director of B-GLOBAL. “One of the things that most concerned us about the pandemic and student travel being limited is the difficulty to teach global skills and competencies.  We’re using the framework of “glocalism” to bring the globe to them.”

Students who are a part of B-GLOBAL will have the option to learn new languages, develop e-portfolios, receive global leader certificates and badges and live in what will start as a cohort in University College. The cohort will eventually become designated housing for B-GLOBAL students. Mitchell said the initial group of participants would be clustered together, if not necessarily in the same building, and that similarly, opportunities to study abroad will come a little later.

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PVAMU student Shirley Kennebrew; 2019 Study Abroad – Shanghai

Marcus King ’11 ‘21, program director in the Office of International Programs and B-GLOBAL’s other co-director, said, “Most institutions have something like this but at a smaller scale. It’s pretty comprehensive for sure — lots of different people will have to make a contribution to make sure it’s successful.”

As part of the integrated programming that will form the basis of the learning community, students will enroll in a series of common courses in the “Global Awareness” and “Language, Philosophy, and Culture” areas of the core curriculum. An eventual global studies minor, or even major, remains a possibility.

“Because it is focused on the core curriculum, a lot of the globally focused courses will feed right into the student’s existing course of study,” said Mitchell. “We’re trying to give students a foundation, and if they decide to study or work abroad, or even here at home, they will have important skills they’ll be able to leverage.”

Mitchell, a PVAMU professor since 2008, attended Virginia Tech, where there were many officially recognized learning communities. He experienced international travel as part of a leadership-based community, but said the greater benefit was the connection with like-minded people, many of whom remain his friends to this day. “It gives students a deeper connection to the university and to their peers,” he said.

Honors Program

King (left) alongside Quincy Moore, Ph.D., and Chelsee Young, director and assistant director of The Honors Program; 2019 Study Abroad – Beijing

For his part, King, who earned a mechanical engineering degree as a PVAMU undergraduate and an MBA this spring, counts international travel and education as his biggest passions. “I’ve heard people say that if there was one thing they could go back and do in college, it would be to study abroad,” King said. “I really wish there had been something like this when I was an undergrad. Back then, these activities were not at the forefront or very visible; we didn’t even have a formal study abroad office. You had to be in the right place at the right time, or bump into the right professor or the right student to learn about opportunities. I think this program will really prepare students to take advantage of an opportunity like that. If there are students out there interested in learning a different language or visiting another country, this program will be a stepping-stone to get them moving in that direction.”

During his time as an advisor to PVAMU’s Model United Nations organization, Mitchell encountered students who had never left their home state of Texas, meaning that even a trip to New York City was eye opening. But the thrust of B-GLOBAL is larger than setting foot on an airplane. “What I know about this group is that they’re so excited to be involved with something and connected, and also to solve problems. We see this program as a low-stakes way to help students be connected and help them work on solving, often, global problems that are important to them.”

King similarly sees a program with a broader mission. “The idea is to find ways to prepare students to have an understanding of global issues and people of different cultures, so that when they graduate and go off into the workforce, they’re able to connect and communicate and understand those issues and the nuances of meeting with and working with different people,” King said. “I’ve been monitoring applications as they come in, and as I read the essays, they’re very interested and excited for the opportunity to learn about other countries, other cultures, and the way this will be helpful to their specific majors.”

Joining the program, Mitchell said, “is going to kick your education up a notch. It’s a way to be much more intentional about what you’re trying to learn and the experiences you want to have in college.”

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PVAMU student Devin Dunaway; 2019 Study Abroad – Beijing

B-GLOBAL is accepting applications from first-time students admitting to PVAMU until June 1. Visit www.pvamu.edu/internationalprograms/bglobal for more information.

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