VIRTUAL: Prague Heritages
Abstract
Our future cultural artifacts will be shaped by the students sitting in our classrooms right now. These students are more globally minded and connected than ever before, yet also increasingly isolated and withdrawn. This drawing away from the world limits our creativity and our happiness. It allows others to shape our world view and asks us to create within limited boundaries – hurdles that must be overcome if one is to be a successful designer. Educators have a unique opportunity to counteract this by teaching global citizenship – by encouraging their students to explore their place within the larger global narrative. This exploration is more important than ever, as our students leave university and enter these complex global contexts, even when they think they are “just” entering domestic industries and trades. The teaching of global citizenship demands that our students examine their own personal cultural heritage as well as the cultural heritage of others from a place of equanimity and curiosity. It asks them to examine the intricacies and discrepancies within the cultural narratives that we collectively and individually carry. It asks them to address cultural topics and conversations more consciously within their pieces. In this talk, we will examine the key elements that make incorporating global citizenship into any classroom topic possible. Participants will leave with clear action steps that they can use to incorporate conversations about global citizenship into their own teaching or mentorship, so that their students can more critically and dynamically examine the world within which they create.
Renee Lamb is an Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, a recipient of the Fulbright U.S. Scholars award, and the founder of Soulié, an artisan-based social enterprise. Her work focuses on identifying opportunities to increase personal capacity, foster poverty reduction and implement culturally sensitive development through education, informative design, conscious consumerism, and corporate citizenship. Her design work has been featured by national and international press outlets. Lamb holds degrees from Parsons, Johns Hopkins University, and North Carolina State University.