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Inspiration for Project

As we emerge from post-pandemic global social isolation, the need to communicate across cultures is increasingly important
Miscommunication and misinformation fuels social and political polarization
Opportunities for meaningful global connections are limited, especially for community college students

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Inspiration for Project

Source: Educational Data Initiative
Source: NAFSA: Trends in U.S. Study Abroad

Although study abroad is one way to foster cross-cultural connections and global competency, it is not financially feasible for most students.
Since 1990, the average tuition at public four-year institutions has increased by 181%. Even though community colleges are typically more affordable, tuition costs have doubled during the same time period.¹
During the 2022-2023 academic year, only 1.51% of undergraduate students in the U.S. studied abroad.²
Of the U.S. students studying abroad, 66.4% are Caucasian, 12.2% are Hispanic/Latino American and only 5.9% are African American or Black - significant barriers to studying abroad exist for students of color.

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Inspiration for Project

Students gain skills through study abroad experiences that are highly valued by employers
“Soft skills” include communication, creative thinking, and problem solving¹
Global skills include cultural awareness, intercultural communication, and cultural sensitivity

Source: NAFSA: “Developing a Globally Competitive Workforce Through Study Abroad: The Value of Study Abroad Skills in the U.S. Job Market”

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Project Overview

“Our Lives, Our World: Creating Connections Across Cultures” pairs individual students or entire classrooms from College of Lake County (CLC) with international students from partner colleges across the globe to interview one another about topics related to their areas of study or personal lives.
The goal is for students to learn more about one another – their daily lives, their goals, their hardships and how they overcame them, their aspirations – while fostering an appreciation of cultures outside of their own.

How could we help students who can’t study abroad gain these important skills and cross-cultural experiences?

https://connectingourlives.com/

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Project Overview

Students interview one another on Zoom, facilitated by instructors
They are provided a prompt - such as sharing a photo of a place that is meaningful to them - in order to establish common ground
Following the interviews, they continue to communicate online using a project management tool called Basecamp (free for students and educators)
Each student writes a blog post about their international partner and publishes it on our collaborative website, https://connectingourlives.com/

https://basecamp.com/discounts

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Themes

We organized the website into four themes:

Community: How do you define community? What are the different types of communities that you are a part of? What are some of the strengths of your community? What are some pressing issues facing your community?

Education: What is the education system like in your country? What subjects do you study? What is the role of government in the education system in your country?

Identity: What are some of your personal values? What life experiences shaped you into who you are today? What social groups do you belong to?

Place: Where do you live? What is your home like? What places do you frequent in your community and why are they important to you? What are some of your local traditions and customs?

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Project Overview

Piloted two classes - Creative Writing with Ehime University in Matsuyama, Japan and Cultural Anthropology with Ajman University in United Arab Emirates
Creative Writing prompt: Share a photo of a place from your hometown or community that is meaningful to you. Be prepared to describe the place and why it’s significant.
Cultural Anthropology prompt: Share a photo of a cultural artifact that has personal and cultural significance. This could be an object, a symbol, a piece of art, clothing, food, or anything meaningful in your culture.

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Benefits

Gain soft skills and global competency skills - without leaving the country
Communicate with students from different countries and cultures; develop lasting friendships online
Provide professional development skills while broadening awareness of issues that affect students across the globe
Practice active listening, critical thinking, interviewing, foreign language
Strengthen empathy and cross-cultural sensitivity
Develop skills in storytelling & multimodal composition

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Impact

“I developed a deeper appreciation for how life growing up in Japan differs from my own experiences in Illinois. I grew up in Chicago, surrounded by the city’s bustling streets and towering buildings, and never truly developed a strong connection to nature. In contrast,

Yamada’s upbringing on a farm in Japan nurtured a profound relationship with the natural world. Her stories offered me a fresh perspective on a lifestyle that feels worlds apart from my own.”

– Giovanni Demartini, student at College of Lake County�

“This was much cooler than I was expecting. It was nice to hear about other people’s history and even do my own digging into that place. I never would’ve thought of this place or of a person’s experience there, so it was nice to be able to break down those barriers.”

– Ari Martinez, student at College of Lake County�

“Even if someone is on the other side of the country, we will have some similar things with them.”

– Nic Ojerio, student at College of Lake County

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Challenges

Language barriers – Sometimes made communication challenging
Time differences – Early morning or late night Zoom calls
Requires significant student & faculty preparation/training (interviewing, how to use WordPress)
Project is time-intensive & requires significant faculty oversight
Faculty might be resistant to taking on a new project due to prep work
Site maintenance requires technical expertise
Students/faculty lack basic web writing/composition skills
Lack of awareness of project across campus; lack of support from marketing/PR

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Sample Post:�Chasing the Sunset: A Memorable Visit to Matsuyama Castle

There’s something truly magical about sunsets, especially when shared with someone special. For Yamada Yuua, a student at Ehime University in Japan, one unforgettable sunset unfolded at the top of Matsuyama Castle, where history and breathtaking views converge. This castle, perched high above the city, offers visitors a panoramic view of Matsuyama that is simply unparalleled.

During my interview with Yamada Yuua, she said, “The reason why it sticks in my memory is because it was a photo taken when my best friend from my hometown came to visit Ehime for the first time.” Their hometown, Tokushima, is located on the other side of Shikoku Island and is about a three-hour journey by highway bus to Matsuyama City. Yamada added, “We had never seen the sunset together from a high mountain, so it left a very deep impression on me.”

Yamada also spoke about her parents, who are farmers growing a wide variety of plants. She mentioned that wakame is her favorite food they grow. When asked about its taste, she responded, “Salty, very salty.” After the interview, I researched more about wakame and discovered that it’s a type of seaweed primarily used as a topping for dishes like udon noodles. Yamada explained that growing up on the farm gave her a deep love of nature, especially for mountains.

https://connectingourlives.com/2024/12/12/chasing-the-sunset/

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Future Goals

Expand site/project
Involve faculty from multiple disciplines
Incorporate audio & video from interviews
Create a standard institutional process
Generate interest/awareness across campus
Promote project & site internally & externally

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We welcome you to reach out!�

Laura Otto, Professor of English and Chair of Technical Communication, College of Lake County

Email: lotto@clillinois.edu

Voytek Wloch, Senior International Officer and Director, Department of Global Engagement, College of Lake County

Email: wwloch@clcillinois.edu