As the IVECA participants look forward to exciting Live Class celebrations, teachers have met virtually to prepare for the sessions. The Live Classes offer the opportunity for students to meet each other 'face to face' after months of asynchronous interaction with their partner school overseas through the IVECA Virtual Classroom. Each Live Class will include student project presentations on IVECA activities, a discussion between IVECA friends, and cultural performances.
Preparation begins by scheduling Live Classes, which requires a mutual understanding of time differences between the partnered schools from across the globe. The thoughtful collaboration between global partners and student excitement make scheduling workable for both sides. Teachers have expressed, "My students are really happy to meet your students in two weeks!" and, "Thank you for scheduling this, my students are very excited to see their partner on the Zoom!"
To guarantee Live Classes' success, teachers with the IVECA team go through every step of the preparation process to provide students with a seamless and interculturally meaningful virtual learning experience. These Test Sessions hosted by the IVECA Team enable teachers to meet before their Live Classes and build confidence in their role. Here, cross-cultural discussions take place on students' progress and best practices for a successful Live Class. One US teacher said, "Yes, I think we are all set for the Live Class!"
On October 13, the IVECA Center for International Virtual Schooling, in partnership with the Incheon Office of Education East Asia Global Education Institute (IEGI), hosted the Second Global Virtual Roundtable about Public Diplomacy in Modern Era: Promoting Soft Power for Humanity. The roundtable was held via a virtual webinar session while participants from Incheon were present at their conference center. This event was organized to expand the impact of the first Global Virtual Roundtable that took place during the IVECA Summer Camp this year.
Korean students introduce the Summer Camp
The roundtable was honored by the presence of His Excellency Ambassador Joon Oh from Korea and His Excellency Ambassador Hesham Elnakib from Egypt. The event was also celebrated by the expert panelists Mr. Robert Skinner, Deputy Director and Chief of Partnerships and Global Engagement at the Outreach Division of the United Nations Department of Global Communications, and Dr. Mariel Friberg, Assistant Research Scientist at the University of Maryland and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. IVECA’s founder Dr. Eunhee Jung moderated the roundtable discussion.
His Excellency Ambassador Joon Oh opened the session by sharing, “The world we live in today is of course globalized. We are all affected by what happens in any other part of the world no matter where we live…it is time for us to think more about the global common good. There are many global issues we should consider, such as climate change, inequalities, and sustainable development. The future of humanity depends on how we deal with these challenges and how we achieve the global common good.” Ambassador Oh stressed the importance of individuals’ global citizenship in public diplomacy since people should handle such issues with an open mind and respect for diversity in cooperation and inclusion.
Amb. Hesham Elnakib, Amb. Joon Oh and Dr. Eunhee Jung
In his keynote, His Excellency Dr. Elenakib also highlighted that people, global citizens, are the key players in public diplomacy for realizing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While the world is interconnected and shares global challenges, Ambassador Elnakib elucidated how crucial it is for people to collaborate in solidarity with a sense of belonging, compassion, and responsibility for humanity.
Showing their global citizenship, student team panelists from India, Korea and Nepal enthusiastically presented innovative projects they developed during the Summer Camp and improved its branding and promoting strategies. Four teams from three countries presented their soft power to contribute to achieving the SDGs. Korean teams introduced their scientific soft power to fight against plastic pollution and creative ways to foster a global culture of using tumblers for environmental conservation. While the Indian team promoted their medical herb for human well-being, the Nepalese team systemized their NGO initiative to enlighten people on protecting nature.
Mr. Choongyeol Yoo, Director of IEGI
As an expert’s advice on making a greater impact, Mr. Skinner from the United Nations commented, “know that you can make a difference, believe in yourself in being able to make a difference whether with your family your community you don't need to think globally all the time we all need to make a difference in where we live, and you can make that.”
Mr. Robert Skinner and Dr. Mariel Friberg
His Excellency Dr. Hesham Elnakib who taught those students during the Summer Camp concluded the Global Virtual Roundtable by giving his insight, “Remember that public diplomacy is not only a theory, is not only a way of diplomacy, but it is day-to-day life. So remember how to brand, how to promote and how to share with humanity. This is part of you and part of your character. This is your success and future.”
The event was completed successfully, with still resonating meanings and values shared among all participants. Dr. Friberg conveyed, "I appreciate the opportunity to see the phenomenal IVECA presentations and be a part of the panel. The students' progress is incredible and inspiring. What you [IVECA] do for these students and the world is so honorable. "
This fall semester, students have begun introducing themselves to their IVECA friends. With a variety of partnerships, students at the Elementary, Middle, and High School are able to meet peers through an online exchange from countries across the world. The student interactions allow for enlightenment on cultures and support for each other's goals and aspirations.
Elementary students have fun sharing their favorite foods, games, and characteristics of their home. Students from Washington, DC share why they love living in a big city; “I think this is one of the best cities to live in because it has lots of museums where people can learn,” says one student while another pointed out, “I think this is one of the best cities to live in because it has super good teachers!”
Other memorable connections include students finding similarities in their dreams and aspirations. A student from Korea expressed in her introduction, “I love to draw! I'm drawing a character these days. Drawing makes me feel better. So my favorite subject is art! My dream is to be a doctor. Because [they] treat us when we are sick. Because the doctor looks cool. I will work hard for my dream.” Excitedly, the student’s international partner shared similar views, “I also like to draw. I also want to be a doctor when I grow up.” to which the Korean partner replied, “Dreams are the same as mine! I will support that dream!”
Middle and High school students take this opportunity to share their topics of interests and the daily life of a teenager. A student from India shared his goal of becoming an aerospace engineer and constructing spacecraft. Korean partners were impressed and shared their support for their new friend. Furthermore, advanced students dove into an important conversation about the future of our society and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. “The future is an important topic to talk about since it’s unpredictable and there are endless possibilities. The [SDGs] are a great thing to talk about and I am looking forward to learning about all the goals you feel strongly about!”
IVECA looks forward to supporting these important conversations every semester. No matter the age group, students have the opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and learn about other cultures in a warm environment.
