Updates from the Office of Urban, Community, and International Outreach

Submitted by Regina George | Published June 24, 2014

The Office of Urban, Community, and International Outreach (OUCIO) provided administrative support for the John W. Porter Chair in Urban Education, which focused on special education this year, and the Michael Morris Chair, which currently focuses on Middle Eastern and North African youth. Sylvia Nassar-McMillan (associate professor of counselor education, North Carolina State University) is the current Morris Chair.

Urban Initiatives

The Minority Achievement, Retention and Success (MARS) program hosted monthly meetings throughout the fall and winter semesters and held its annual banquet on April 24, 2014. Over 60 students, staff, families and alumni attended the dinner. The MARS program is coordinated by Deborah Harmon (professor, teacher education).

Community Outreach

OUCIO staff members, led by director Regina George, participated in several community outreach activities, including, but not limited to presenting at career day events at several Detroit high schools, hosting a college readiness camp for 11th graders, and partnering with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office to bring adolescents from Ypsilanti and Willow Run to an EMU basketball game.

International Partnerships

The OUCIO has been very busy with international outreach activities this year. Myung-Sook Koh (associate professor, special education) hosted 10 pre-service teachers from Korea National University of Education for field experiences in American schools and other cultural opportunities. In addition, she coordinated professional development and cultural opportunities for 16 teachers from Busan, South Korea. She also directed the Teach and Learn in Korea (TaLK) program for six EMU undergraduates.

Pat Williams-Boyd (professor, teacher education) coordinated a month-long professional development and cultural exchange program for 12 elementary teachers from Zunyi, China.

Karen Paciorek (professor, teacher education) supervised EMU teacher candidates doing extended field experiences with the Weiming Education Group in China.

The International Research and Exchanges Board, a nonprofit agency supporting study abroad, sponsored two students from Pakistan who were mentored by Joe Bishop (professor, teacher education).

The Office of Urban, Community, and International Outreach (OUCIO) is located in 104 Porter. For more information, contact Regina George at [email protected].