Intercultural Competence Solutions for Schools and Organizations

At Intercultural Pathways, we empower schools and organizations to enhance their intercultural competence through targeted, impactful programming.

Intercultural Competence Programming for Schools and Organizations

PD Workshops (In-Person and Online) Facilitated by Dr. Aric J. Visser

Our professional development workshops are deeply rooted in the latest research on intercultural competence, providing your educators with actionable strategies to enhance learning at your school. Whether delivered in-person or online, these workshops are designed to meet the unique needs of your institution, ensuring that your staff is equipped to navigate and teach in diverse cultural settings.

Each workshop is tailored to your school’s specific goals and challenges, focusing on practical applications that can be immediately integrated into the classroom. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how to foster intercultural awareness among students, create inclusive learning environments, and implement culturally responsive teaching practices.

Outcomes and Benefits:

  • Enhanced Cultural Awareness: Equip your staff with the tools to better understand and respect diverse perspectives.

  • Practical Classroom Strategies: Provide educators with concrete methods for integrating intercultural competence into daily instruction.

  • Improved Student Engagement: Foster a more inclusive classroom environment that supports all students in their learning journey.

Asynchronous Intercultural learning programs and faculty onboarding

Our Competency-Based Program Design and Evaluation service is tailored to help your school create and refine programs that truly prepare students for success in a globalized world.

We collaborate closely with your educators and administrators to design programs that align with your school’s mission while meeting the highest standards of intercultural competence. Our approach is hands-on and data-driven, ensuring that every aspect of your program—from curriculum content to assessment methods—supports student growth in critical intercultural competencies.

To ensure continuous improvement, we also provide comprehensive evaluation services. These evaluations are designed to measure the effectiveness of your programs, offering insights that can be used to make strategic adjustments and enhancements.

Outcomes and Benefits:

  • Custom-Designed Programs: Develop tailored programs that align with your school’s goals and global education standards.

  • Student-Centered Growth: Foster increased student proficiency in key intercultural competencies.

  • Data-Driven Insights: Receive comprehensive evaluations that provide actionable feedback for ongoing program improvement.

Competency-Based Global programming design and evaluation

Our Asynchronous Intercultural Learning Programs and Faculty Onboarding services are designed to provide your staff with high-quality, self-paced training that fits seamlessly into their schedules. These programs are particularly valuable for onboarding new faculty, ensuring that they are fully aligned with your school’s commitment to intercultural competence from day one.

Our asynchronous courses are rich in content, interactive, and accessible at any time, allowing your educators to engage deeply with the material at their own pace. The modules cover essential topics in intercultural competence, offering practical strategies for fostering inclusive and culturally responsive classrooms. Whether your staff is new to the concepts or looking to deepen their expertise, these programs provide the tools they need to succeed.

Outcomes and Benefits:

  • Flexible Learning: Provide your staff with the opportunity to engage with professional development at their own pace, without disrupting their daily responsibilities.

  • Comprehensive Onboarding: Ensure new faculty members are well-prepared and aligned with your institution’s values and goals related to intercultural competence.

  • Sustained Professional Development: Offer ongoing opportunities for staff to enhance their skills in intercultural education, fostering continuous growth and improvement.

Intercultural Competence Programming for Students

Pre-Departure Workshops for International Travel Programs

Our predeparture workshops are an essential component of any international travel program. These sessions prepare students for the cultural, social, and emotional challenges they may face while abroad, equipping them with the tools to navigate new environments with confidence and respect. Through interactive activities and reflective discussions, students gain a deeper understanding of their host cultures, helping them make the most of their travel experiences.

Outcomes and Benefits:

  • Cultural Preparedness: Equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to engage respectfully and effectively in different cultural settings.

  • Enhanced Confidence: Build students’ confidence in navigating new environments and interacting with diverse communities.

  • Maximized Learning Experiences: Ensure that students are fully prepared to absorb and reflect on their experiences abroad, leading to richer learning outcomes.

On-Site Student Workshops

Intercultural Pathways offers on-site workshops designed to engage students directly in their own learning environment. These interactive sessions are tailored to the specific needs and cultural dynamics of your student body, providing a hands-on approach to building intercultural competence. Whether your focus is on preparing students for international experiences, enhancing cultural awareness, or fostering inclusive practices within the school, these workshops offer practical strategies and insights that students can immediately apply.

Outcomes and Benefits:

  • Engaged Learning: Bring intercultural competence to life through interactive, student-centered workshops held directly at your school.

  • Customized Content: Receive a workshop tailored to the unique needs and goals of your student body, ensuring relevant and impactful learning.

  • Immediate Application: Equip students with practical skills and knowledge that they can apply in their daily interactions, both within and outside of school.

Study Abroad Mentoring Program

Our study abroad mentoring program offers personalized support to students before, during, and after their international experiences. Mentors work closely with students to help them set goals, reflect on their experiences, and integrate what they’ve learned into their academic and personal lives. This continuous support ensures that students make the most of their time abroad, returning home with a greater sense of purpose and a deeper commitment to global citizenship.

Outcomes and Benefits:

  • Personalized Support: Provide students with tailored guidance to help them navigate the challenges and opportunities of studying abroad.

  • Reflective Learning: Encourage students to reflect on their experiences, deepening their understanding and application of intercultural concepts.

  • Long-Term Impact: Help students integrate their international experiences into their broader academic and personal development, fostering a lifelong commitment to intercultural engagement.

Additional Services

IDI Assessment and Training

The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) is a powerful tool for assessing and enhancing intercultural competence. Our IDI Assessment and Training services provide schools and organizations with a comprehensive approach to understanding and improving their staff’s intercultural capabilities. Through a combination of in-depth assessments and targeted training sessions, we help your team identify areas for growth and develop strategies to navigate cultural differences effectively.

Outcomes and Benefits:

  • Accurate Assessment: Gain a clear understanding of your staff’s current level of intercultural competence through a validated assessment tool.

  • Targeted Training: Receive customized training that addresses specific areas for improvement, ensuring that your team is better equipped to engage with diverse populations.

  • Ongoing Development: Support continuous growth in intercultural competence, contributing to a more inclusive and globally-aware school environment.

Teaching resources

To help support teachers, we offer live mini-courses designed specifically for students, which educators can easily integrate into their instruction. These interactive lessons, delivered via webinars or Zoom sessions, provide students with deeper insights into the cultural contexts related to their studies. By using these resources, teachers can enrich their curriculum, making learning more engaging and culturally relevant.

Outcomes and Benefits:

  • Interactive Student Learning: Enhance your lessons with live lessons that actively engage students in exploring cultural aspects of their subjects.

  • Culturally Enriched Instruction: Provide students with a deeper understanding of cultural contexts, making lessons more meaningful and immersive.

  • Teacher Support: Access ready-made resources that integrate seamlessly into your existing curriculum, helping you deliver a more comprehensive education.

We wrote the book on Intercultural Competence.
Literally.

Dr. Aric J. Visser, founder of Baserria Institute and head consultant for Intercultural Pathways, has contributed substantially to the understanding of high school study abroad programs. His work, "Study Abroad on Purpose," addresses prevalent misconceptions about studying abroad and provides a well-researched framework for program design. Baserria Institute and Intercultural Pathways’ programs are heavily influenced by Dr. Visser's findings, ensuring that the experiences offered are thoughtful and purpose-driven.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Our PD workshops and competency-based programs are highly customizable. We work closely with each school or organization to tailor the content and format to meet their specific needs and objectives. Whether you’re looking for a focus on a particular aspect of intercultural competence or need a program that aligns with your existing curriculum, we can adapt our offerings accordingly.

  • We offer both half-day and full-day workshops, depending on your needs. For those requiring more in-depth training, multi-day options are also available. Our goal is to provide flexible scheduling that fits seamlessly into your school’s calendar while delivering impactful, comprehensive training.

  • Yes, we provide extensive follow-up support to ensure that the strategies and insights gained during our workshops are effectively implemented. This includes additional consultations, regular check-ins, and access to resource materials to reinforce learning and support ongoing development.

  • We use a combination of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and our own proprietary metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of our programs. These tools allow us to measure progress in intercultural competence and provide actionable feedback to help schools and organizations refine their approaches.

  • Our predeparture workshops are designed to prepare students for the cultural, social, and emotional challenges they may encounter during international travel. They focus on understanding cultural norms and interpreting cultural differences in a constructive way. These workshops can be delivered in a traditional workshop format, asynchronously, or through a combination of both, depending on what best suits your needs.

  • Study abroad mentoring typically begins with an upfront or predeparture orientation to set expectations and goals. This is followed by regular weekly or biweekly meetings with the mentor, who is also available on call for additional support. Mentors are assigned based on their cultural experience, language skills, and the specific needs of the student, ensuring a tailored and supportive mentoring relationship. In many cases, students are able to work directly with Dr. Visser.

  • The IDI assessment process is flexible and can be tailored to the needs and goals of the school. The assessment itself is quick, but the overall process, including feedback and training, depends on the number of faculty involved and the specific objectives of the school. We work closely with your team to ensure that the process is smooth and impactful.

  • Our live lessons are designed as resources for teachers to use with their students. These lessons are delivered in an interactive format, typically through webinars or Zoom sessions, and focus on integrating intercultural competence into learning. Teachers can use these lessons to enhance their students' understanding of the cultural contexts of the material that they are learning, making the lessons more engaging and relevant. This resource is particularly useful in language classes.

  • Costs for our programs and services vary depending on the level of customization and the scope of the project. We offer a range of options to suit different budgets and needs, and we’re happy to discuss specific pricing based on your requirements. In some cases, we also offer package deals or discounts for bundling multiple services.

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