Hundreds of Livingstone College Students Learn About Spanish Immersion Opportunities Through InteRDom

Livingstone College students showed their enthusiasm for learning the Spanish language and becoming more global citizens on Wednesday, March 30, when they led the school’s weekly student assembly in Spanish.  InteRDom representatives were also invited to participate in the assembly, where they gave a presentation on the value of global education and debuted the special 4-week Spanish immersion program that will premiere this summer for Livingstone
students. 

The English and Foreign Language department at Livingstone organized the assembly, which was highlighted by one video promoting the current activities of the Spanish language classes, another made by students giving a tour of the university in Spanish and a tuba duet by a student and professor duo.  InteRDom representatives were the featured guest speakers, and spoke candidly about the importance of global competency, the widespread
reach of the Spanish language and the Dominican Republic as a valuable destination to participate in language and cultural immersion.

InteRDom also presented to the entire Livingstone College student body for the first time the special 4-week language program that will be implemented this summer in conjunction with the college’s English and Foreign Language department.  This department has been collaborating extensively with InteRDom to establish
study abroad procedures and protocol, develop a syllabus and tailor the program to fit the unique needs of Livingstone students.  This will be the first formal medium-term study abroad opportunity offered to students, and InteRDom is helping the department to institute the processes necessary to provide more expansive future study abroad opportunities to students interested in increasing their capacities in the Spanish language.

Both the President of
Livingstone College, Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr. and the Vice President, Dr. Leroy Simmons, were present at the assembly, and Dr. Jenkins reinforced in his remarks the university’s commitment to continue to open doors to global studies and language opportunities that will put the College at the forefront of HBCU internationalization efforts.  One example of this commitment is the formalization of the minor in Spanish scheduled for next year.

After
the assembly, students were invited to attend a question and answer session with InteRDom team members as well as professors from the English and Foreign Language department, who have shown incredible leadership and guidance for students during the process of establishing study abroad on campus.  During this session, the students posed interested and engaged questions and showed a genuine interest in making the InteRDom program a defining part of their collegiate experience.

Those Livingstone students interested in participating in the program this summer who have not yet submitted their applications should go immediately to the English and Foreign Language department to speak with professors about submitting a late application.

InteRDom hopes to firmly establish this language immersion program with Livingstone College and to repeat it annually, with the possibility of organizing similar programs with other interested
universities in the future.

The initiative is a continuation of InteRDom’s partnership with North Carolina’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), which seeks to encourage global exposure amongst their students.  Livingstone College is one of the eleven schools in the Study Abroad/Global Engagement (SAGE) Consortium with whom InteRDom is working to develop special programming.

The internship
program, InteRDom, an initiative of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), is the premier internship, research and academic study program in the Dominican Republic. It offers international students the opportunity to research important topics at the forefront
of the United Nations agenda, obtain professional experience by interning with Dominican organizations and businesses related to their fields of study and/or earn academic credits by taking courses and seminars at a local university.