Lauder Summer Outreach, 2021
See examples of Lauder community engagement beyond the classroom. During summer session 2021, Lauder students from the Class of 2023 developed collaborative relationships with local, regional, and national organizations as part of their language coursework. These project-based learning opportunities allowed them to engage in their target languages and cultures with several organizations. The virtual instructional environment presented a new way to optimize immersive language use through meaningful engagement with diverse cultures and organizations.
Over four weeks of intensive language and culture courses, students used their language skills on projects in the service of organizations and their local constituents. Students connected with diverse community-based or cultural organizations to work on an ongoing project, or developed an assignment based on the organization’s interest and need.
“I improved both my language and my cultural understanding via my community project. Working together with partners at the University of São Paulo, I put new vocabulary and linguistic forms into practice while deepening my appreciation for the local context — even from abroad.”
-Alexander Robinson (G’23, WG’23)
The summer outreach projects reflect the Institute’s value for diversity and inclusion in and out of the classroom. Through these projects, students improved their language abilities, further their cultural awareness and worked as teams. Conducted by students with different levels of proficiency and facilitated by Lauder faculty, these projects empowered students to be effective communicators and problem-solvers and to develop an understanding of different linguistic and cultural perspectives.
Dimensions of Cultural Practices and Perspectives
Students in the Japanese program collaborated with curator at Shofuso and the Japan American Society to explore “Hare to Ke” (Sacred-Profane dichotomy), the traditional world-view of Japanese people, and focus on Japanese ritual cuisine as a cultural product.
Health-Related Outreach
Students in the Portuguese program worked on a community project with two professors from the University of São Paulo (USP) who manage a health program for low-income families. Students worked on a video and a pamphlet that are used to help improve the promotion of this initiative in the community.
Organizational Partners
Cultural Organizations
- Chinese Program – Northeast Philadelphia Chinese Association
- Japanese Program – Shofuso and the Japan American Society
- German Program – German Society of PA
- French-Africa Program – Coalition of African Communities
- French-Europe Program – Centre francophone de Philadelphie
Governmental Agencies
- Spanish Program – Consulate of Mexico
Educational Institutions/Museums
- Portuguese Program – University of São Paulo (USP)
- Chinese Program – Guanghua Chinese school
- Hindi Program – Bridge Music Academy
- Chinese Program – Penn Museum’s China collection.
- Chinese Program – Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
Non-Profit Organizations
- Arabic Program – al MARSAD
- Hindi Program – Bachpan Bachao Andolan
- Spanish Program – JUNTOS
- Korean Program – VANK (Voluntary Agency Network of Korea)
Small Businesses
- Spanish Program – Taller Puertorriqueño’s Julia de Burgos Gift Shop
- Russia Program – Various business owners, for project ‘Entrepreneurial climate in Yaroslavl, Russia’.