Scottsdale Community College Presented with National Award for Innovation in International Education Programs
~SCC’s Study Abroad program honored – “Australia and New Zealand: Connecting Communities, Sharing Cultures” ~
Scottsdale, AZ (January 27, 2009) – The Institute of International Education (IIE) has announced the winners of the 8th annual IIE Andrew Heiskell Award s for Innovation in International Education. The Andrew Heiskell Awards were established to promote and honor the most outstanding initiatives being conducted in international higher education among the members of IIE’s membership association of over 1,000 institutions.
Scottsdale Community College, one of only nine campuses recognized, received the prestigious award for a new category introduced this year: Study Abroad at the Community College. SCC’s program, Australia and New Zealand: Connecting Communities, Sharing Cultures, introduced American students to Maori and Aboriginal cultures while fostering increased understanding of Native American culture in the US.
The SCC program has resulted in new course offerings with an international focus, grants totaling $150,000 to fund study abroad scholarships, and increased participation in study abroad from Native American students from other underrepresented minorities. A profile of SCC and its winning program can be seen on the IIE website at www.iienetwork.org/?p=136226.
The 2009 Heiskell awards will be presented at a ceremony at the United Nations on March 19, 2009 as part of IIE’s 4th annual Best Practices Conference for campus professionals. Winning colleges will be presented with a plaque and a $1,000 prize at the awards luncheon, and will take part in a panel discussion at the conference.
Since 2004, SCC’s Connecting Communities, Sharing Cultures program has connected Native American and non-Native American SCC students with communities of indigenous peoples in Australia and New Zealand. S tudents have studied Digital Storytelling and Indigenous Arts with faculty members Linda Hicks, Rachel Woodburn and Roger McKinney, creating digital stories, distinctive photography pieces, and unique community service pieces with the Aborigine and Maori communities with which the groups lived in Australia and New Zealand.
As the program changed, SCC faculty member Manny Pino developed an additional Indigenous Studies component where discussing issues such as racism, water and land rights, sacred site protection, and rural-to-urban transitional living has helped students gain a new appreciation for their own communities while gaining an understanding of indigenous cultures worldwide.
To round out the reciprocal nature of this education abroad program, last spring SCC hosted a group of seven Maori which shared their dance, music and culture with the SCC community and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian community. This program has been life-changing for a number of SCC students, who have seen “…the similarities in all areas of our cultures,….with a better understanding of myself and my people.”
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The Andrew Heiskell Awards are named for the late Andrew Heiskell, a longtime member of IIE’s Board of Trustees, a former chairman of Time, Inc., a renowned philanthropist, and a passionate supporter of international education, and have been endowed by a gift from Marian Sulzberger Heiskell as a lasting tribute to Mr. Heiskell’s legacy.
Scottsdale Community College offers over 1,500 academic and non-credit classes each semester. Located on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the campus is known for its serene atmosphere and beautiful plant and wildlife. With nearly 12,000 students, Scottsdale Community College is proud to offer high-quality, affordable programs in small class settings. From Motion Picture/Television Production and Culinary Arts to Nursing and American Indian Studies, students have a wide variety of programs from which to earn credits for university transfer, launch their careers, train for new ones, or pursue a special interest. The SCC Business Institute offers customized programs to meet the needs of local business. Scottsdale Community College is one of the ten Maricopa Community Colleges.
To learn about the many academic programs at Scottsdale Community College, call us at (480) 423-6000 or visit our website at www.scottsdalecc.edu.
Media contact:
Denise Kronsteiner
(480) 423-6567
denise.kronsteiner@sccmail.maricopa.edu
International Education contact:
Therese Tendick
(480) 423-6722
therese.tendick@sccmail.maricopa.edu
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