Center for Global Engagement

Explore the following links for other free or low cost events in the Charlotte community.

• Mint Museum Exhibits 
• Discovery Place (various exhibits, displays, and events)
• World Affairs Council of Charlotte: Let the Global Learning office know if you are interested in tickets.  Events labeled "TMS" or The Magellan Society are frequently free or low cost and are great for networking.
• International House: several community based events with volunteer opportunities, including:
  • Free Language Conversation Hours
  • International Book Club
• Cultural associations:
  • German Language and Culture Foundation
  • British American Business Council
  • Japanese Association of Charlotte
  • South Africans in Charlotte

Explore the following links for virtual opportunities:

• UNC Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies
• Carolina Asia Center
• UNC Center for European Studies​

The NC Scholars of Global Distinction is a partnership between UNC Chapel Hill and North Carolina community colleges, designed to equip students with the global competencies and skills needed for the 21st century workforce.

The Global Student Association is a group of students who learn about and celebrate different cultures. Supported by both the International Student Services Center and the Global Learning office, the Global Student Association appreciates different languages and different ways of doing things by participating in multicultural events and supporting students who want to study abroad. The Global Student Association also creates a sense of unity among international students and those interested in other cultures.   

Benefits of Joining the Global Student Association

• learn more about the world around you
• free or low cost tickets to Charlotte International events
• learn about ways to globalize your future or career
• meet interesting people from cultures all over the world

How to Get Involved with the Global Student Association

• Email the Global Learning team with any questions.

To find the Global Student Association club meetings, visit the student life calendar.

Student clubs and organizations listing

Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) is global network of community, vocational, and technical institutions dedicated to creating globally engaged learning environments. Members engage within the network to improve practices, participate in learning communities, and collaborate to advance global opportunities at the college level.

Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX) is a fellowship that provides two months of intensive German language, four months of study in the participant's career field at a German college or university, and a five month internship with a German company. Central Piedmont both hosts visiting German students and supports applications by American students looking to go abroad for this career development program.

Live, Study, Intern in Germany

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX) is currently accepting applications from students and recent graduates who are interested in living, studying, and interning in Germany on a full-year, funded fellowship. CBYX is sponsored by the U.S. and German governments for applicants in all career fields between the ages of 18-24, and does not require any prior German language knowledge. Applicants in business, vocational, technical, engineering, scientific, and agricultural fields are especially encouraged to apply.

75 participants are annually awarded the CBYX fellowship to spend a year studying and working in their career fields while completely immersed in German language and culture. Please forward this email to ideal candidates among your students and young alumni, who can find more information at www.CBYX.info. The CBYX for Young Professionals fellowship includes:

• two months of intensive German language training (prior German language knowledge is not required, but preferred)
• four months of study in the participant’s career field at a German college or university
• five-month internship in the participant’s career field with a German company
• accommodations living with German hosts, in shared apartments, and in student dorms
• transatlantic airfare and monthly food stipends
• health/accident insurance
• various program seminars in the United States and Germany
• support throughout the program year by local program representatives

Eligibility for the The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals Fellowship

• U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• between the ages of 18-24 at the start of the program in July 2011
• high school diploma or equivalent
• clear career goals and some relevant work experience in career field
• strong interest in German and international affairs, and a strong sense of American identity
• flexibility, independence, and diplomacy

Application deadline is December 1 for the program beginning in summer. For more information, and to apply online, visit the CBYX website. You may also contact the Central Piedmont Director of International Learning.

Studying abroad is one of the best ways American college students can acquire international experience necessary to succeed in today's global marketplace. According to the Open Doors Report on International and Educational Exchange, 295,000 American college students studied abroad in 2011/12 in credit-bearing and non-credit programs. While that may sound like a lot, it in fact represents less than 10% of the 2.6 million students graduating with associates or baccalaureate degrees each year. Generation Study Abroad^TM seeks to address that shortfall by bringing employers, governments, associations, and others together to build on current best practices and find new ways to extend study abroad opportunities to tens of thousands of college students for whom traditional study abroad programs aren't working. Central Piedmont committed to this pledge in 2014 to work to make our study abroad programs more accessible, pledging to increase the number of students it was sending overseas by 70% and double the number of countries available to study abroad students by 2020. In 2018, we achieved these goals two years ahead of schedule.

World Affairs Council of Charlotte (WACC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization. It is supported by private funding from individual and corporate members. It is a regional center for education and discussion of world affairs. The Council seeks to provide leadership for global thinking, and a broad perspective for effective competition in the global economy and for responsible citizenship in an increasingly interdependent political world. Central Piedmont works closely with WACC on the Global Issues Forum and other Charlotte area events.

World View is a public service of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Their website is intended to provide educators with information about our programs, outreach, and resources focused on 21st century global education. Annually, Central Piedmont sends a team of faculty members to World View Conferences.

Study Abroad Association 360º Global Learning and Virtual Study Abroad

Until we are able to travel abroad, check our this cool new virtual experience. Visit up to nine countries with more than 60 hours of footage from the comfort of your home or virtual classroom. Take a walking tour of Venice, discover ancient Rome, tour the Alps, visit the Costa Rican rainforest, or see the bustling streets of India. This new platform has every academic discipline covered and is a useful tool to make your online classes more interesting. Virtual study abroad can be used in your classes to support topics you already cover, or to allow students to experience new places. Faculty and staff, to access this user-friendly platform at any time, go to the Study Abroad Association 360 virtual study abroad site and sign up with your Central Piedmont email. Once you've set up your account, you can search by key words to find items related to your course. Contact us with any questions or ideas on how to implement this new platform in your class. Have fun on your travels!

The Intercultural Ireland Content Library (ISA Ireland)

The Intercultural Ireland Content Library (ISA Ireland) can help you internationalize your classes by using Ireland and Irish/European history, culture, business, politics, economics, language, literature, and science as a platform for creating the opportunity for comparative and critical thinking as a part of the lesson. The aim is to directly and purposefully create an opportunity to develop cultural competencies in every lesson, irrespective of discipline. The Intercultural Ireland Content Library is free. However, please let the Global Learning office know if you are interested in accessing the content for class.

Faculty or staff interested in leading a short-term study abroad program must submit a Study Abroad Program Proposal 14-18 months prior to travel. All proposals must be reviewed and approved by the Center for Global Learning prior to any program marketing, promotion, or recruiting. All leaders should review the Faculty/Staff Study Abroad Responsibilities (PDF) and the Faculty/Staff Leader Handbook (PDF). Additional information that will need to be submitted once a program has been selected include:

• request for International Travel with Students (PDF)
• request for authorization to travel (available on the intranet; login required)
• copy of updated passport
• specific program requirements, qualifications, and expectations

The North Carolina Learning Object Repository (NCLOR) provides a centralized location for the acquisition, collection, sharing, and management of quality learning resources for all teachers in North Carolina. Their site hosts plethora of resources to add international learning to your classroom.

NC Scholars of Global Distinction

Globalizing curriculum ensures students develop the global competencies and skills needed for the 21st century workforce and to thrive in a world that is increasingly globally connected. It is also an integral part of the NC Scholars for Global Distinction program. The Center for Global Learning is also developing a Globalization in the Classroom Learning Community to support this effort. If you are interested in globalizing your course, you will need to meet the criteria for evaluating courses with significant global content*:

• Course demonstrates intentional effort to prepare students to live and work in an interconnected world. Preparation includes the ability to recognize and address issues and phenomena at global, international and local levels, as well as develop intercultural competencies. Course includes a substantial focus on one or more of the above abilities/competencies.
• Syllabus explicitly lists learning outcomes that involve global learning as a result of participation in the course. One or more of these outcomes should develop cultural competency.
• Assessment requires students to demonstrate learning that reflects the global dimension of the course.
• Instructional media (text and/or supplemental resources) help frame the subject of the course in global terms.
• Course includes assignments requiring students to grapple with global issues related to the subject of the course.

*These criteria have been adapted and modified based on the Davidson County Community College model and the criteria developed by the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) and the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU).

Submit a copy of your course syllabus, including specific learning outcome(s) that involve(s) global learning, and attach course assignments and assessment descriptions demonstrating that the course meet the aforementioned criteria to the NC Scholars of Global Distinction committee or to the Global Scholars Coordinator.

If your department or faculty is interested in hearing from a global expert, the Center for Global Engagement will be happy to serve as a conduit for these programs.

The Fulbright Outreach Lecturing Fund (OLF) is a great opportunity to host Fulbright Visiting Scholars for short term speaking engagements that enrich cultural understanding. You can access the current list on the OLF Scholars page.

Fulbright Scholars are in the U.S. from a variety of countries and disciplines. The OLF encourages them to visit Community Colleges and Minority Serving institutions to:

• give department or campus-wide lectures to students or faculty
• hold lectures in classrooms where the scholar can make a contribution to the discipline or country/regional understanding
• meet with faculty to allow for an exchange of ideas
• have informal gatherings with students and faculty
• meet with community organizations, professional, cultural or religious groups, K-12 schools and school districts that have a special interest in international relations

The U.S. Department of State offers a great opportunity to speak with classes on any foreign policy topic via Skype. Possible themes include:

• diplomatic security and safety
• press briefings
• economy and trade
• energy and climate initiatives
• what it’s like to be in the Foreign Service
• additional opportunities to request a speaker from organizations such as the Peace Corps and Cultural Vistas (PDF)

The Center for Global Engagement hosts professional development sessions throughout the semester on a variety of topics to promote comprehensive internationalization. Visit AbilityLMS for upcoming opportunities.

The International Education at NC Community Colleges report is the result of a survey to explore how the NC Community College System (NCCCS) addresses its mission “to develop a globally and multi-culturally competent workforce” (NCCCS, 2020). Central Piedmont was integral in the design of the survey; our students and programs are featured throughout.

• World View: World View is a program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that equips K-12 and community college educators with global knowledge, best practices, and resources to prepare students to live in an interconnected and diverse world. Through professional development and outreach services, World View helps educators add a global perspective to their classrooms. In addition to the NC Scholars of Global Distinction Program, World View provides numerous resources and opportunities to Central Piedmont faculty:
  • community college resources
  • regional training opportunities – faculty can attend World View fall and spring seminars. Contact the Center for Global Learning if you are interested in attending
• World Affairs Council of Charlotte: A local non-profit focusing on education and discussion of world affairs, WACC hosts numerous programs and events each year including WorldQuest, the World Citizen Award, and a variety of international speaker series.
• Association of International Educators (NAFSA): NAFSA is the leading organization committed to international education and exchange to build global citizens. NAFSA offers extensive professional resources including workshops, seminars and annual conferences.
• Community Colleges for International Development (CCID): CCID helps institutions further internationalization initiatives and develop globally competent workers.