Pre-Conference Workshops
2026 Pre-Conference Offerings
Pre-registration required
Thursday, February 19
Workshop A) Intentional by Design: Pedagogical Strategies for Meaningful Intercultural Learning
Intercultural exchange alone does not guarantee deep learning; intentional, research-based pedagogy makes the difference. This interactive workshop introduces nine proven teaching strategies to help educators cultivate essential intercultural skills, including empathy, adaptability, openness, and perspective-taking. Through hands-on activities participants will experience these strategies in action, followed by reflective debriefs to unpack how each approach works and how it can be adapted for diverse teaching contexts. Designed for faculty, staff, and administrators, this workshop provides practical tools that empower participants to integrate intercultural skill-building into courses and programs. By the end of the workshop participants will leave with both a clear framework and concrete techniques to intentionally design learning experiences that foster lasting intercultural growth.
Facilitators: Melanie Robbins, PhD, East Carolina University and Jami Leibowitz, PhD, East Carolina University
Workshop B) Universal Access to Study Abroad: Practical Approaches to Supporting Students with Disabilities
Exploring the challenges and rewards that come with facilitating successful and meaningful cross-cultural experiences for all students, and specifically for those with disabilities, is the focus of this workshop. The unique no-waivers cross-cultural immersion requirement at Susquehanna University offers real-world examples of what a universal access model to study away can look like. From advising using a strengths-based approach to recognizing and engaging with all relevant support systems from pre-departure through reentry, discussions will center around successful approaches pulled from recent experiences of SU’s Global Opportunities office. Case studies shared from the facilitators’ lived experiences will include supporting a blind student, a student on the autism spectrum, a student using mobility aids, and a student with significant mental health struggles as they prepared for and participated in successful cross-cultural immersion experiences. Workshop participants will leave with tools for supporting students with disabilities looking to participate in the high-impact practice of study abroad.
Facilitator: Shane Sanders, Susquehanna University
Schedule
WFU Brookstown campus
9:30am – 10:00am | Check-in
10:00am – 12noon | Workshops
12noon – 1:00pm | Lunch
1:00pm – 3:00pm | Workshops
Registration Information
Registration for Pre-Conference Workshops (and the general WISE Conference) will be available the October prior to WISE and remain open until two weeks before, or until capacity is reached. Advanced registration is required.
The registration fee includes coffee/light snacks and lunch. Participants are responsible for their own lodging and transportation.
Location
Pre-Conference Workshops will be held at the WFU Graduate School at Brookstown, located in the Historic Brookstown Inn (200 Brookstown Avenue, Winston-Salem, NC 27101). Specific instructions and parking directions will be sent to participants prior to Workshops.
Proposals
The summer prior to each WISE Conference, the Steering Committee announces an open call for proposals to facilitate WISE Workshops, four-hour intensive learning opportunities for participants to delve deeper into a specific topic related to intercultural learning.
Workshop topics may range from intercultural skill building techniques, research methods, innovative pedagogies, intercultural training topics, resources for faculty designing/enhancing study abroad programs, and/or emerging topics related to campus-based global programs.
The Call for Workshop Proposals will be announced on this website and through other avenues to reach educators. For planning purposes, the standard proposal form is provided below.