Metropolitan Community College received an Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program Grant from the U.S. Department of Education to fund a project entitled "Thinking Locally, Acting Globally: Preparing MCC Students for Global Careers," from July 1, 1997 to August 30, 1999.
This international and foreign language development project is based upon the belief that all students need to be and deserve to be prepared to communicate and function effectively in life and work situations where the skills and knowledge of foreign languages and international cultures are daily becoming more essential. To this end, the proposed "Thinking Locally, Acting Globally" project was designed to address a two fold goal of internationalizing the curriculum and improving foreign language instruction through the utilization of a highly interdisciplinary approach arrived at 1) the expansion of the foreign language offerings to include the introduction of the Japanese language and new Spanish language options; 2) the development and implementation of practical and broadly applicable international curricular enhancements in both academic and career development programs, and 3) the provision for a strong program of faculty training and professional development in international studies and foreign languages.
Unique aspects of this international studies project include: foreign language faculty working with program area faculty to add foreign language modules into their courses; two teams of faculty traveling to international locations as part of the curriculum development process; faculty participating in international business internships, and faculty with international expertise serving as consultants to their peers in internationalizing courses and designing mediated instruction. Expected outcomes are that more than twenty courses will have been enhanced by the addition of international content.