ASU, Yavapai Bring International Journalists and Educators Together

Two dozen journalists and educators from 16 countries will come together this week for a discussion about globalization and international cooperation with students and faculty at Yavapai College in central Arizona. The group includes nine journalists and 15 educators who are studying at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. They are meeting with community college students, faculty and administrators, including Yavapai College President Penelope Wills, to learn more about institutions of higher education in the U.S. and the communities they serve. The journalists are part of the Cronkite School’s Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, which brings mid-career professionals from around the world to the U.S. to study journalism, receive leadership training and forge professional affiliations with news organizations. In their homelands they are leading TV reporters, public relations specialists and newspaper editors. The educators are participating in the Teachers College’s International Leaders in Education Program, which brings standout secondary school teachers to the U.S. to share and develop expertise in their subject areas, enhance their teaching skills and increase their knowledge about this country. Both programs are initiatives of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. The international guests represent 16 different countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Latvia, Lebanon, Macedonia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa and Uganda. The event is part of the Humphrey Associate Campus Partnership Program, which fosters partnerships and engages people from various nations in cross-cultural exchanges. The partnership aims to establish alliances between Humphrey host campuses and colleges, universities and community colleges, especially those with significant minority populations or those in rural areas that serve students who may not regularly have opportunities to interact with international visitors. Cronkite Associate Professor B. William Silcock, director of Cronkite Global Initiatives and curator of the Humphrey Fellowship Program at ASU, said the partnership with Yavapai College benefits both institutions and offers Humphrey Fellows the opportunity to engage with faculty, students and Americans beyond those of their host campuses. “As the Humphrey Fellows and the ILEP teachers share insights on issues ranging from news coverage on terrorism to comparing educational experiences, barriers of prejudice and stereotypes are broken and new bonds of friendship and professional exchanges are built,” Silcock said. Karly Way, who teaches visual, performing and liberal arts at Yavapai College, said the college looks forward to building an ongoing relationship with the Humphrey program. “We couldn’t be more honored than to have this diverse group of talented media professionals and international teachers visiting our campus community,” she said. “What a tremendous opportunity for our students!” Yavapai College is a community college based in Prescott, Ariz., with seven campuses in Yavapai County. It offers certificates and associate degrees in 76 areas of study as well as nationally recognized educational and training programs. The Yavapai name comes from the indigenous group that originally populated the region. The Cronkite School is one of the nation’s premier journalism schools, grounding students in the time-honored media values espoused by its namesake, Walter Cronkite. It has been recognized as a leader and innovator among mass communication educators nationwide by entities including The New York Times, The Times of London, American Journalism Review, multiple journalism foundations and the Federal Communications Commission. The Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College offers top quality programs to undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students, preparing them to be highly qualified and successful teachers, leaders and researchers. Teachers College serves all four ASU campuses in metropolitan Phoenix and students across Arizona. The college’s education graduate programs have been ranked among the best by U.S. News & World Report for 12 consecutive years.