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.
Role of Cyber Diplomacy
Students in the Korean program connected with VANK (Voluntary Agency Network of Korea), a cyber diplomatic organization, to discuss current issues with neighborhood countries and to analyze VANK’s responses. They presented their findings in a presentation.
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.
Financial Education for Immigrants
Students in the Spanish program worked with the Consulate of Mexico in Philadelphia to develop a survey to measure the immigrants’ knowledge about financial and economic topics. This info will help them focus on opportunities to help immigrants.
Impact of the Pandemic on Local Chinese Communities
Students in the Chinese program aided the Guanghua Chinese school in writing a report for a potential newspaper describing how local Chinese populations are impacted by the pandemic and how they can help with people in need.
German Language Amongst Diaspora
Students in the German program worked with the German Society of PA on a combination of primary sources and to create a narrative of their own data analysis on the challenges of promoting German language amongst diaspora.
Preservation of Cultural Sites
Students in the Chinese program researched the preservation of China’s famous historical site Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
The Business Dimension of Music
Students in the Hindi program worked with Bridge Music Academy in Delhi on Western music education and building its business.
The Perspectives on Child Labor
Students in the Hindi program worked on issue of child labor with Bachpan Bachao Andolan which was established by Nobel laureate, Kailash Satyarthi.
Artifact Through the Anthropological Lens
Students in the Chinese program discussed a Chinese artifact with an anthropologist from Penn Museum’s China collection.
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’.
