One World, Many Stories - Sharing Narratives for Global Understanding

The majority of our students are passionate about making a difference in their global and local communities. This forum is designed to help participants harness the power of empathy as a tool for inspiring positive social change. By exploring various forms of empathy and drafting curriculum pieces, participants will learn how to activate empathy in their students and themselves.

This forum brings together research, case studies, and lived human experiences, offering a unique opportunity for educators to incorporate empathy into their courses. The goal is to equip participants with the tools to inspire students to use empathy as a lens for understanding social movements and driving positive change in society.

Key Takeaways:

• Gain a deeper understanding of empathy and its role in promoting compassionate behavior.
• Examine global case studies that highlight empathy in action, focusing on lived experiences affected by conflict and strife.
• Explore the concept of empathy through a global lens, considering responsibility and privilege in social movements and change.
• Learn practical strategies for teaching empathy and globalizing your curriculum.

Whether you’re an educator or a global citizen, this event offers an opportunity to expand your cultural understanding and build practical skills for fostering empathy in education and beyond. Faculty from all disciplines are encouraged to attend, and team participation is highly recommended for building camaraderie through meaningful dialogue.

Program Agenda:

8:00 - 8:30 am Sign-in and Networking

8:30 – 8:45 am Welcome and Announcements

8:45 – 9:45 am Keith Brown "Empathy and its Limits: Using fiction in the global studies classroom"

9:45 – 10:00 am Break

10:00 – 11:30 am Ann Rumble “How we can increase our capacity for empathy”

11:30 – 12:30 pm Lunch

12:35-1:00 pm 1st Human Library "check-out" session

1:05-1:30 pm 2nd Human Library "check-out" session

1:35-2:00 pm 3rd Human Library "check-out" session

2:00-2:15 pm Break

2:15-3:15 pm "Drafting a Lesson on Empathy" working session

3:15 pm FPG Announcements and Closing of the day

In the afternoon portion of the Forum, there will be a "living library" where attendees can engage directly with "living books" - individuals who will share personal stories that offer unique insights into their lives and experiences. The goal of this experience is to teach empathy through a global lens, helping participants explore concepts such as responsibility, privilege, and diversity to foster cross-cultural understanding among students and the community.

MCCCD Faculty Professional Growth credit: Pending approval for 4.25 clock hours of non-academic advancement. If you are a MCCCD faculty member submitting for Faculty Professional Growth (FPG) hours, please print this announcement as you will need it to submit with your FPG application.

Please register by October 18, 2024!

About the Speakers:

Scholars

Dr. Keith Brown is Director of the Melikian Center, A US Department of Education National Resource Center for Russian, Eurasian and East European Studies at Arizona State University. He is also Professor in the School of Politics and Global Studies, where he teaches on a range of topics including Post-Soviet Geopolitics, and Nationalism, Borders and Cities in Macedonia. An anthropologist, Brown's research interests include nation and empire, post-conflict transition, democratic activism and labor migration, with a primary focus on the 19th and 20th century Western Balkans. He has authored, edited or co-edited six books, as well as numerous journal articles and book chapters. In 2021-22 he was a core fellow at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies. As Director of the Melikian Center since 2017, Brown has served as the Principal Investigator on multiple grant-funded projects that advance knowledge and understanding of East Europe, Eurasia and Russia. He currently co-leads the Tempe Public Library Book Club, Reading Global.

Ann Catherine Rumble has a Ph.D. in psychology, and has been a college professor for the last 20 years. She currently is a professor at Northern Arizona University. She has spent the last 20 years researching empathy and how to increase our capacity for empathy, compassion, and kindness. One area that Ann is passionate about is improving interactions between diverse individuals. She utilizes her extensive research experience in group behavior to foster a more inclusive, welcoming world. Ann also spends time working with groups (both in academia and the corporate world) providing training and coaching that are scientifically based, and grounded in empathy.

Human Library Presenters' Bios Coming Soon!

Host or Publisher Maricopa Community Colleges International Education