All are invited to campus presentations by the travelers to El Salvador. Come to one of the "Bringing Home El Salvador" campus presentations, free and open to the public:

TAKOMA PARK/ SILVER SPRING Tuesday, April 24, 9:30--11:00. CM211
ROCKVILLLE Wednesday, April 25th from 11--12:25. SC459
GERMANTOWN Thursday, April 26, from 12:30--2:00. PK2059

Seventeen MC faculty, staff and administrators traveled to El Salvador during spring break as the final trip in the Seminars Abroad program. Through Seminars Abroad, a key component of the Global Humanities Institute's National Endowment for the Humanities grant-funded work, members of our community exchange ideas with our colleagues abroad and the GHI builds partnerships supporting future collaborations. Previously, different sets of travelers visited China and India. All destinations are also Sister Cities of Montgomery County. El Salvador is especially important right now given the problems with immigration regulations.

The group of travelers participated in cultural education programs such as paying homage to slain civilians in El Mozote, Morazan and visiting other sites of cultural and historical importance. Meetings with Morazan government officials and youth organization leaders provided important information on the work being done to meet the growing needs of youth and the community at large. Morazan is the Sister City of Montgomery County, as are the other counties with which the GHI has academic partnerships.

The group also visited a prison in El Salvador of 5000, where inmates study English, Communications, Technology, as well as trades like hair cutting, woodwork, and tailoring. Inmates, who are by and large under 19 years old, also study music and visual art. "Yo Cambio," the organization that supports this work, is affiliated with the University of El Salvador, a partner of the Global Humanities Institute.

The academic component of this trip included several meetings with faculty and students at the University of El Salvador and our new partner, the University of Central America. Discussions at these meetings focused on how higher education and specifically the Humanities can respond to global concerns. Many among our travelers forged individual connections with faculty whose teaching corresponds with theirs and with whom they can continue to collaborate in future.

The Seminars Abroad program ensures that we forge substantial connections with institutions of higher learning abroad. These connections will impact our teaching, our students' learning, and our campus communities. Travelers are already working on selections from their travel journals and creating teaching materials that will be made broadly available through the GHI website. Through these intimate collaborations, we bring the world into our classrooms to better prepare our students for their roles as global citizens.

Questions? Contact
Rita Kranidis, PhD
Director, Global Humanities Institute
301-807-7261
Rita.kranidis@montgomerycollege.edu