Global Learning Launchpad

ABOUT

The Global Learning Launchpad (GLL) is a signature program at The Forum devoted to enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in faculty-led study abroad programs, to aid faculty in community-building across institutional settings and support their growth as educators, professionals and scholarly practitioners.

The GLL is a community of practice where participants inquire into their instructional practices in a collaborative setting. Through community meetings as well as self-directed work between meetings, community members engage with the Standards of Good Practice, as well as evidence-based frameworks and tools on effective teaching and learning in education abroad. Participants have opportunities to apply insights gained to make tangible changes to their own programs and courses as well as benefit from formative feedback and encouragement from the community.

Important Dates

2024 - 25 Semester Cohort (virtual and hybrid experience available)

Application Window: Sept. 1st – November 1, 2024
Cohort Selection Notifications: Mid November 2024
Program Dates: December 2024 - May 2025
Funding strategies - learn more about scholarships, "making the ask" and support letter templates to use with groups beyond the global office--see eligibility and fees below.

APPLICATIONS CLOSED

PROGRAM FLYER

MEET THE COHORT & ALUMNI

Goals & Benefits

Program Goals & Objectives

The Global Learning Launchpad aims to:

Improve the quality of teaching and learning in faculty-led short-term programs grounded in evidence-based instructional practices and the Standards of Good Practice in Education Abroad;
Support the development of short-term programs that are both academically sound and culturally relevant.
Minimize distinctions between “academic” learning and other domains of significant learning (e.g., civic, intercultural, global, civic, professional, etc.);
Improve the design, integration and assessment of critical reflection as an engine for dialogue, mutual learning, and developmental relationships;
Cultivate a community of educators and practitioner-scholars committed to:
- examining the value-laden elements of their assumptions and practices related to teaching, learning and engagement, and
- working together to create learning experiences that are culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate and equity centered.
- staying curious and embracing a spirit of co-inquiry
- embracing a growth mindset educators and/or practitioner-scholars.
Strengthen faculty agency in documenting and communicating the impact stories of their work.

BeNEFITS For Faculty

As a GLL participant you will benefit in several ways including:

Access to a network of colleagues steeped in the Standards of Good Practice in Education Abroad and in the design and assessment of academically sound, culturally relevant and equity-centered global learning.
Access to 1:1 and small group coaching.
Increased confidence in yourself as a program leader, cultural mentor and reflective educator.
A sense of belonging to a community of educators with shared interests and concerns.
Accountability support to meet your desired professional goals, including those related to teaching and learning.
An enriched teaching portfolio to document excellence in your use of education abroad.

BENEFITS FOR INSTITUTIONS

An outsourced, cost-effective learning and mentoring community from the federally recognized Standards Development Organization for the field of education abroad.

Efficient, on-demand delivery of professional development, training and support.

Enhanced course/program designs that help to showcase the value of education abroad as a high impact educational practice.

frequently asked questions

Do I have to be at a Forum member institution to be accepted into one of the cohorts?
- Answer: No, this program is open to individuals outside The Forum's network.

When does the application window open?
- Answer: The semester long GLL program application window opens on September 1st and closes on November 1st.

What is needed for the application?
- Answer: There is an online application to complete. The application has 4 parts:
1. Background information
2. A personal statement (400-500 words) that describes their interests in global learning, their interest in the program and a teaching and learning question that they hope to address,
3. Sample teaching documents; applicants are asked to append draft copies of a syllabus, program proposal, itinerary and assignment, and
4. Scholarship consideration information.

Are there scholarships available?
- Answer: Yes, there are a limited number of scholarships ranging between $250 and $500 available offset the program fee. We also have resources to help prospective participants to solicit sponsorship from their own institutions – see the section on this webpage called “Strategies to Get Support to Participate.”

Is there a separate application for the scholarship?
- Answer: No, this is integrated into the program application.

Are there additional scholarships available to support my participation?
- Answer: If you plan to apply for the hybrid experience, which includes attendance at the Forum's annual conference, you can apply for the Conference Travel Grant. Note: the deadlines are off-set from those of the GLL. You will need to apply before decisions are made. Check the scholarship & grants webpage for details and timelines.

Are there group discounts?
- Answer: Yes, group discounts are available for the GLL. Institutions that enroll 2+ educators in the program are eligible for 10% per person reduction. This discount applies to all institutions. NOTE: Cohorts are limited to no more than 3 individuals from the same institution. Groups may apply to be split across the virtual and hybrid cohorts.

What is needed for the application?
- Answer: There is an online application to complete. The application has 4 parts:
  - Background information
  - A personal statement (400-500 words) that describes their interests in global learning, their interest in the program and a teaching and learning question that they hope to address,
  - Sample teaching documents; applicants are asked to append draft copies of a syllabus, program proposal, itinerary and assignment, and
  - Scholarship consideration information.

What is the anticipated monthly time commitment if I participate in the GLL?
- Answer: It depends. The actual amount of time an you will spend on this program depends in part on your specific objectives, your prior knowledge and experience in teaching through study abroad, as well as your work style. Community meetings are 2.5 - 3 hours in length including break time. In addition, participants are expected to work through the self-paced modules, assignments and readings. On average, anticipate an additional 2-3 hours per month.

Structure & Schedule

Program Structure

Cohorts

The GLL is a faculty-professional learning community that is offered once per year in varying formats.

Faculty apply to be considered for a position in the cohort [refer eligibility criteria].
Each cohort is limited to a maximum enrollment of 15 participants.

Semester Cohort

This GLL cohort offers two options for participation:

The Virtual Experience – All monthly community meetings are held synchronously online; participants have access to virtual peer coaching and are enrolled in the community's course site to access program resources and assignments.

The Hybrid Experience – The hybrid experience combines the virtual experience with registration and special programming at the Forum's annual conference.

Design Elements

Learning community meetings complement asynchronous, self-directed learning modules, assignments and peer coaching drawing from the evidence base on study abroad and principles of backwards design.

Participants have meaningful opportunities to learn from each other and apply their learning in real time to develop, revise and refine essential course/program materials to strengthen their academic grounding, equity-centeredness, and cultural relevance.

During the GLL expect to work on the following course/program materials:

Short term study program design.
Program/Course syllabus including refined academic, program and global learning goals and objectives.
Program level critical reflection strategy to guide the full course/program (before, during and after).
Sample reflection assignment, session level facilitation plan and assessment plan.
Feedback strategies & facilitation techniques.
Assessment/Evaluation Plan.

MEETING Schedule & TOPICS

All cohort meetings are held from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Eastern (UTC-4) unless otherwise noted.

SEMESTER Cohort Meeting Schedule - December 2024 - May 2025
All sessions online unless otherwise indicated.

December 13th, 2024 - Topic: Orientation/We Teach Who We Are
January 9th, 2025 - Topic: Design for Whole Person Learning
January 31st, 2025 - Topic: Critical Reflection Pt 1 - Effective Design
Feb. 21st, 2025 - Topic: Critical Reflection Pt 2 - Formative Feedback and Navigating Dissonance
March 2025 - Forum Annual Conference - on site Toronto [Hybrid Experience participants only--mtg times TBD]
March 28th, 2025 - Topic: Assessing Global Learning
April 25th, 2025 - Topic: Cohort Showcase-Lightning Talks [final cohort meeting]
May 9th, 2024 - Final Portfolios due in Canvas [no meeting]

Culminating Products

Cohort members have access to a Canvas site where they work through modules in between community meetings. Modules support community members in preparing for the program's
culminating assignments:

Lightning Talk: During the final cohort meeting, cohort members lead a lightning talk (~5 min) in which they highlight a key teaching & learning question they have explored during the program and changes they plan to make in light of their learning.
Course/Program Portfolio: participants submit a portfolio consisting of new/revised program materials [e.g., syllabus, learning objectives, schedule, reflection assignments, assessment, key assignment, etc.) they have worked on during the program. The portfolio includes a reflective essay where the educators link their design choices back to their guiding values and goals for teaching and learning.

Eligibility & Fees

Application & Eligibility

This program requires an application. Applications received will be reviewed for alignment between the individual's goals, those of the GLL program, as well as The Forum’s strategic priorities.

Intended Audience(s): novice or seasoned educators leading faculty-led short-term study abroad programs.

Ideal applicants will:

Have been actively working with their international office to develop a new course/program or have already taught their course/program at least once.
Have a working draft of a syllabus and itinerary (new programs) and learning activities, assignments and assessments (existing programs).
Have a teaching and learning question(s) that they are curious about, are committed to address, and are interested work through in a community environment.
Commit to attend and be an active participant in all the monthly meetings and assignments.

Additional considerations: This program focuses specifically on enhancing instructional design and facilitation, curriculum development and learning outcomes in short-term, faculty-led education abroad programs. The GLL uses Leading Short-Term Education Abroad Programs: Know the Standards and related Guidelines as springboards to improve teaching and learning across all phases of a short-term program.

Fees & Scholarships

SEMESTER Cohort - Dec. 2024 - May 2025

Hybrid Experience

$1650 - Individuals from Forum Member Institutions
$2300 - Individuals from institutions outside The Forum's network
Note: The hybrid experience rate includes registration at the Forum's Annual Conference.

Virtual Experience

$950 - Individuals from Forum Member Institutions
$1350 - Individuals from institutions outside The Forum's network

Not sure if your institution is a member of The Forum? Many are. Check here.

Group Discounts
Institutions/organizations that enroll 2+ educators in the program are eligible for 10% per person reduction. This discount applies to all institutions.

NOTE: No more than 3 individuals from the same institution can be accepted into a single cohort.

Scholarships
A limited number of scholarships ranging between $250 and $500 are available to offset the program fee.

Scholarships are awarded based on the following factors:

individual need and alignment with professional goals,
the degree to which the program expands access to education abroad [historically underrepresented groups, disciplines/professions, institutional types, etc.],
the degree to which it strengthens academic integration of education abroad into departmental curricula,
the degree to which the program furthers strategic internationalization of the department, institution or discipline.

How to apply: Requests for scholarship support are integrated into the main application.

Additional Scholarships:

Hybrid Experience Applicants: The hybrid experience fee covers registration at the Forum's annual conference. In addition, you can also for the Conference Travel Grant.

Note: the deadlines are off-set from those of the GLL. You will need to apply before decisions are made. Check the scholarship & grants webpage for details and timelines.

Strategies to Get FUNDING

While GLL scholarship funds may be limited, there may be untapped sources of support that may be available at your institution/organization. The education abroad office is not the only one that may have an interest in sponsoring your participation in the GLL. Some of these include:

Faculty Administrators: Deans, department chairs and provosts
EA adjacent Offices: High Impact Practices office, internship, civic engagement or community-based learning office, student affairs office, undergraduate research offices, STEM education offices, DEI offices, etc.
Instructional Support Offices: Centers for instructional excellence

How you frame the request, and the outcomes of your work matters. These resources may help:

Strategies To Get Support & Make the Ask Downloadable PDF
Making the ask – here’s a template letter you can adapt for you context to make the ask: Getting Support_Faculty Request_Template

Be patient and keep asking. If you know of others that have successfully requested support, consider having a conversation with them to learn about their experience and approach.

Tips

Things to be mindful of as you develop your request for support:

Assume that you can be successful. It is easy to assume that the answer will always be “no,” particularly when campus budgets are shrinking and carry that mindset into the room. Administrators often are looking to engage faculty in critical initiatives. Remember, many administrators were once in your shoes! This is your opportunity to make your case and share your vision.

Know your context. Is there an aspect of your dept./school/org./institutional mission that your request aligns with? Is there a key initiative or accreditation visit on the horizon? How might your participation serve both your own interests and advance institutional goals and priorities?

Be clear on how and why this opportunity aligns with your own value commitments and career goals. How does your interest in education abroad, and participation in the program, align with who you are as an educator, a scholar, or an administrator? How will your participation further your growth and development?

Have a plan. Develop a list of potential supporters and consider what your specific request and what some of the common objectives might be. Develop responses to these. Set up a meeting with individuals on your list.

Stay the course. Don’t let one or two “no’s” discourage you. It may take several asks or approaching different administrators before you receive support.
Make sure to follow up. If your supporter says “yes” then send an email to follow up and solidify the agreement. If you receive a message of “maybe” then send an email to formalize your request and provide additional information to strengthen your request. If your supporter responds “no” or “not at this time,” send an email to thank them for their time and move on to the next individual on your list.

Not sure if your institution is a member of The Forum? Many are! Check here.