Advancing Intercultural Capacity

Annual International Doctoral Seminar

A three-way partnership between the Werklund School of Education, QUT (Brisbane) and BNU (Beijing). Doctoral students from each of these three universities  come together (annually, for one week) to share their research and collaborate on interdisciplinary and international writing.

Bridge to Teaching Program

A  popular program for individuals who have teaching credentials from other countries. The Bridge to Teaching (BTT) program is a full-time program offered each year between September and April. The program is an intensive and accelerated teacher education program that prepares passionate, caring, and experienced foreign-trained teachers to teach in Alberta Schools. 

Building Intercultural Capacity

Professional development activities organized and offered in our School with an ongoing focus on building intercultural capacity that spans both the formal and informal curricula.

Diversity Days

We offer events/activities in February every year to celebrate the gift (challenges and opportunities) of diversity.

Indigenous Education: A Call to Action

Designed in direct response to the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (2015). This program explores themes of decolonization, Indigenous aesthetic expressions, and critical service learning as the basis from which to build a capstone service-learning project that focuses on reconciliation.

International Education Week

Planned events in our School (annual-Nov) to highlight various aspects of internationalization and intercultural awareness, sensitivity and responsiveness. 

International Women's Day

Scheduled on the same day, every year around the world (March 8th), when we plan a variety of events to celebrate women diversity, and learning from one another.

Kindling Conversations

Hosted by UCalgary Indigenous Faculty - panel discussions held three times per academic year on a variety of topics related to teaching, learning, and research from an Indigenous academic perspective.

Sharing Cultural Perspectives: Stories and Conversations

Three to four noon-hour sessions (for students, staff, and faculty) throughout the year, featuring the cultural diversity in our School. An opportunity to benefit from our expertise within our School and to promote dialogue within and across cultures. 

Teaching Across Borders

Co-curricular service option for BEd students in their final year of their program, providing participating students the opportunity to travel to a culture different from their own (for 10 weeks) to volunteer in schools, learn about the education system and culture, and experience stepping beyond their own comfortable and familiar.

Undergraduate Program (BEd)

Indigenous education and diversity courses featured in our BEd program.

Website resource on decolonization

Provides students, support staff, and faculty resources and support regarding Indigenous Education Professional Development.

ADL 110 Diversity in Adult Learning

What are diversity issues in today's world? How do they impact our perspectives, our communication, our relationships, our value systems, our ethical practice, our classrooms and workplaces? How do we find the balance in supporting the richness of diversity and maintaining our own sense of self? Join us to explore the interlocking issues of diversity.

BMC 273 Communicating Interculturally

Develop the awareness, knowledge and skills needed to communicate effectively in today's multicultural workplace. Examine the notion of culture as a perceptual lens, explore cultural differences in values and communication styles, identify barriers to effective intercultural communication, and develop skills for bridging the language and culture divide.

BMC 316 Business Communication for Internationally Trained Professionals

Build self-awareness, cultural familiarity and interpersonal skills for communicating effectively and appropriately in Canadian business settings. Gain insights into the hidden rules of preferred interaction in the Canadian workplace, practice flexibility in using a range of styles, and develop soft skill competencies for improving your job performance and career prospects.

BMC 362 Building Religious and Cultural Inclusion in the Workplace

Develop the awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to support religious diversity in the workplace and beyond. Learn through readings, reflection, discussion, case studies, and site visits to various sacred spaces in Calgary. Develop critical thinking and practical skills, gain an understanding of pluralism and religious diversity in Calgary, engage in religious literacy, and build confidence working with diverse communities.

ESL 111 ESL Langauge & Culture

Designed to improve oral fluency and confidence in functional English communication. In addition to improving your speaking and listening skills, the course provides an excellent introduction to Canada, Calgary, and the university - the best possible way to prepare for the Spring and Fall semester programs.

ESL 901 Homestay - Intensive

Homestay with a Canadian family is the best way to improve your English and learn about Canadian culture. It provides students with opportunities to practice their English in an informal setting.
 

ESL 900 Homestay - Semester

Homestay with a Canadian family is the best way to improve your English and learn about Canadian culture. It provides students with opportunities to practice their English in an informal setting.

ESL 911 Homestay - Langauge & Culture

Homestay with a Canadian family is the best way to improve your English and learn about Canadian culture. It provides students with opportunities to practice their English in an informal setting.

TSL 226 Culture in Language Teaching

Knowing a second language also means knowing a second culture. Learn what the term culture means and the purpose of knowing a culture for second language learners. Study how to integrate culture and intercultural explorations into the learning experience. Finally, examine the influences of culture on teaching and learning in both multi- and mono-cultural contexts.

Languages of the Word - Open enrolment courses and programs to learn a variety of languages and cult

Approximately 47 different language courses and levels are offered several times a year.

Tailored corporate training workshop: Cross-cultural awareness for business travel

Investigate cultural values of the target countries they plan to go for business travel. Identify strategies for analyzing the different cultural environments, remove barriers and display the appropriate behaviours required for a successful assignment. Examine and assess how colleagues in the new destination countries will view their behaviours. [email protected]

BMC 362 - Building religious & cultural inclusion in the workplace

This course is helpful for professionals working with diverse populations. Develop the awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to support religious diversity in the workplace and beyond. Through readings, reflection, discussion, case studies, and site visits to various sacred spaces in Calgary: learn critical thinking and practical skills, develop an understanding of pluralism and religious diversity in Calgary, engage in religious literacy, and gain confidence working with diverse communities. 

DiversiTEA

Join our student team as they lead great conversation and share yummy tea, coffee, and snacks from different cultural and religious communities around the world. Drop-in anytime - stay for bit, stay for the whole time! All are welcome. Offered weekly; around 28 times per year.

Healthy habits during Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic Lunar calendar. It is a month wherein all healthy adult Muslims across the globe observe 29 or 30 days of consecutive fasting based on the visual sighting of the crescent moon. This session provides students and staff eating tips and lifestyle suggestions to help ensure fasting is observed in a safe and healthy manner. 

Intercultural conflict styles

How we communicate our disagreements and frustrations can escalate tensions and make conflict resolution more difficult. The Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory provides insight into culturally patterned approaches for solving problems and resolving conflict situations. Participants will have an opportunity to learn their own conflict style and gain insight into improving communication across the various conflict styles in everyday interactions.

Intercultural development inventory

The Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI®) assesses intercultural competence—the capability to shift cultural perspective and appropriately adapt behavior to cultural differences and commonalities.

JeoPARTY: Inclusive event planning

What is “How do I make my events more inclusive for people from various religious and cultural identities?” Participants in this workshop will play an educational jeopardy-style game and together we will explore common inclusive event planning mistakes (scheduling, food choices, time and space, and dress and physical contact between genders) and learn how to make our future events fun for everyone!

Kaleidoscope project

We believe we’re better together, and grow by engaging with multiple perspectives. Be a part of Kaleidoscope – venture outside your comfort zone and into religious and cultural diversity in Calgary. Listen to different religious perspectives and personal lived experiences of the people we encounter. Throughout the process, learn to articulate your values and build your intercultural capacities. 

Open circle: Spiritual journeys

An opportunity to share your spiritual journey and learn from other students. Open to all religious and non-religious identities. 

Pluralism & religious diversity week

Pluralism & religious diversity week is an opportunity to learn about different religions and foster a more pluralistic campus community through workshops, discussions, activities and keynote speakers.

Queer(y)ing faith

Queer(y)ing Faith is a story sharing event. We have compiled a selection of podcasts consisting of people’s stories of being queer and a person of faith or experiences of growing up in a faith community. These stories convey the challenges experienced by people navigating their intersectional identities.

Religious digs video

Religious Digs is a collaborative project between the Faith & Spirituality Centre and religious communities in Calgary. Our vision is to encourage University of Calgary students and community members to share their spaces and their faith with you and to break down the stereotypes many may have. We hope to foster a more inclusive campus community and Calgary through these videos as viewers can lean into many beautiful spaces in Calgary.

Resources to build an inclusive campus

Find out how you can contribute to an inclusive campus with these resources.

Sacred space visits

Interested in learning about different religious/spiritual communities in Calgary and enjoy an experiential model? Join us for an interactive learning session as we visit various sacred spaces in Calgary, learn directly from those who practice and immerse ourselves in practice. 

Taste of Tuesday

Join us as we highlight a different cultural recipe each month! Help prepare the meal, then eat and share together different cultural experiences.

Tzedakah-Sadaqah: Community service

Join the Faith and Spirituality Centre in partnership with the Leadership and Student Engagement office as we explore what “service” means. We collaborate with various religious and spiritual communities in Calgary and offer a diverse range of educational workshops, organized volunteer opportunities and critical reflections/debriefs.

Wisdom Wednesday

Join us as we listen to a special guest's story of their journey with faith, religion, or no faith. Hosted by a different chaplain/representative and student twice a month! Bring your lunch and questions, we will bring dessert!

Grandmother's tea ceremony

This monthly ceremony allows participation in ceremony with women across campus and the broader community. This ceremony, run by Elder Kerrie Moore, honours women who have come before us through a ceremony which includes drumming, singing, prayer, smudging and sharing tea.

Connecting to ii'taa'poh't'op

Combines Story of iitaapohtop with Towards reconciliation: Introduction to Indigenous Canada. Staff, faculty and students are invited to learn more about the Indigenous Strategy, and develop an understanding of diverse Indigenous cultures in Canada.

Story of ii'taa'poh't'op

Staff, faculty and students are invited to learn more about the Indigenous Strategy, and develop an understanding of diverse Indigenous cultures in Canada.

Towards reconciliation: Introduction to Indigenous Canada

Staff, faculty and students are invited to learn more about the Indigenous Strategy, and develop an understanding of diverse Indigenous cultures in Canada.

ii'taa'poh't'op - Intercultural Capacity Grants

$10,000 per project; adjudicated. Supports five projects annually.

Indigenous education: A call to action

Designed in direct response to the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) (2015). This program explores themes of decolonization, Indigenous aesthetic expressions, and critical service learning as the basis from which to build a capstone service-learning project that focuses on reconciliation.

Indigenous knowledge public lecture series

ii’ taa’poh’to’p welcomes six thought-provoking Indigenous thinkers across all disciplines, honouring UCalgary’s commitment to truth and reconciliation.

Indigenous relations training

Open to students, staff, faculty and the public who are seeking professional or personal development to gain a better understanding of the issues facing Canada's Indigenous population today and how to effectively build relationships with those communities.

Indigenous studies program

Increase understanding, awareness of and respect for Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge, realities, perspectives, experience, and cultures from around the world.

KAIROS blanket exercise

Blanket Exercise participants take on the roles of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Standing on blankets that represent the land, they walk through pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization and resistance. They are directed by facilitators representing a narrator (or narrators) and the European colonizers.

Kindling conversations

Hosted by UCalgary Indigenous faculty - panel discussions held 3 times per academic year on a variety of topics related to teaching, learning, and research from an Indigenous academic perspective.

Website resource on decolonization

Hosted by the Werklund School of Education, this site is intended to provide academic staff, support staff and students with resources to help inform, inspire, and support professional development in Indigenous education.

ucalgarycares Indigenous Leadership and Engagement program

The ucalgarycares Indigenous Leadership and Engagement program is a collaborative service-learning program meant to engage both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.

Canada, it's complicated: culture, myth & multiculturalism

In this session we are going to engage as community in a workshop focused on Canada, culture, multiculturalism and myths. We are going to disrupt stereotypes found in Canada about International & Indigenous Peoples as well as myths about Canada itself. Come out and get complicated with us.

Intercultural conflict styles (assessment and workshop)

Intercultural conflict styles explores the way in which culture affects our communication style and how we handle conflict. The assessment determines which conflict style you have, and how it interacts with other styles. In the accompanying workshop, we will explore the relationship between language and culture, how intercultural conflict can occur, and discuss culturally responsive ways you can navigate these conflict situations. 

Talking about mental health across cultural lines

This workshop explores cultural understandings of mental health. Using Hofstede's dimensions of national identity as a lens to explore different aspects of mental health and well being, participants will see how cultural values and beliefs influence the way in which mental health is addressed and supported in different cultural spheres.

The impacts of culture in the classroom

This workshop provides an overview of the role culture plays within our learning environments; a recognition of cultural dimensions can help improve the sense of belonging for our students, faculty, and staff. This session includes discussions around common concerns that may arise in our learning environments. 

USpeak global program

USpeak Global is a language sharing program that is open to all UCalgary international and Canadian students. If you are studying a language, have a general interest in languages, or if you enjoy helping others develop their own language skills, this program is for you!