In a Turbulent Fall, and on Global Stage, Provider Combats Polarization

Friday, March 21, 2025

9:30 AM – 10:15 AM US EST

Location: Exhibit Hall, Lower Concourse level

Poster Presenter(s)

LS

Laura Strohminger (she/her/hers)

Chief Program Officer and Vice President for Student Affairs
Institute of Shipboard Education, Semester at Sea
Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
Amanda N. Davidson (she/her/hers)

Director of Student Affairs
Institute for Shipboard Education/Semester at Sea
Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

The conflict in Israel and Gaza has impacted campuses across the U.S. and around the world. Many expect additional campus protests and worse as students return for their fall semesters and the U.S. election nears. One study abroad provider (which experienced unrest among its students in Spring 2024) and a partner are hoping a UN-backed Dialogue Facilitation Certification will help students facilitate connections and understanding within their community of U.S. study abroad students.

Learning Objectives:

Share an honest accounting of how a UN-backed facilitator program helped (or didn’t) open and respectful dialogue within a community of 450 mostly US college students.
Show how these students, faculty and staff facilitated conversations among study abroad students regarding the U.S. presidential election, conflicts in Israel and Gaza, Ukraine and Russia, and other global and local issues.
Hear from participating students about how their study abroad experience shaped their thinking and future plans.