The University of Arizona's U.S. Department of Education Title VI Centers — Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS), Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language and Literacy (CERCLL), Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) and Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) organize an annual Community College Educators Conference each January. This conference is designed to provide community college educators with resources to promote international curriculum at the community college level.

This year's conference will be held on January 17-18, 2025. The theme, "Arts and Education without Borders," aims to explore innovative strategies and best practices for integrating global perspectives into community college curricula through the arts. 

Arts encompass a wide range of creative expressions that include visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, and more. Each form of art uses different mediums, techniques, and styles to convey ideas, emotions, and experiences. 

Arts in education play a vital role in fostering a well-rounded and holistic learning experience. By incorporating arts into the curriculum, educators help students develop essential life skills, enhance their academic abilities, and nurture their emotional and social well-being.

As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, it is crucial for community colleges to prepare students to thrive in a globalized society. The arts provide a unique platform for fostering cross-cultural understanding, empathy, critical thinking, and creative expression. The conference theme, “Arts and Education without Borders,” explores how the arts can be leveraged to globalize community college curricula, creating more inclusive and culturally responsive educational experiences for students, and preparing them for diverse, multicultural environments.

We invite educators, scholars, researchers, administrators and practitioners from across the country to join your colleagues as we share personal successes and challenges, explore innovative ideas, and showcase best practices.

This conference is free and will be meeting in-person. One meal and a light breakfast will be included for all participants. More detailed information on the conference agenda will be shared soon. For now, please note the following preliminary schedule:

Friday, January 17: Keynote presentation at 5:30 pm, and dinner at 7:00 pm

Saturday, January 18: Panel sessions and conference activities from 8:30 am - 5:30 pm, including a light breakfast, and a program at the Environmental and Natural Resource 2 Building.

Use this link to register: https://forms.gle/iQmAGuqK36MdUyFD7. Conference spaces are limited. Registration will close on January 10, 2025 or when we reach capacity. 

Tucson Marriott University Park has set aside a small block of rooms at a discounted conference rate of $159. Use the following link to reserve a room at the special rate: https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1732640821457&key=GRP&guestreslink2=true&app=resvlink 

For questions, please contact us at TVI-Outreach@arizona.edu.

We hope to see you in Tucson!