San Mateo County Community College District Summer Study Abroad Program

SOUTH AFRICA: AN INTERCULTURAL SOJOURN

Join Professor Danielle Powell on this 2.5/3 week cultural immersion experience in South Africa! Throughout the course (COMM 150: Intercultural Communication), you will have the opportunity to analyze and reflect on the socioeconomic, political, historical, and religious factors that contribute to South African cultural identity. This experience will also provide students with an opportunity to explore their own cultural and social identity and the influence that their identity has on their communication interaction with others, specifically with South African students, professors, community activists and community members.

Why Choose this Program?

This program enables you to study abroad while making normal progress toward your degree objectives. Through course work and experiential learning both pre-departure and in-country, you will have the opportunity to think critically about and apply intercultural communication theories and principles in a global context. You will travel to historical cities and landmarks in Johannesburg and Cape Town, including a visit to the Apartheid Museum, Nelson Mandela House, and tour the Robben Island prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his life.You will also learn about South African history and culture from South African professors, students and community members; and, engage in meaningful dialogue with community members who grew up during the apartheid system. You will hear firsthand about their struggles for equality, as well as have opportunities to interact with and do service projects with South African youth. Additionally, units earned in this course will appear on your transcripts issued by Skyline College. These units are transferrable to the CSU and UC systems.

Program Eligibility

At the time of application to the program, you must satisfy the following program eligibility requirements:

18+ years old
Complete registration at Skyline College
Complete an interview with the Professor of the course
Minimum 2.25 GPA

Application

The South Africa: An Intercultural Sojourn Program is an intensive 2-week-long group overseas learning program. While on the program, you may often feel exhausted from adapting to a new unfamiliar environment, studying intensively, living without your local amenities, attending various compulsory cultural activities, building new relationships with people from South Africa and your fellow study abroad classmates.

There are 3 essay questions in this application with a minimum 250 word count. It’s advisable to examine the questions before starting the application process.

What aspects of the South Africa: An Intercultural Sojourn Program do you expect will be the most challenging for you? How will you meet and overcome these challenges?
What are your strategies for interacting with people who are different from you? How do you deal with unfamiliar and unknown situations? How do you approach new environments?
What has been your previous cross-cultural experience (U.S. or abroad) and how do you think it will apply to this experience?

COMM 150: Intercultural Communication Student Learning Outcomes

Comprehend the interrelationship of culture, communication and perceptions, and describe their influence on world views, values, norms and social practices.
Examine various aspects of one’s cultural and social identity, and describe the influence it has on identity development.
Explain the ways in which cultural barriers such as stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination and ethnocentrism hinder effective intercultural communication.
Identify the theories, models and principles of intercultural communication

This study abroad will meet each of the course outcomes of COMM 150: Intercultural Communication listed above, as well as meet the Citizenship institutional learning outcome that states that students will be able to use knowledge acquired from their experiences at this college to be ethically responsible, culturally proficient citizens, informed and involved in civic affairs locally, nationally, and globally.

Meet Professor Danielle Powell

Professor Powell is a high-energy educator who values the learning and educational process for students of all demographics and abilities. She has taught Communication Studies for 20+ years at both 4-year universities and community colleges, including James Madison University, Wake Forest University, and at Cascadia College where she was a tenured faculty member before coming to Skyline. Professor Powell is a native of North Carolina but has lived and worked in diverse communities on both coasts of the United States. She earned a B.S. in Speech Communication from James Madison University, an M.A. in Communication and a Master’s of Divinity degree, both from Wake Forest University; and, a graduate certificate in Non-Profit Management from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

She has participated in and led multicultural immersions and vocational formation workshops for college students, and provided opportunities for her students to connect with students in Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Japan via international teleconferences. She has traveled abroad to European, Central American, Caribbean and African countries, including taking Skyline College students on an International Service Learning Experience to Antigua, Guatemala in summer 2015.

In addition, Professor Powell has participated in a missions’ project in inner city London in which she worked alongside individuals from several different countries and helped at-risk youth whose parents emigrated from various countries across the globe. She also coordinates Skyline College’s women’s mentoring and leadership academy. Through her travels and experiences, she’s acquired deep insights into the acculturation and adaptation process of living and working in cultures different from her own culture. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, preferably at the beach!

KEY DATES AND DEADLINES

South Africa Program (Summer 2018)

Item	Description	Deadline
Priority Application Deadline	Apply online at the link below: https://surveys.smccd.edu/n/zz1qa.aspx	March 1, 2018
SMCCD Foundation Scholarships & Study Abroad Scholarships	Multiple scholarships awarded to SMCCCD students for study abroad. Apply online: https://smccd.academicworks.com/ Apply online at: http://smccd.edu/studyabroad//financialaid/scholarshipapplication.php	March 2, 2018 March 3, 2018
Gilman Scholarship for Summer 2017 Programs	Apply online: https://gilmanapplication.iie.org/Applicant/Default.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fapplicant%2f	March 7, 2018
Initial Deposit Due	Put down a $500 deposit which goes towards your study abroad program	March 16, 2018
50% Refund	50% of refund is granted if you decide to withdraw.	March 16, 2018
2^nd Payment Due	2^nd payment of $500 is due. You may pay the entire amount of the program fees if desired.	March 31, 2018
40% Refund	40% of refund is granted if you decide to withdraw.	April 4, 2018
3^rd Payment Due	3^rd payment of $1,500 is due. You may pay the entire amount of the program fees if desired.	April 10, 2018
20% Refund	20% of program fees is granted if you decide to withdraw.	April 26, 2017
Final Payment Due	Final payment of $2,100 is due. By now, you should have paid total $4,600	April 30, 2018
No refund	No refund is granted	May 11, 2018
Orientation Title IX / Code of Conduct Training	Mandatory training located at Skyline College for students before they leave.	May 27, 2018
Depart U.S.	Arrive at SFO airport at least three hours before flight departure	June 8, 2018
Depart South Africa	Return to U.S.	June 26, 2018

SCHEDULED PAYMENTS

Initial deposit of $500 is due upon registration or on Friday, March 16 2018

Second deposit of $500 is due Saturday, MARCH 31, 2018.

Third deposit of $1500 is due Tuesday, APRIL 10, 2018.

Final deposit of $1959.70 is due Monday, APRIL 30, 2018.

REGISTRATION

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Please indicate if you require assistance in securing a roommate. We will endeavor to assist and are typically successful. However, we can not guarantee a roommate pairing. In the rare event that we are unable to assist, a single delegate registering relatively late may be required to pay the single supplement.

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