Embracing Global Engagement:
Internships, Service- and Experiential Learning in BGSU Education-Abroad Programs

The Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (CURS), the Office of International Programs and Partnerships (IP), and the Center for Community and Civic Engagement (CCCE) are pleased to announce Bowling Green State University’s 3^rd undergraduate student conference on global engagement. The conference will take place on October 5, 2016.

The title of this year’s conference is “Embracing Global Engagement: Internships, Service- and Experiential Learning in BGSU Education-Abroad Programs.” We invite students who have participated in learning activities such as internships, undergraduate research or scholarly/creative activities, and/or service-learning while studying abroad in 2015-2016 to present their experiences in a scholarly manner to students, faculty, staff, community members, and prospective students.

Students from all academic disciplines are invited to showcase their learning in one of three formats:

• 10-15 minute presentations presented to a seated audience +15 minutes of Q & A per panel;
• Visual Poster Session (in a one-hour session students will have an opportunity to present their posters:during the conference, students should interact with conference participants one-on-one);
• Artistic or other creative session(i.e, Vodcasts or paintings or collages)

Deadline: Session proposals/abstracts are due by 5:00 pm on September 5, 2016, and should be submitted in PDF format. A letter of support from your faculty mentor/advisor should be included in the submission.
Students may expect an answer regarding participation in the conference by September 12, 2016.

Who can apply: Any undergraduate student who participated in an education abroad program, an overseas research/scholarly/creative project or internship/service-learning program in 2015-2016.

How to apply: Submit an abstract or proposal to Dr. Cordula Mora (cmora@bgsu.edu) by Monday, September 5, 2016 5:00 pm. The proposal should be reviewed by the student’s faculty advisor or study-abroad program director prior to submission. This same faculty supervisor or study abroad program director will also need to submit a statement or letter of support for the student’s project.

Assistance with conference preparation: Presenters must participate in a 50-minute mandatory information session to be held during the second week in September. Time to be announced. During this information session you will receive advice on how to prepare a suitable and engaging poster or oral presentation. We will also discuss appropriate alternative format types where applicable.

HELPFUL TIPS FOR STUDENTS:

What is an abstract? The abstract serves as a kind of advertisement for the activity that you completed and indicates that it deserves the attention of students, faculty, and the community at BGSU. In one or two paragraphs (150-200 words), you should articulate:

• What motivated you to complete your internship, service-learning experience or research project;
• The purpose of the internship,service-learnning experience, or research project and the area of study to which it belongs;
• A few main ideas of your presentation or poster;
• The conclusion, or if it is still in progress, preliminary results; What new understanding you have gained by engaging in your internship, service-learning experience or research project;
• Don’t forget to include a (working) title that reflects what you plan to present;
• Please indicate the type of presentation you would like to give,i.e, poster,oral presentation,or other. In the latter case,please describe the format.

Please bear in mind that you are writing your abstract for various audiences: 1) For the conference organizers, who will use your abstract to decide if your project fits the conference criteria and, if chosen, in which panel to place your presentation. 2) For your peers and faculty, presenters’ families, and prospective students, who will decide whether or not to attend your particular presentation.

Proposal Checklist

1.     Letter of support from faculty advisor or education abroad program director.
2.     Program Abstract to include:
a.       Title
b.       Motivation
c.       Purpose
d.       Few main points
e.       Conclusion
f.        New understandings
g.       Presentation format (poster or oral ppt. presentation, or artistic/creative session)
3.     Proposals DUE September 5, 2016.
4.     Send to Dr. Cordula Mora (cmora@bgsu.edu).