ICSP: Scholarship recipients educate the community about their cultures.
Portland State’s International Cultural Service Program (ICSP) is dedicated to promoting cross cultural understanding.
Portland State University’s (PSU) International Cultural Service Program (ICSP) is a scholarship program that currently consists of 27 international students from 20 countries dedicated to promoting the recognition of cultural commonalities and the appreciation of differences through their firsthand knowledge and experience. ICSP participants are required to commit approximately 90 hours each academic year to giving community services in return for this partial scholarship. The goal of the ICSP is to enable students to teach others about their home countries, cultures and traditions in order to build bridges between communities and promote cross-cultural understanding.
Those of us at PSU’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) encourage educators and community organizers of all grade levels to consider inviting an ICSP student into the classroom in order to begin a discussion of global citizenship. Research indicates that if students are allowed to openly discuss their feelings toward those they consider culturally different, there may be a reduction in ethnocentrism.
ICSP presenters are prepared to address a myriad of topics ranging from history, art, cultural festivals, and traditions to music and contemporary lifestyle; furthermore, they can organize their materials to suit specific interests. They may bring in items representative of their culture to complement the presentation, whether it be music, currency, or traditional clothing. ICSP students may also perform other cultural services such as mentoring, showcasing how differences in cultures benefit communities, assist in lectures, supplement international events, or consult with business, industry, or governmental agencies about their home countries.
Inviting an ICSP student to an event or classroom is also a wonderful opportunity to engage the audience in learning about a global perspective through activities such as group discussions, brainstorming and skimming newspapers for relevant articles.
To submit a request for a speaker or gather more information about the program, please visit http://www.icsp.pdx.edu. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact the ICSP student coordinator Sudin Maharjan at or Anna Gindlesperger, ICSP advisor, at .
For more information, please visit ICSP’s website at http://www.icsp.pdx.edu