The Teach the World video conference event today from 6 to 9 p.m. will connect Bob Jones University students with unique teaching and outreach opportunities in China, Guam, Japan, Zambia and Poland.
Sponsored by the University Educators Association and the School of Education at BJU, the Teach the World event will begin with a key address held in the Seminary building, with breakout sessions to follow held in the Seminary and Alumni Building.
While many students think of typical American classrooms filled with wooden desks and whiteboards when they think of teaching opportunities, there are many other nontraditional opportunities available around the world.
Small technologically advanced classrooms, large outdoor classrooms, orphanages and many other institutions all need students willing to step out of their comfort zones and into other countries.
Dr. Julie Hartman is the chair of the Division of Educational, Child and Family Studies and is one of the organizers of the Teach the World event. Hartman said her division works to serve and prepare students to work in other countries not just as teachers but also as missionaries.
“My students in this division are very interested in global opportunities,” Hartman said. “They don’t believe in separating outreach and service to children.”
The need for teachers and educators in international Christian schools is large and growing. But the Teach the World event is not just for education majors. The event is open to students of any major interested in exploring international opportunities.
“It’s always good to explore possibilities, because that is why we’re here at the University,” Hartman said. “What is my potential, what is God calling me to do and what opportunities are out there for me? It’s time for us to think beyond our little corner of the planet.”
The Teach the World event will begin with a key address by Dr. Jim Bennet, an adjunct professor of global learning and innovation at BJU, who has spent 27 years working in higher education with a focus on international learning.
Following the key address, there are five different breakout sessions for students to choose from. The sessions introduce students to Wuhan Yangtze International School in China, Genesis Preschool in Poland, MeySen Academy in Japan, Harvest Christian Academy in Guam and Faith Children’s Village Amano Academy in Zambia. The video chat format allows attendees to hear from and speak to staff from each location, allowing them to hear first-hand what it is like to work and teach in each country’s unique cultural environment.
The varied cultural settings of each country create many different opportunities for students to serve others in positions that relate to their major. Students who go to work in other countries may also find opportunities to use their major in ways they may not have thought of before.
Kenneth Driscoll, the operations coordinator for the School of Education, said the faculty want to encourage students to think outside the box when it comes to using their major, whatever their major may be and wherever the Lord may lead them.
“There are these unique opportunities where students can serve the Lord,” Driscoll said. “A lot of people have a passion for teaching, whether or not they’re education majors. We like to make a meaningful impact in people’s lives, and this is a fantastic way to make an impact.”
