Background

As part of the Internationalization Strategy, the Centre for Intercultural Engagement (CIE), initiated the development of an intercultural engagement curriculum in Spring 2020. The new curriculum would provide employees with an opportunity to engage with intercultural and Indigenization content.

The result of this work is the new Intercultural Engagement Program (IEP) which is delivered in four phases and designed as a cohort model with a maximum 20 participants per cohort. 

Program Overview

The Intercultural Engagement Program provides learning opportunities on the following topics:

  • Knowledge of the College’s relationship to Musqueam land and protocol
  • How identities and positionalities intersect
  • The value and practice of inclusion
  • Intercultural communication, knowledge, skills, and attitudes

The program is delivered over four phases:

Phase 1: Who’s at snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓? 3 weeks (10-15 hours)

Participants focus on the College’s unique position as a pathways institution situated on unceded Musqueam territory

Who’s at snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓? requires a 10 to 15-hour commitment that includes three, two-hour synchronous (Zoom) sessions that include conversations and reflections on the role of the college, a student panel discussion, and a beginning look at how our own identities impact and shape how we show up to our work. Participants are also asked to complete a short reflection assignment as part of the course as well.  

This workshop series is designed to be the beginning of your cohort experience as you move on each semester together through the rest of the program. After completing Phase 1, participants are eligible to register for the remaining phases of the cohort-based IEP. However, Phase 1 can also be a stand-alone series and you are welcome to attend without moving forward to the other phases. 

Any employee of snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓ Langara College is eligible to sign up with the permission of their appropriate supervisors. Space is limited so please register soon.  

Phase 2: INTZ 5000 6 weeks (30-35 hours)

Participants develop a greater understanding of cultural frameworks and identify their cultural biases

INTZ 5000 expands on the learnings of Phase 1: Who’s at snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓? and explores the beginnings of intercultural communication, Indigenization, intersectionality, and inclusion. The nature of Phase 2 is to open conversation among your cohort around challenging topics that affect us all, and work on developing a better understanding of ourselves so we can more deeply empathize with others.

The duration of this course is six weeks, consisting of five Brightspace modules and six, 90-minute synchronous (Zoom) discussion sessions. Your total time commitment is 30-35 hours inclusive of our discussion sessions. 

Phase 3: Indigenous Education and Reconciliation 7 weeks (20-25 hours)

Participants discuss current reconciliation topics facilitated by Indigenous Education and Services and CIE

Phase 3 is a facilitated opportunity and space to explore and share learnings about colonization and reconciliation while completing open-source learning modules. Some topics include looking at Langara's Indigenizing Principles, Canada's history of colonization, and incorporating reconciliation and Indigenous world views in our classrooms, organizations, and communities.

The approximate commitment to Phase 3 is 20-25-hours and includes seven, 90-minute synchronous (Zoom), facilitated discussion sessions and weekly module content and reflection posts.

Phase 4: Community, Capstone, and Commitment 16 weeks (50 hours)

Through self-study, participants create an intercultural engagement plan, meet independently in small communities of practice, and present their capstone and commitment project to the community

The final phase is the start of an ongoing personal and professional commitment to building inclusive communities. This semester-long, self-study stage is designed for you to take your accumulated reflections and learnings from the previous phases of the IEP and put them into action. With a focus on a specific theme, your end goal is a final capstone project and commitment to ongoing work that will be presented to the greater snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓ Langara College community at the end of the program. 

The approximate 50-hour commitment to Phase 4 includes one synchronous (Zoom) session at the beginning of the course to outline expectations, monthly check-ins with your community of practice groups, self-directed study over a four-month period, and the final presentation and Q&A of your topic.

If you would like more information on any of the Intercultural Engagement Program and its courses, please contact cieoffice@langara.ca.