The Connect Program is an online cross-cultural education program integrated into university curricula that provides young adults with a unique opportunity to:
—Establish a deeper understanding for the perspectives of others around the world on important socio-political issues;
—Develop 21st Century skills such as critical thinking, cross-cultural communication, and media literacy.
Integrated into university courses across a variety of disciplines – including media studies, international relations, and religious studies – the Connect Program gives students the opportunity to engage in facilitated and substantive dialogue, and build meaningful relationships across national, cultural, religious, and ideological boundaries. Through a webconferencing application, students speak face-to-face in groups of 8–10 global peers, with no more than two students from a physical classroom assigned to the same online group so as to ensure a deeply multilateral learning experience. Each group is led by one or two trained facilitators to sustain dialogue and support an environment where students can comfortably explore perspectives, uncover biases, and arrive at a better understanding of cultures, with the goal of developing the global competence essential to thriving in an interconnected world.
