Clarkston comes together to share lessons from the pandemic and address community's critical needs

The Clarkston Summit 2022, hosted by the Center for Community Engagement at GSU's Perimeter College, the Prevention Research Center, and the School of Public Health, and co-sponsored by the Atlanta Global Studies Center and Emory University’s Office of Global Strategies and Initiatives, hosted more than two hundred participants, including Clarkston residents, health, education, and social service agencies, community organizations, faculty, and students. Participants gathered at GSU's Clarkston Campus to share ideas and voice concerns about community needs in the areas of healthcare, education, and resettlement. Speakers shared lessons learned from the pandemic and underscored persistent gaps in health care, mental health, and social services for the city’s most vulnerable residents. Afternoon sessions brought participating organizations together to collaborate on immediate actions that will improve the delivery of services and long-term quality of life outcomes. During lunch, organizations hosted tables to distribute information about their services and freebies to participants, and Emory Healthcare provided health screenings and vaccinations in the gymnasium. The event included lifesaving training in CPR and Stop the Bleed (pictured above) thanks to medical professionals from Grady Hospital and Emory University. Atlanta Global Studies Center wishes to express its thanks to all who organized the event, especially the volunteers and interpreters who offered their time and skills to make the event a huge success!

Faculty: Do you need funding for research overseas?

The U.S. Department of Education, International and Foreign Language Education, is relaunching the Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad (FRA) fellowship program! The FRA Program provides grants to colleges and universities to fund faculty (U.S. citizens and permanent residents) who conduct research overseas, in modern foreign languages and area studies. Faculty can receive funding for 3 to 12 consecutive months. The fellowship supports topics focused primarily on non-Western European languages and area studies.

New for FY 2022, the FRA program features a competitive priority to grant two additional points to applicants applying from Community Colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges. Read the Notice Inviting Applications, along with other competition updates, on our Applicant Page.

Applications are available May 9th and close July 13th, 2022.

Interested? Contact the FRA Program Staff at FRA@ed.gov

AGREC Supports the Global Communities Internship Program

AGREC is proudly supporting eight "global at home" collaborative projects this academic year. Each month's newsletter highlights the incredible work of one project. This month's newsletter features the “Global Communities Internship Program, 2022.” If you have a “Global at Home” project and would like to apply for funding in AY22-23, please read the call for proposals here.

The Global Communities Internship Program (GCIP) brings together community-based partners and Atlanta area colleges and universities (Agnes Scott College, Emory University, Georgia State University, Georgia Tech, Atlanta Metropolitan State College, and Morehouse) to build capacity for refugee, immigrant, and new-American-facing organizations in Metro Atlanta. This community-service learning project engages students and strengthens their understanding of global issues within a local context.

The Global Communities Internship Program is led by Ruthie Yow (Academic Professional and Service Learning and Partnerships Specialist, Georgia Tech), Johannes Kleiner (Associate Director of Civic and Community Engagement, Emory), and Philip Ojo (Professor of French, Agnes Scott).

To learn about local community organizations as well as the ethics and best practices of community engagement, students from the partnering institutions took a one-credit Engaging Global Communities course at Georgia Tech in Spring 2022. The students engaged in service learning activities such as the Clarkston Community Center’s Food Pantry Saturday. Through pre-service classroom talks, CCC Director of Education and Programs, Amber McCorkle, emphasized the value of serving together and building relationships, rather than dropping in as one-time “tourists” of the Clarkston community. The CCC’s pantry provides food to families from across the county, including recently-arrived refugee families. Guided by staff members Eric Williams and Sayed Mohammad Musa, student volunteers sorted and packed food, organized clothing donations, assisted families as they arrived, and loaded food and clothing into cars (or arms and hands!).

This summer, some students from the Engaging Global Communities course will intern with CCC, Re’Generation Movement, and the Georgia Piedmont Technical College ESL Program through the Global Communities Internship Program (GCIP), funded by the Atlanta Global Research and Education Collaborative. The student interns from GCIP will meet weekly with interns in Georgia Tech’s Serve-Learn-Sustain Sustainable Communities Internship Program to share lessons learned from their experiences working in various community organizations and nonprofits in the area.

AGREC Proposal Deadline Extended to June 28, 2022

If you have a “Global at Home” project and would like to apply for funding in AY22-23, please read the call for proposals here.

The Atlanta Global Studies Center congratulates the college and high school graduates who have distinguished themselves by developing global competence, learning foreign languages, and becoming critical thinkers and problem-solvers! The AGSC is proud to be a supporter of global education and foreign language instruction in the Atlanta region and beyond!

Graduating FLAS Fellows:

• Joseph Clark, B.I.S., Asian Studies (Japanese), Georgia State University

• Yasmeen Herb, B.S., International Affairs and Modern Language (Mandarin Chinese), Georgia Institute of Technology

• Susan Bee McPhie, B.S., Biological Sciences (Mandarin Chinese), Georgia State University

• Aparna Yaratha, M.A., Economics, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies (Hindi), Georgia State University

International Skills Diploma Seal:

1325 high school seniors from across the state of Georgia graduated with the International Skills Diploma Seal! Georgia’s ISDS program expanded to more than 110 Georgia high schools this year! Visit the ISDS webpage or watch the video.

Global Scholars:

128 graduates from Georgia State University earned the Global Scholar Distinction this May! Students in bachelor-degree programs across the university earn this distinction by completing at least 5 Global Scholar courses with a grade of B or better and maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students who earn this distinction receive an official digital badge. Learn more on the Global Scholar webpage.

Bibliometrics in International Business: Guiding Future Research

This webinar provides an introduction to bibliometrics as a research tool, the basic steps in preparing and implementing a bibliometrics project, ways of analyzing and discussing data-driven results, and providing frameworks for guiding future research. The webinar will provide several examples of how bibliometrics has been used in international marketing/business.

Thursday, May 26, 2022
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (EST)

Panelists:
Dr. Saeed Samiee, The University of Tulsa
Dr. Brian R. Chabowski, The University of Tulsa

7th Annual Global Languages Leadership Meeting

The Center for Urban Language Teaching and Research (CULTR) is excited to announce the 7th Annual Global Languages Leadership Meeting on June 14, 2022. CULTR is thrilled to feature Chef Ivan Orkin, owner of the restaurant Ivan Ramen in New York City, as this year’s keynote speaker. CULTR is also delighted to have Jessica Cork, Vice President of Community Engagement and Corporate Communications at YKK Corporation of America and Chair of the Japan-America Society of Georgia as the guest moderator.

Ivan Orkin was featured in the hit NETFLIX series Chef's Table in 2017, instantly vaulting him into the company of some of the world’s great chefs and restauranteurs. Join us to hear Ivan’s unique story of the importance of language learning and cultural competence as essential skills for an emerging global workforce.

In her current role at YKK Corporation of America, Jessica Cork is responsible for all aspects of corporate communications. She is fluent in Japanese and has over two decades of experience working in Japanese organizations.

This event is a space of convergence for diverse industry leaders from business, non-profit, government, and education. Register today to increase your organization’s visibility and commitment to promoting “Languages for all!”

Tuesday, June 14, 2022
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Zoom webinar

Apply for a FLAS Fellowship!

The 2022-23 Academic Year FLAS Fellowship application is open. Foreign Language and Areas Studies (FLAS) Fellowships assist undergraduate and graduate students in achieving competency in selected foreign languages in combination with international and area studies coursework. FLAS Fellowships are available for the less commonly taught languages of Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Persian/Farsi, Portuguese, Russian, and Swahili. Funding for French, German, and Spanish languages may be available for GRADUATE students at an advanced level only. FLAS fellowships can be used to study abroad or on campus. Attend an information session on May 26th, 4-5pm, to find out how you can become a FLAS Fellow: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86339928340

This month we interviewed Georgia State University FLAS Fellow Sandra Flaucher, who is working on a bachelor’s degree in Applied Linguistics, with a minor in Korean Language and Culture. She is planning to graduate in Fall 2022.

Why is studying foreign languages important to you?

Since childhood, I was introduced to different languages by my family members, from Romanian, my family's native language, to Spanish, Italian, Finnish, and so on! My mother introduced me to this concept of multilingualism and its importance as soon as I was old enough to speak. I grew up a multilingual child, and was introduced to different worlds. For example, since I am fluent in Romanian, I was able to study in Romania for a couple of years without worrying that the language barrier would interfere with my studies. Being fluent in Spanish helped me communicate with Spanish speakers and learn about their cultures. Studying foreign languages opens a new world of possibilities and partnerships. That is why studying foreign languages is important to me; language is the key to opportunities.

Why did you choose to study Korean?

The original reason is kind of personal. I have always wanted to learn Korean. I have been surrounded by it since elementary school, being introduced to Korean pop music, Korean TV shows, and even having native Korean friends. I was always fascinated by its uniqueness from any Latin languages (and English) that I know. That is the reason why I started looking into studying the language. However, as time passed, I began to observe the lack of representation of Korean in the translating industry. While languages such as French and Spanish had a variety of translators, less commonly spoken languages like Korean did not. I took Korean as a minor to speed up my language acquisition and learn how to insert myself into the industry. Now, I want to learn Korean to be able to live abroad and have a successful career and help those in need of translation or who lack English/ Korean skills in general.

What are your career plans?

If you had asked me this question last year, I would have had a concrete answer. Now, I am looking into different opportunities. I know that I want to better my foreign languages and gain a name for myself in the translating industry. However, I am not exactly sure where I am heading. For now, I want to finish my bachelor’s degree, apply for my Master's, participate in different internships to gain experience, and continue my language learning.

What kind of impact has the FLAS fellowship had on you?

The FLAS Fellowship supported me through my Korean studies. This fellowship helped broaden my knowledge of East Asia. Furthermore, it encouraged me to meet new people and create new networks. It sponsored my Korean language learning as an exchange student in South Korea. It helped shape my career plans, introduced me to another side of professionalism that I was not exposed to before, and brought back my passion for language learning.

What advice would you like to give to students interested in applying for a FLAS Fellowship?

Do it. Even if it sounds hard or scary, do it!. Apply for the fellowship. Work on your application. Write that essay. I know it's hard work, and I know there is the fear of being rejected, but you never know until you try it. Never live in fear; that's how you waste amazing opportunities in life. My advice would be to never let fear of rejection, or fear in general, dictate your decisions.