On February 2nd while students were in their daily routine with either classes or other matters, at WORLD we were preparing for a wonderful event that morning. The WORLD Fair was in full swing with the festivities and excitement from the children from an elementary school visiting our campus.
Nearly 80 3rd and 4th graders had the opportunity to learn about multiple countries and cultures from around the world. In total, Stetson students presented 15 tables with each one highlighting a different country or continent. The children had a fantastic time at the fair with a range of games, food, activities, and fun facts for them to explore. Everyone one who tabled also had a great time interacting with the children as they were able to share a piece of new cultures and home with them. The WORLD Fair was a great success with everyone having a blast during the event!
Children learning about Ghana and Nigeria, and the continent of Africa. They even got to try on traditional clothesOur FLTA Scholar showing children how to write their names in Egyptian lettersA Spanish children’s running game – the first one to grab the Spanish flag winsNorwegian children’s game “Spijkerpoepen”Students wrote down what they learned from our Stetson students
As the sun dawned on this Tuesday morning, the campus of Stetson University was quiet and calm. Only a few students stayed on campus over the winter break. But the WORLD Office with all its ambassadors buzzed with excitement and anticipation. It was the start of International Student Orientation Days, a time for WORLD to welcome new students from all over the world. The welcoming committee gathered in U-hall, ready to extend a warm Stetson welcome to the arriving students and ready to help move them into their new home.
The official kick-off took place Wednesday. The day started early (no worries, we had plenty of coffee) with a jam-packed schedule at the Lynn Business Center. WORLD aimed to provide our new internationals with essential knowledge from Immigration Basics, Handling the Logistics, Student Health Insurance to Living on Campus and Working on Campus. However, it wasn`t all business- after a fun campus-wide scavenger hunt we had a delightful lunch from Moe`s, fueling students for the remaining activities. In the afternoon, the group embarked on a trip to Walmart for some essential shopping. The day ended with a cozy Pizza dinner at WORLD, providing the perfect setting for students to unwind and share stories.
The second day started a little bit later but there was no shortage of enriching activities. Presentations about Academic Culture in America and a following Mock Class were combined with Campus tours, showcasing the main buildings and key locations on campus. A break and lunch from Publix offered moments of relaxation and sustenance for the last presentations of International Student Orientation. Finally, the group gathered for a picture in front of the iconic fountain- a symbol for unity and shared experiences.
Reflecting on these days of orientation, it was a blend of many feelings. We had stressful moments trying to find one student’s luggage, funny moments laughing about stories students shared with us and sometimes even sentimental moments because these days reminded us how we felt when we arrived at Stetson. Friendships were made, and the shared experiences created a strong sense of community.
The New International Student orientation days were not just an introduction; they were the first chapter in a story of cross-cultural connections, personal growth, and the pursuit of knowledge on our vibrant campus of Stetson University.
WORLD Ambassadors worked with the African Student Union and the International Student Organization to host Nigerian Culture Hour at WORLD on Friday, December 1 at 5pm. More than 30 students were in attendance to learn some fun facts about Nigeria, playing a Mentee game, and enjoying real Nigerian food prepared by Deltona caterer Forks & Fingers Nigerian Cuisine.
Nigerian food tasting as created by Forks and Fingers Nigerian Cuisine in Deltona, FL.Students challenged one another to fun facts about Nigeria.Members of ASU and ISO participated in the mentee presentation.
The celebration of International Education Week (November 13 – 17, 2023) is a reminder that tough conversations must take place as part of the ceremony of cultural diversity. While fun events are a necessary part of the excitement surrounding the culture of a college education, it is equally important to remember this is also a time for intellectual growth. We can do two things at the same time.
The week incorporated an opening “red carpet” event with music and refreshments, a cultural fest where students shared their favorite moments in other countries, and an ending event where students sang some of their favorite songs and shared pizza. Some of the conversations included understanding cultural differences through the eyes of First-Generation Americans, discovering the history of the Israel-Hamas War, and understanding the Ukraine and Russia war through a new educational platform.
Extra special thank yous to the WORLD Team including the Ambassadors (Yahia Alda, Aaryanna Kania, Noureen Saeed, Isabella Sanco Keis, Naya Adla, Nour Amri, Faith Bosana, Anuket Goins, , Kaci Kruglewicz, Mingzhe Ma, Zaikeria Patha, and Jackson Huxtable), Liz Lew, and Paula Hentz for arranging these presentations. Students learned a lot AND had a lot of fun.
Students learn both a song and a dance at WORLD Karaoke, led by Isabelle Sanco Keis and Jackson Huxtable.Students present some of their favorite things from either their home countries or the countries to which they traveled. Seen in the picture is Aaryanna Kania discussing South Korea. The program was led by Mingzhe (Melody) Ma and Temitayo Wale-ObafaiyeProfessors lead the conversation about the history that has led up to the war between Israel and Hamas. Panelists, pictured here, are: Dr. Eric Kurlander, Dr. Margaret Venzke, and Dr. Sam Houston. Not pictured: Rev. Todd Campbell.
Did you know that Stetson has almost 200 international students from 52 different countries? At this year’s International Festival, more than 15 tables were presented by multiple students sharing food, music and culture with American students and staff. Students received cultural credit if they learned 3 things they didn’t previously know about another country.
Table items ranged from food, candies, drinks, clothing items, games, jewelry, information boards and more. As people meandered through Palm Court and Libby Lawn, they were able to chat with the table hosts and ask questions about their country and customs. For those who were 21 and older, sample flights of beer (Mexico and Belgium), Japanese sake (Rice wine) and a USA honey wine mead were available for an international happy hour.
Peace Corps representatives were also present to answer questions about their exciting international opportunities and program benefits.
The evening ended with live performances – 2 students performed an Arabic “stick dance” that Stetson’s Egyptian Fulbright Scholar taught them – members of APAC performed a K-Pop dance. Afterwards, an Hispanic musical duo serenaded the crowd, and topping off the evening, a belly dancer performed dances from around Middle East and Asia.
On February 15th, the WORLD Center for International Learning rebooted its “Lunch and Learn” faculty information series. Director Paula Hentz gave a presentation to 13 faculty on how to apply for WORLD awards. These awards support work done by faculty to internationalize the campus and curricula, and support individual faculty and teams to explore emerging opportunities in different parts of the world that have broad impact on student and organizational learning.
Faculty participated in discussion with WORLD staff and other faculty who have experience in developing and implementing international experiences into courses and programs. Some other topics covered were:
How international research impacts teacher-scholar development
How teachers can parlay their research into high-quality learning abroad programs
Walking through the proposal process and how WORLD will support them every step of the way
Stetson University is committed to preparing professors and students to be informed, active, and engaged citizens of both local communities and the world. All faculty are encouraged to consider the benefits of internationalizing their courses (Application here). If you’re not sure how to get started, be sure to meet with any member of WORLD staff as they are ready to help you bring the world to your classroom.
I did my PhD in Linguistics at Kamianets-Podilskyi Ivan Ohiienko National University, Ukraine. I completed a professional internship as a professor of journalism on the basis of a European broadcaster (“BVBM as the representative of citizen media interests in Germany”, the Federal Republic of Germany, 2019-2020). Also, I participated in the Erasmus+ International Academic Mobility Program at the Catholic University of Ružomberok (the Slovak Republic, 2019).
Currently I’m working as a Brown Visiting Teacher-Scholar Fellow in Communication and Media Studies at Stetson University. My research is aimed at recognizing false and misleading information distributed by Russian government-controlled media, pro-Russia websites, social media accounts like Twitter, Facebook, TikTok. My attention is also focused on refuting fake news in the media covering war in Ukraine.
Being a facilitator of Media Literacy project, my objective is for students to develop critical thinking skills while accessing, analyzing, and evaluating media messages in a variety of forms.
As a graduate of the “Human Rights Academy for Journalism Professors”, I try to increase students’ awareness in the field of equality and non-discrimination, recognize, analyze and break down stereotypes in media.
Alaa Alafify is a highly educated and accomplished English as a Foreign Language (EFL) educator with a strong background in language instruction, curriculum development, and instructional technology. She holds a Master of Arts in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) from a co-supervision program between Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University in Egypt, and Limerick University in Ireland. She also holds a Teaching English as a Foreign Language Diploma (MTD) from Ministry of Defense Language Institute (MODLI) in Cairo, Egypt, and Special and Professional Diplomas in EFL Curriculum and Instruction from Ain Shams University. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Language (For Preparatory and Secondary Education) from Ain Shams University Faculty of Education, Egypt with a GPA of 4.0 and a General Grade of Very Good- the Second with Honor. She has publications in multiple international and national instructional journals.
Throughout her career, Alaa has gained extensive experience in teaching and training EFL students of all ages and levels. She has served as a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) at Stetson University, where she taught Arabic as a foreign language and developed course materials for undergraduate students, including PowerPoints, handouts, workshops, and assessments, to enhance learning and enable students to master concepts. Additionally, she has served as a Teaching Assistant at Ain Shams University, where she educated student-teachers on the methods and techniques of teaching English as a second and foreign language.
Alaa is also a skilled curriculum developer and has experience in participating in developing Curricula for the EFL Curriculum and Instruction Department. She also has experience in conducting workshops on Instructional Technology and soft skills for EFL pre-service teachers. Alaa has also demonstrated her expertise as a teacher trainer, where she has designed and conducted teacher training sessions for teachers who sought a Diploma in TEFL.
Alaa is an active member of the academic community and has presented at conferences and workshops, such as FLTA Speaker with La Casa Cultural Latina Center, where she gave a cultural presentation about “Why Egypt is she the of mother of the World?” with the goal of introducing American students to the Arabic culture. She was also the only Egyptian who got selected out of over 200 applicants to represent Egypt at Fulbright FLTA Mid-Year Conference in Washington, D.C. She successfully delivered a presentation on using Infographics in Teaching Foreign Languages. In addition, she served as a Cultural Fair presenter responsible for hosting a booth to share experiences and engage attendees to encourage participates to learn more about the Egyptian culture.
