Widening Circles—Global Social Impact Program
Online Classroom
Participants will join a shared online learning space via the Omprakash EdGE online learning platform for ongoing dialogue and reflection to support mutual understanding in civic engagement and social impact.
The EdGE classroom is designed to help students reflect on the complexities of striving for mutual understanding across culture and difference and to examine one’s own understanding of global interconnection and interdependence that stretches across cultural contexts.
Each ‘unit’ within the classroom is oriented around an essential question:
- Unit 1 (Pre-Program Information): What are we doing here?
- Unit 2: How are you situated in relation to global contexts of influence and inequality, and how will you move forward—or outward—from this particular positioning?
- Unit 3: What are the risks of trying to 'help others' when crossing differences of culture and influence—and how might 'raising consciousness' offer more expansive possibilities for engagement and mutual understanding?
- Unit 4: What assumptions underpin popular ideas about poverty, affluence and development—and to what extent might other perspectives offer viable alternatives?
- Unit 5: How can storytelling be a force for raising consciousness—and in that sense, what new stories would you like to tell?
| SUMMER 2026 PROGRAM | DATES |
|---|---|
| Pre-Program Orientation Call | TBD |
| Unit 1 (Pre-program Information) Deadline | TBD |
| Program Start | Monday, June 22 |
| Unit 2 Deadline | TBD |
| Unit 2 Discussion Group Call | TBD |
| Unit 3 Deadline | TBD |
| Unit 3 Discussion Group Call | TBD |
| Unit 4 Deadline | TBD |
| Unit 4 Discussion Group Call | TBD |
| Unit 5 Deadline | TBD |
| Final Digital Symposium | TBD |
| Program End | Friday, August 21 |
Please note that while this program is not for credit, it is academic in nature so participating students should expect to engage in the online classroom through readings and multimedia content for each unit and to share ongoing reflections through online posts within the classroom, the creation of a Digital Portfolio and active participation in live calls on Zoom.
Certification
Students who successfully fulfill program expectations will earn an EdGE Certificate in Critical Global Engagement. The following are expectations for earning a certificate:
- Reflective participation in the online classroom.
- Creation of a Digital Portfolio throughout the summer which includes at least three storytelling posts.
- Active participation in the Live Sessions and the final Digital Symposium.
- Ongoing thoughtful engagement with the EdGE Mentor.