The Global Scholars Diploma program kicked off the start of the school year with 500 new students for a total of nearly 1200 students in the program. These new students joined us for half-day sessions in downtown Columbus to explore an enormous question: what is culture? Through simulations and small group discussions, students learned that culture doesn’t only include the visible aspects like language, clothing, and food, but also less visible things like body language, personal values, and world view.

In the second half of the session, students broke into small groups to engage in dialogues with local volunteers who grew up or have spent extensive time in another country. Our volunteers represented over 15 countries all over the world including Russia, Mauritania, Brazil, China, and Jordan.

Hamid shares his Pakistani culture with students.

Originally from Guinea, CCWA intern, Mohamed, shares his experience.

What our students are now saying about culture:

“I feel I will be more likely be able to talk to people from other cultures because I know more about their cultures and I now feel more confident in asking questions about their cultures.”

“It is very interesting to find similarities and differences since we grew up in very different environments and learn from each other with the interests and experiences we both have.”

“After learning about the amazing things that different cultures bring, I feel the need to explore more about others and jump a bit more out of my comfort zone. There is so much to learn!”

Can you speak on culture, global careers, or global issues? Are you interested in volunteering with our program next year? Please contact Jenna Azotea, Program Coordinator.