February 2016. The need exists for an internal (and external) newsletter for CISP. Halfway into my first year as Executive Director, this represents the starting point for the development of that newsletter. Here, we begin with an internal newsletter intending to capture who we are, where we are, what we do, and where we plan to go. This first newsletter is written for CISP Site Directors, Advisory Board Members, Statewide Office, and Partners. Please share your feedback, including suggestions on how this resource might be further developed and used to build capacity for global education in California.

Respectfully,

Emily

1. Successful Transition of Leadership

2. Support Site Directors and Site Goals

3. Clarify CISP Vision, Mission, and Strategic Goals

4. Identify CISP Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats, and Opportunities

5. Understand CSMP, Professional Learning in California, and International Studies

6. Strengthen Collaboration

These goals will be achieved through listening, learning, documenting, decision-making, trust, transparency, exploration, image-building, and creative and collaborative construction. Introduced at the Fall Site Director’s Meeting September 11-12, 2015, these goals will guide our work during the 2015-16 year.

During this leadership transition, Emily has communicated regularly with Site Directors through e-mail communications, phone calls, and meetings. She has also met with PIs and others affiliated with CISP sites and work. After individual meetings and some program visits, all of the Site Directors met in San Francisco September 11-12. The Team met Consultant Roni Jones who is facilitating CISP’s Strategic Planning as part of this transition process. Emily is making site visits as often as possible to learn more about CISP programs, issues, and practices across the network.

This transition process involves raising the visibility of CISP and this has been accomplished through:

· Participation in the GlobalEdCon on November 18, 2015. David Potter of VIF International and Emily presented, “Going Global in the Golden State” for this international virtual conference. Participant comments and follow-up e-mails indicate that there is a lot of interest in what we are doing (and want to do) in California to promote global education.

· Keynote presentation to the Inland Empire Council for the Social Studies on December 3, 2015, at the council’s banquet honoring Social Studies Teachers of Excellence. Follow-up conversations with teachers and administrators indicate a desire to provide more CISP programs in this region.

· Keynote presentation at the San Diego County History-Social Science Conference at the University of San Diego January 27, 2016. The conference and keynote theme was “Navigating a World of Change.” Emily’s keynote provided updates on the History-Social Science Framework and focused on the appendices related to teaching about the contemporary world.

· Panel presentation of all CSMP Executive Directors at the California Educator Excellence Summit in Sacramento January 20, 2016. Our presentation focused on developing Teacher Leadership across all CSMPs, and featured some CISP Teacher Leaders.

· Participation in the California Global Education Summit at the Santa Clara County Office of Education on February 11, 2016.

The California International Studies Project (CISP) is a statewide network that connects universities, schools, and districts in collaborative efforts to increase K-12 teacher competence in world history and international studies. It is the mission of CISP to prepare students for success in an ever-changing world. Through professional development for K-12 educators, the project seeks to improve historical and contemporary knowledge of 21st century realities that are fundamentally altering the international landscape and domestic affairs.

Email: stephanie.duran@mail.sdsu.edu
Website: http://go.sdsu.edu/education/cisp/
Location: San Diego State University, Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, United States
Phone: (619) 594-8302
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CISPatSDSU/
Twitter: @CISPisGlobalEd

Support for Site Directors looks very different for each site. The needs vary based on experience in the position, relationship with the host institution, and relationships with regional educators.

We have new Site Directors for BAGEP, NBISP, and ISTEP. While World Savvy selected the new BAGEP Site Director, great time and effort was spent on searches to find excellent replacements for NBISP and ISTEP. The Site Directors at DHISP are still fairly new to this position and have found, like SJGEP, that their roles as Site Directors has shifted in some ways under new CISP leadership. We have been working through these shifts to come to common expectations for all Site Directors.

All Site Directors are expected to create their own plans, develop their own regional programs, maintain their budgets, and report program data/progress. While each site has some staff support – ranging from Student Workers to part-time Administrative Assistants – at their host institutions, the accountability and leadership falls squarely on the shoulders of the Site Director(s). Some Site Directors are collaborating on programs and sharing expenses, and this is encouraged. However, each site will be accountable for meeting the goals of the California Subject Matter Projects and CISP.

CISP Site Directors, retired NBISP Site Director Miriam Hutchins

and CISP Advisory Board Member Christena Turner met at San Diego State University to begin strategic planning January 8-9, 2016. Consultant Roni Jones facilitated the two-day retreat and led the team through exercises focused on collaboration and communication skills, core values, history of our organization, creating a vision statement, SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats), consensus building, creating a mission statement, and setting strategic goals. The team also brainstormed roles and responsibilities for the Executive Director and Site Directors. They also discussed a book recommended by Jones in our September Site Directors’ Meeting, The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life (Zander & Zander, 2000).

Site Directors are now finalizing the vision and mission statements, and developing the organization’s core values. The team will develop the history of CISP and statements describing the roles and responsibilities of Executive and Site Directors. The strategic goals identified include:

1. Creating a signature/keystone program for CISP

2. Developing a website to communicate with educators and the general public

3. Define global education

4. Brand CISP (i.e., logo, tagline, style guide for programs, etc.)

5. Write framework or standards

These and other strategic goal identified (there are 37) will be organized into these categories:

• Identity

• Communication

• Organizational Structure

• Accountability

• Projects & Activities

• Funding

NBISP: The North Bay International Studies Project Site Director Miriam Hutchins retired December 31, 2015, after 21 years of service. Michelle Mazzeo was hired by Sonoma State University as the new NBISP Site Director and started in this new position January 1, 2016.

BAGEP/World Savvy: Nirvani Budhram of World Savvy became the new Bay Area Global Education Project Site Director in July 2015. Located in New York City, Nirvani serves as national Director of Partnerships for World Savvy and works with the San Francisco and Minneapolis World Savvy offices to provide professional development in the Bay Area.

SJGEP: As of July 30, 2015, the San Joaquin Global Education Project moved from the University of the Pacific and is currently seeking a new host institution. During the 2015-16 year, SJGEP’s grant is housed at San Diego State University where the Statewide Office resides. Site Director Maria Gutierrez-Stearn is working on locating a new site before May 30, 2016.

DHISP: The Dominguez Hills International Studies Project has two Site Co-Directors, Barbara Doten (LBUSD) and Nicki Solig (LAUSD). In its second year of operation at CSU Dominguez Hills, the Site Directors have been primarily conducting Equity & Access programs for teachers while learning more about CISP.

FIRST: Site Director Connie DeCapite continues to lead the work of Fullerton International Resources for Schools and Teachers at CSU Fullerton and for educators in the Orange County region. In response to the 2013-14 closing of CISP sites at the University of Redlands and Pitzer College, Connie is also working with educators in the Inland Empire to develop some international studies programs.

ISTEP: Emily Schell remained Site Director for the International Studies Teacher Education Project at San Diego State University between July 1 and December 31, 2015. New Site Director Gary Kroesch was hired January 1, 2016.

CISP Statewide Office: The CISP Statewide Office moved from University of the Pacific to San Diego State University July 30, 2015. Emily Schell is the new Executive Director (as of July 1, 2015) and Stephanie Duran is the new Program Assistant (as of January 1, 2016). CISP is housed in the College of Education and Dean Joe Johnson serves as the Principle Investigator (PI).

Stephanie Duran was hired in late December as our new CISP Program Assistant. While working with the School of Teacher Education, Stephanie's excellent reputation and impeccable work ethic made her a desirable candidate to lead the CISP Statewide Office. She completed her bachelor's degree at San Diego State University and graduated in December. Stephanie is the proud mother of Imani, and plans to continue her education to earn a master's degree in psychology. We are all very pleased to welcome Stephanie to the CISP Leadership Team!

Email: stephanie.duran@mail.sdsu.edu
Location: San Diego State University, Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, United States
Phone: 619-594-8302