College of Social Justice and Human Service

ISLA: International Summer Leadership

Academy

College of Social Justice and Human Service

What is ISLA? ISLA is an international travel

educational experience organized for Master’s and Ph.D. students in the Higher Education Program

Each ISLA takes place in several countries and at several decision-making levels

Combines knowledge acquisition and know-how training with intercultural immersion and exchange of best practices

College of Social Justice and Human Service

Belgium

Netherlands

United Kingdom

China

College of Social Justice and Human Service

The International Summer Leadership Academy takes place over a two-week period in the summer

The Academy consists of two parts:

Module 1Module 2

College of Social Justice and Human Service

Modules of the Academy Module 1 - Europe/China

– Summer 11. Visit

supranational/nat’l/local governing bodies of higher ed

2. Visit colleges and universities in different regions

3. Offer workshops with peers, present in seminar/conference

4. Network with peers5. Explore cultural marks

and immerse in the local customs and traditions

Module 2 – The United States - Summer 2

1. Visit federal/state/local governing bodies of higher ed

2. Visit colleges and universities in different regions

3. Offer workshops with peers, present in seminar/conference

4. Network with peers5. Explore cultural marks

and immerse in the local customs and traditions

College of Social Justice and Human Service

Students who participate in ISLA are able to gain up to 6 hours of class credit per summer

ISLA is a required component of the Ph.D. program, but is open to all Master’s and Ph.D. students in the Higher Education Program

College of Social Justice and Human Service

Is funding available for participation

in ISLA?

There are several different types of scholarships available for students participating in ISLA: Departmental Scholarships Travel Grant from the Center

for International Studies & Programs

European Union program grant Hanban

College of Social Justice and Human Service

Why is ISLA important? ISLA helps students learn of other

cultures, educational practices, and leadership ideas

International exposure increases students’ awareness and appreciation of cultural and educational differences

It enhances students’ appreciation of their own heritage, their values, and beliefs

ISLA helps master skills and abilities higher education professionals need to be effective in a multi-cultural environment

Understanding the Influence of

ISLAon Students’ Multicultural Competence

College of Social Justice and Human Service

Pope and Reynolds’ Framework for Multicultural Competence (1997)

“in student affairs, multicultural competence may be defined as the awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary to work effectively and

ethically across cultural differences”

We collect and analyze information from:

- Students’ journals- Field notes and observations- Institutional documents, audio-visual

material- Discussion sessions- Workshops and conference/seminar

presentations- Focus groups

We try to understand:

What students learned about:-how the higher education system works in each of the countries we visited-how a country’s culture is different from ours

Did students figure out how to:

-connect with individuals from a different culture and communicate well-design initiatives that are culturally-appropriate-remain professionally in a different culture

Did students become aware of:-the value of the cultural differences we experienced-their own beliefs and biases-the variety of ways to stimulate and embrace differences

+

+

For more information or questions about ISLA please contact,

Dr. Snejana Slantcheva-DurstCoordinator, Higher Education Master's Program

Department of School Psychology, Higher Education, and Counselor Education

Health and Human Services 13002801 W. Bancroft Street

Toledo OH 43606snejana.slantchevadurst@utoledo.edu(419) 530-5673

Thank You!