All Penn State students are currently on break for the Thanksgiving holiday. However, it’s a great time to reflect on all the exciting events that have taken place at the IECP!
Sure, students have been busy editing research papers, preparing presentations, and gearing up for their upcoming final exams, but in addition to these important academic activities, students have had many opportunities to engage with the IECP and Penn State community.
Two visiting students from a Japanese university who were attending the Global Engagement and Leadership Experience wanted to see what classes were like at an American university. They were invited to visit the IECP’s Applied English: Science class where they were treated to a fun food science lab for Halloween. Students predicted the density of candy by researching fat content. The candy lab was part of the food science module, one of the three-week themes of the advanced Special Topics class. Another lab of the food science module included a potato chip taste test in which students predicted fat content and discussed mouth feel.
Moving out of the classroom, IECP students participated in a paper-lantern making workshop on November 21st at the PSU libraries. The workshop was presented by the Center for the Performing Arts, the Global Engagement Community (GEC), the PSU Libraries, and the IECP. Participants from all over the Penn State community came together to create beautiful lanterns. You can visit the IECP offices to see some lanterns from a previous workshop!
IECP instructor and Associate Director of Academics Jackie Gianico was pleased to host an IECP improv club series over several weeks. Students learned the basics of improv and did an outstanding job committing to fun, but important speaking and interactional skills. In improv, students have to listen to each other, remain focused, and keep the energy moving from person to person. These are important skills for any language learner, but the participants had tons of fun, too! The laughter could be heard all throughout the IECP offices.
Well done too all who participated. If you missed improv club this time, Jackie will continue the sessions in the spring semester, so stay tuned!
Have a great Thanksgiving break, everyone!