Note: ** Deadline Extended until December 1st, 2009 **  

Submission Instructions: Innovative Approaches to Training and Talking about Culture

Are you:

• Tired of seeing the iceberg analogy used to describe culture?
• Excited to hear about a new simulation, only to later find out it is a modification of one of the classics?
• Looking for some new and innovative ways to help people understand culture and its influences?

We are too...

Who is the 'we'? 

Kate Berardo, Founder of Culturosity.com and Intercultural Consultant and Dr. Darla Deardorff, Intercultural Consultant and Executive Director of the Association of International Education Administrators at Duke University.

So, what are you doing? 

We are embarking on pulling together a creative collection of alternative training activities and ways to talk about culture--and we would like you to contribute.

Many intercultural training activities and models have been used now for the past 30 years.  While some sources have withstood the test of time, others have gotten tired and have not kept us as our understanding of intercultural concepts has gotten deeper and richer. 

Recognizing that the need for new and more rigorous training models and approaches has been identified as a top challenge in the field (see, e.g. Berardo, “The Intercultural Profession in 2007: Current professionals, practices, and challenges in the field. ”), we have set-out to pull together a collection of innovative activities and models that can be used in intercultural training.  Innovative here is defined either as an entirely new and original way of engaging participants around intercultural themes and/or creative adaptations of concepts/activities from other fields.

We welcome you to submit for consideration your latest and greatest idea for working with culture, in one of two formats:

1. Training Activities – be it icebreakers, exercises and activities, simulations, case studies, role plays, games, or other types of creative training activities that you have created or discovered and that are highly effective.
2. Creative Alternatives for Culture Concepts - be it new models, analogies, pictures, processes, proverbs, quotes, cartoons, or other interesting and visual approaches to helping people understand culture concepts.

What are your guidelines?

• The less common, the more original, the more creative, and the more effective--the better.
• If you thought of it yourself, great.
• If you borrowed or adapted it from somewhere else (e.g. another field, another colleague, that's fine too, just cite your sources).
• If you have one idea or a dozen to contribute, we're open. The more, the merrier.

What will the end result be?

Ideally, a published book with quality contributions from high-level professionals who work with culture.

Picture two main sections: One will have details of training activities, organized by type and including a lesson plan, trainer tips, and other pertinent information. The second will be a visual reference section that will have pictures of a model, analogy, proverb, etc. on one page and description of how it is used on the opposite page. The book will be practical, punchy, and highly visual—-something you can dip into for inspiration or carry around for reference.

What is the deadline for submitting?

The deadline for submitting has been extended to December 1^st, 2009.

How can I submit?

The best way to submit is online.

• To submit a Training Activity, click here.
• To submit a Creative Alternative for Culture Concepts: click here. 

What if I can't submit online?

Email us (addresses below) and we can send you a Word document that you can fill out and email or mail back to us.

Do I have to be an 'interculturalist' to submit a proposal?

Absolutely not. We welcome all submissions and think that creativity and innovation often lies at the intersection between different fields. So long as your proposed submission is relevant to culture, we'll consider it.

What is the process after I submit?

Your entry will be confirmed within a week of your submission. If you have additional materials to submit at this time, you will be given instructions on how to do so. In early 2010, you will be contacted with more details about your submission (e.g. decision around inclusion, next steps, permissions,publisher information, etc.).

When will the publication be available?

Ideally, we are aiming for a 2010 release of the publication.

What if I have another question that isn’t answered here?

No problem. Send your questions to Kate Berardo (kate@culturosity.com) and Dr. Darla Deardorff (darlad@email.unc.edu).