糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Hosts Delegates from International Leadership Program
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock welcomed seven international delegates from the U.S. Department of State鈥檚 .
The delegates visited the Office of E-Learning in November as part of a three-week professional exchange to the United States focusing on technological trends in education and online learning.
The delegates, representing diverse roles in education鈥攊ncluding a journalist from Brazil, a vice principal from Jerusalem, and a dean from the Philippines鈥攅ngaged in discussions with 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock faculty and staff about shared challenges and innovations in education. Their visit to Arkansas, which was organized by Global Ties Arkansas, connected them with institutions to explore how technology is reshaping learning.
The International Visitor Leadership Program is the U.S. Department of State鈥檚 premier professional exchange program. Current and emerging foreign leaders take short-term visits to the U.S. to cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts in a variety of fields. Participants are nominated and selected by the staff at U.S. embassies around the world.
The participants who visited 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock include:
- Vinicius de Oliveira, a Brazilian journalist who specializes in researching and reporting on innovation in the education sector
- Tena Zganec, a project manager at the Innovation Centre Nikola Tesla, where she works on developing the Croatian deep-tech ecosystem.
- Alem Habte, director of information and communications technology at the Ministry of Education in Eritrea.
- Gideon Olanrewaju, executive director of Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative and director of digital learning and innovation for Digital Technologies for Learning Foundation in Nigeria.
- Mike Farraj, vice principal of Terra Sancta High School in Jerusalem.
- Dorothy Joann Lei Rabajante, dean of the School of Education of Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City, Mindana.
- Shaikhkhusrav Ayubov, head of the International Relations Department at the Committee of Youth Affairs in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
During their time on campus, the group explored topics such as integrating technology into curricula, supporting faculty development for online teaching, and engaging students in virtual environments.
鈥淲e had some very enlightening conversations,鈥� said Dr. Sharonda Lipscomb, director of online learning. 鈥淚 shared resources and best practices that I鈥檝e used as an educator to engage with learners from the onset of online instruction. I鈥檝e always found that having students build a community and helping them find commonalities helps students feel connected early on.鈥�
Faith Okeh, an E-Learning graduate assistant, shared a memorable experience from an online class. Okeh鈥檚 insights as a student provided valuable perspectives, particularly on building community in online learning that enhanced the conversation.
鈥淲e found it fascinating to see that educators worldwide share similar challenges,鈥� Lipscomb said. 鈥淓ngaging learners, supporting faculty, and navigating regulations are universal struggles. I was excited to garner new insight from what other leaders are doing in the education field.鈥�
The group also exchanged ideas about partnerships between schools and organizations, teacher training, and leveraging technology to improve education globally. The visit reinforced the value of collaboration and cultural exchange in advancing education for all.
鈥淚t was inspiring to share what we鈥檙e doing at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and to learn from their experiences,鈥� said Amy Brown-Westmoreland, online program coordinator. 鈥淭hese conversations remind us why we do what we do鈥攂etter education benefits everyone. It seems that working in education is similar no matter where you are in the world.鈥�