More than 50 junior and high school age students from Jakarta, Indonesia are visiting San Diego State University Global Campus this month as part of an international learning program.
The World Scholars Youth Program, sponsored by the International Islamic Education Council and Australia-based education company Lumiere International, has been held annually since 2006. This is the first time the program has been held at SDSU.
The students, ages 14 to 17, will spend the next five weeks taking English as a Second Language classes and studying other subjects including social issues, how to communicate like a San Diego local, seasonal celebrations, and California vibes, which teaches them the history of our region.
Meanwhile, their adult chaperones will be attending customized workshops that are more tailored for grownups.
Theresa Perales, Director of English Language Programs for Global Campus, said she and her team created a custom curriculum for the group. The one-hour and twenty-minute classes, 20 courses in all, will be taught by adjunct SDSU professors.
“It is a tremendous honor to host these amazing future world changers,” Perales said. “We are truly grateful for the opportunity to create a specialized language program that not only allows them to learn from us, but also teach and share their rich culture with the SDSU community.”
The World Scholars Youth Program, typically held each March, had to be rescheduled in 2020 due to travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The group visiting SDSU this month was to have been here last year.
Another 130 students from the same organization may come to SDSU Global Campus for the same program in March 2022, Perales said.
In addition to their classroom work, the group also will visit Universal Studios in Los Angeles and take a San Diego city tour, making stops in La Jolla and Coronado, Perales said.
The group is staying at a hotel in Old Town and busing to SDSU Global Campus for their classes on Mondays through Thursdays. They are scheduled to leave SDSU and fly back to Indonesia on December 20.
During their stay, on November 18, the group participated in International Education Week and the International Peace Village. The Indonesian students donned cultural costumes and performed traditional dances and songs during the event, held in the SDSU Student Union.
