The current global pandemic may have stopped many people from travelling the world, but it hasn't stopped some Taranaki students from becoming global citizens.
Fifteen students from Hāwera High School, Francis Douglas Memorial College and Spotswood College have completed Education New Zealand's Global Competence Certificate (NZGCC), with support from Venture Taranaki.
"Venture Taranaki is proud to have supported 15 students across three differing high schools to complete this certificate. The future of work is becoming increasingly multi-cultural and global; having cultural competency skills will be important for our young people as they enter the workforce," Venture Taranaki general manager, people and place, Vicki Fairley says.
The NZGCC is a research-backed certification which teaches cultural self-awareness, empathy for other cultures, and ways to connect in multicultural settings. The course includes 18 online modules along with four live and facilitated dialogue sessions, over a four-week period, and is facilitated by Massey University tutors.
Spotswood College student Catherine Reilly-Leadbetter says she enjoyed the course.
"We learnt a whole range of skills for interacting and communicating with people from other cultures."
Students in New Zealand studied alongside students from Vietnam and Thailand, connecting with them through online discussion forums and live discussion groups.
Although the three countries involved have been in lockdown, they worked through the programme and managed to have a meaningful experience, Vicki says.
"While navigating the challenges of lockdowns, it's fantastic these students were still able to make global connections, challenge their pre-existing perceptions, and gain valuable skills they can put into action right away while also setting themselves up for the future. The core elements of the course are also of course applicable to any situation, in terms of how we communicate and interact with our diverse society."
Catherine, who is a Year 10 student, says she thought it was "exciting" to learn about different cultures. Over the four weeks, she and her fellow students covered a range of topics including stereotypes, empathy, resilience and dealing with conflict. The course had given participants some valuable skills to take through life, she said.
"My favourite modules were 'withholding judgement' and 'communication styles' because I learnt a lot about how what you say can be interpreted differently to how you meant it and how to hold back from making assumptions when meeting people which I think is an important skill."
It was the first time students from Taranaki have taken the course, and Catherine says she would recommend it to others.
"I made a few new friends. Clarence, from New Zealand, although living in the same country, had a completely different experience and we were able to connect and talk about current events happening here. I also made a few friends from Vietnam and Thailand. One of the girls talked to me about her parents and how the government system works there, and I found it really interesting.
"I would definitely recommend this to others. The skills I learnt in the course have massively changed my perspective and allowed me to be more open-minded, empathetic, and kind to others."
Catherine says sharing her learning and thoughts from the course with her wider whānau, has resulted in valuable discussions, challenging herself and her fellow tauira (students) to think beyond their usual experiences.
Vicki says the benefits of the course will be ongoing.
"Research conducted by Education New Zealand (ENZ) shows that enterprises in New Zealand who employed staff with cross-cultural competencies found this contributed to a more energising workplace, which helped to foster creativity and innovation. We are sure our Taranaki students will go forth and use their newly gained knowledge to better their whānau, community, Aotearoa and beyond."
Catherine and her fellow students celebrated their success with an online graduation alongside their peers from Thailand and Vietnam on Saturday, September 11.