A domestic intercultural immersion experience at UW-Eau Claire is defined as a guided, critically-reflective intercultural experience outside the classroom designed to challenge and transform students' perspectives regarding cultural norms and values. People's beliefs, customs, experiences and environment create shared ways of perceiving and engaging in the world. Through dialogue and relationship building, students become more aware of and reflect on multiple perspectives. Guided, critical reflection is a key component to students' transformations as they seek a deeper understanding of another culture as well as their own. A meaningful engagement within the cultural environment inspires students to analyze the foundational assumptions that govern their thoughts and actions.
How Can I Participate on a DII?
Goals of the Domestic Intercultural Immersion (DII) Experiences Program
- To engage learners firsthand with various cultures, populations and environments within the U.S.
- To deepen learners' understandings of intercultural dynamics as they relate to the UW-Eau Claire Liberal Education Learning Goals.
The Blugold Commitment exists to allow greater access, affordability, and participation in exceptional high-impact practices such as DIIs for all UW-Eau Claire full-time undergraduates, to ensure that more of these opportunities are available for these students, and to increase the numbers of students who participate. UW-Eau Claire undergraduate students are encouraged to participate in multiple high-impact immersion programs. Every full-time undergraduate student is eligible to receive Blugold funding for only one DII experience; thus, any student who has participated in a previous DII program is not eligible to receive Blugold funding for a second DII experience. The only exception to this is if a student who participated in a previous DII program returns as a student leader for the very same program. However, these same students are eligible for funding to participate in one Faculty-Led International Immersion Experience (FLIIE) and one International Fellows Program (IFP) Immersion.
For additional information or questions, contact Jeff DeGrave, degravjr@uwec.edu, 715-836-4471.
