You're tired of the divisiveness in the world.
You find yourself avoiding watching or listening to the news because so much of what's going on—both locally and globally—makes you frustrated, angry, exhausted, or hopeless.
I get it.
But... you can be part of the solution.
We live in a globalizing world and our communities are becoming increasingly diverse. We need to be able to interact appropriately and effectively with people who are different from us—not just to survive, but to thrive, as individuals and communities.
Most of our institutions of higher education offer great opportunities to engage with and learn from people who are different from us. But just because those opportunities exist, doesn’t mean we’re all magically becoming interculturally competent beings. All you have to do is turn on the news to see that exposure to other cultures doesn’t automatically lead to intergroup harmony!
Difference can be incredibly divisive if we don’t intentionally learn and practice how to engage in interculturally competent ways.
As educators and institutions of higher education, we need to prepare students (and ourselves!) to live in this globalizing, diverse world. We need to teach and model how to not only understand, appreciate, and respect our cultural differences, but also bridge those differences so that we can be better together.
This requires a shift from deficit-model thinking or even treating others as we want to be treated, to capitalizing on the unique gifts we all bring to the table, so that we can come up with innovative, creative, synergistic solutions to the world’s biggest problems. So we can be healthier, happier human beings, and build stronger, more cohesive communities.
If you’re an educator interested in making a positive impact in the world by developing your own intercultural competence and learning how to help your students learn and grow through intercultural experiences as well, the Facilitating Intercultural Learning program is for you.
In Facilitating Intercultural Learning, you’ll learn to better understand and navigate cultural differences, facilitate others’ intercultural learning, and be a more effective and inspired educator.
The True North Intercultural Philosophy
In order to help you become a transformative intercultural educator, we focus on three areas:
KNOW
Understanding key intercultural concepts and theories
GROW
Developing our own intercultural competence
SOW
Learning to facilitate others’ intercultural development
Facilitating Intercultural Learning is much more than an online course...
It’s an intensive twelve-week training and coaching program designed to help you develop your own intercultural competence and begin integrating intercultural learning into your teaching, programming, advising, or other work.
You will be supported throughout the twelve-week program not only by me, but also by your fellow cohort members.
Cohorts are intentionally kept small, and are typically made up of educators from diverse cultural backgrounds, experiences, organizations, disciplines, and roles.
What You Will Learn
As a result of participating in this program, you will:
- Understand what intercultural learning is (and isn’t) and why it is important, and be able to articulate that to others.
- Learn a four-phase developmental framework that will help you better think about, design, and facilitate intercultural learning experiences.
- Become familiar with important intercultural communication frameworks, concepts, and theories to help understand similarities and differences across cultures.
- Deepen your own self-awareness and understanding of your unique way of making meaning in the world.
- Understand and be able to actively apply best pedagogical practices in intercultural and experiential learning to facilitate deeper, more transformational learning.
- Develop a plan for immediate application to incorporate intercultural learning into your work with students, colleagues, or other learners.
- Improve your ability to mindfully and intentionally serve as an intercultural bridge.
Next Cohort Begins April 6th, 2020!
Answer a few brief questions, then schedule a call to determine if Facilitating Intercultural Learning is a good fit and discuss further details!
What's Included?
Online Trainings
New materials released each week introduce you to intercultural concepts, theories, and pedagogy.
Small Group Coaching
Weekly group coaching calls help you unpack what you're learning, connect with others, and ask any questions you have.
Engaging Activities
Engaging activities and reflection questions help you dig deeper and connect your learning to your life and work.
IDI & Individual Debrief
Take the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and receive a one-on-one debrief of your results.
Supportive Community
Ask questions, connect with, and get feedback from your cohort and instructor any time in the private online community.
Intercultural Toolkit
Access to time-saving curricular materials make your life easier as you develop and facilitate your own intercultural initiatives.
Curriculum Overview
New materials are released weekly, with every three weeks of content followed by one week with no new materials. The focus during those weeks is on personal practice and implementation.
Small group coaching sessions are held every week and recorded for those who are not able to attend or for future review.
Week 1: Introduction to Intercultural Learning
Week 2: Self-Awareness & Meaning-Making
Week 3: Key Pedagogical Practices
Week 4: Implementation & Practice
Week 5: Cultural Differences that Make a Difference: Cultural Dimensions
Week 6: Cultural Differences that Make a Difference: Language & Communication
Week 7: Curriculum Design & Intercultural Facilitation
Week 8: Implementation & Practice
Week 9: Mindfulness & Introduction to Personal Leadership
Week 10: Cultural Bridging & Practicing Personal Leadership
Week 11: Action Planning
Week 12: Implementation & Practice
What Others Are Saying
"Working with Tara has been an eye-opening pleasure which has not only allowed me to explore and deepen my own perspectives on the fascinating field of intercultural learning, but has also empowered me to begin introducing these perspectives with my students and faculty and staff colleagues. Tara Harvey is an extraordinary teacher and coach who helps us work through how best to achieve our teaching goals and gives us the tools and teaching activities to do so."
Juliette Monet
Director of Study Abroad & Associate Director of JYF in Paris, Sweet Briar College
"I have so enjoyed this [program] and I do not want it to end (even though I know the learning will continue—best takeaway). I have loved having a space for reflection and dialogue with all of you [in my cohort]. I have been distance learning grad-schooling-it for a year now in my off hours… and the distance learning in this [program] certainly filled me up far more than my other coursework this semester. Thank you, Tara... it has been a refreshing and inspiring learning venture."
Cyan Corwine
Coordinator of International Education, Alfred State, State University of New York College of Technology
"Within the field of education and life in the 21st century, it is hard to make time to reflect. [Tara] really helped me see the value in mindfulness and develop reflective practices. I’d recommend [this program] to anyone who wants to enhance their own intercultural competency and positively impact the intercultural competency of their students. It helps you to “see” and teaches the value of enhancing your global mindset with intentionality."
Greg Rafal
Program Manager, Center for Global Business, University of Maryland
Meet the Facilitator:
Tara Harvey, Ph.D.
An experienced international educator who deeply understands how to facilitate transformative learning and growth through intercultural experiences.
If you’re on this page, you likely already know a bit about me. I have broad experience in the field of international education (I’ve taught English abroad and worked in both study abroad and international student services) and a deep understanding of the process of intercultural development and how to facilitate it (I’ve taught courses, conducted research, and provided coaching and training to other intercultural educators). For more information about my background, click here.
I’ve spent years designing curriculum and facilitating intercultural learning, as well as training and supporting faculty and staff to effectively facilitate others’ intercultural learning. I love what I do, especially helping other educators facilitate intercultural learning and together making a bigger impact in the world.
But I don’t just teach educators how to do it; I support them throughout the process so that they feel confident and competent as they navigate the journey. Because knowing how to facilitate others’ intercultural learning is not the same as actually doing it well.
So if you’re ready to embark on your own intercultural learning and teaching journey, I'd love to partner with you!
Frequently Asked Questions
You should plan to invest approximately 3-4 hours in your own learning and growth each week. Of course, how much time you dedicate to the program is largely up to you. The more you commit to practicing and applying the learning in your own life and engaging with the learning community, the more you are likely to get out of the program.
Yes! Everyone will take the IDI during the first weeks of the program and participate in a 1:1 debrief of their results with an IDI Qualified Administrator.
If you enroll and later decide the program is not for you, you can drop out within the first two weeks for a full refund. I just ask that you demonstrate completion of all coursework up until that point to show you have put in your best effort to get the most out of the program.
Yes, you can earn 32 Professional Development Hours (3.2 CEUs) for this program! Once you’ve completed the program, just email to request documentation of CEUs, and we’ll send you a certificate of completion. You will need to check with your local continuing education committee to ensure that this program will be approved.
Click on the link below to fill out a brief application and schedule a call.
I first want to learn more about your needs—where and how you are looking for support. This is an application, and I only make offers when I am certain this will be a good fit. If we determine this program is right for you and vice versa, I promise we’ll discuss price and payment options.
Yes, you are welcome and encouraged to apply with colleagues! There is a group rate when three or more individuals from your institution enroll in the same cohort. We can discuss this further during your application call.
Please note that you only need to complete one application, and you are welcome to have just one or all interested individuals attend the inquiry call.
Next Cohort Begins April 6th, 2020!
Answer a few brief questions, then schedule a call to determine if Facilitating Intercultural Learning is a good fit and discuss further details!
