European Union Center 2012 Summer Curriculum Development Workshop: Food & Energy Security and Sustainability: A Comparative Look at the European Union and the US

2012 Summer Curriculum Development Workshop

Food & Energy Security and Sustainability:
A Comparative Look at the European Union and the US

Tuesday, June 12 - Friday, June 15, 2012

• Pertinent Info
• On-line registration
• Schedule
• Background Readings

The University of Illinois and The European Union Center (EUC) invites K-12 and community college educators to take part in this 3 1/2-day workshop to develop a more effective curriculum on energy and food security and sustainability issues and contoversies in Europe and the US. These materials may be incorporated into a variety of courses, such as foreign language, world geography, world cultures, world/US history, politics, economics, and business. While all K-16 teachers are welcome, the curriculum materials are geared mainly towards high school and community college education. The workshop will feature presentations from University of Illinois faculty and other specialists.

SUMMER STUDY TOUR TO EUROPE
This workshop will also serve as an orientation workshop for the Summer Study Tour to Europe (June 23-30, 2012). For further information, please visit the Summer Study Tour 2012 webpage.

Application Deadline for the Study Tour was February 29, 2012.

Pertinent Info

• Application Deadline: May 7, 2012 (workshop registartion is now closed)
• Online Registration Registration is now closed!
• Cost: $100
  Please make checks payable to "University of Illinois." Send your checks to:
  
  European Union Center
  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  328 International Studies Building, MC-429
  910 S. Fifth Street
  Champaign, IL 61820
• Travel Grants: Travel grants up to $150 are available.
• Credit: CPDUs (for Illinois teachers) or University of Illinois CEUs for non-Illinois teachers are available. 3-4 University of Illinois graduate credits are available, please contact Sebnem Ozkan at asozkan@illinois.edu, 217-244-0570 for further information.
• Housing: Housing will be provided at the Illini Tower, a private dorm on campus. We reserved your rooms for 3 nights from June 12 (check-in) to June 15 (check-out).
  * We can provide additional reservations for the nignt of June 11th only if you will be traveling more than 250 miles to attend the conference, due to budgetary restrictions and University policies. Amenities: Please note that you will be sharing a suite with another teacher. The suite is fully furnished and has A/C. It features two separate bedrooms and a shared living room, kitchen and bathroom. Towels, blankets, and sheets are provided, and extras can be obtained at the desk, which is open 24/7. Unfortunately, there are no pots, pans, or utensils stocked in the rooms themselves and hangers are not provided- the EUC will provide paper cups and plates in your rooms. There is a refrigerator in the room but no microwave. There is internet access for free in all rooms (you need to bring an ethernet cable or rent one from the front desk), located behind the desks. The whole first floor is wireless. Local calls are free, and there is a stock of phones at the front desk available to take.
  
• Meals: Breakfast and some meals will be provided by the European Union Center. Breakfast is available daily in the Illini Tower cafeteria from 7 – 8 am.
  
• Parking: If you requested parking, when you arrive at the Illini Tower, you will check in and receive a parking space inside so that you can park. You might need to park at a meter briefly while you check-in.
• Contact: For more information contact Sebnem Ozkan asozkan@illinois.edu, 217-244-0570.
• Funded in part by the U.S. Department of Education Title VI grant and the European Commission's "Getting to Know Europe" grant.

Schedule

Tuesday, June 12

Workshop location: All sessions are held at Illini Tower - THINK Study Lounge on the first floor if not noted otherwise.
Illini Tower
409 E. Chalmers St., Champaign
Web: http://www.illinitower.net
Phone: 217-344-0400
To locate Illini Tower: http://www.campushousing.com/uiit/html/locate_us.php

Workshop location: All sessions are held at Illini Tower - THINK Study Lounge on the first floor if not noted otherwise.
Illini Tower
409 E. Chalmers St., Champaign
Web: http://www.illinitower.net
To locate Illini Tower: http://www.campushousing.com/uiit/html/locate_us.php

8:00am - 4:00pm

Check-in at Illini Tower Location: 409 E. Chalmers St., Champaign
Web: http://www.illinitower.net
Phone: 217-344-0400
To locate Illini Tower: http://www.campushousing.com/uiit/html/locate_us.php

4:15pm

EUC staff will be available at the Illini Tower lobby to escort you to the ACES Library for the workshop registration and keynote address/dinner.

4:30 – 5:30pm

Workshop Registration, Introduction & Meet and GreetLocation: ACES Library (Heritage Room), 1101 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana

5:30 – 7:00pm

Keynote Address: "Urban Food Systems: Sustainability, Public Policy, and Social Inequality"

Keynote Speaker: Dorceta Taylor, Professor and Environmental Justice Field of Studies Coordinator, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan

Welcoming remarks and introduction: A. Bryan Endres, Director, European Union Center; Associate Professor of Agricultural Law, University of Illinois

Location: ACES Library (Heritage Room), 1101 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana

6:30pm

Welcome Dinner
Location: ACES Library (Heritage Room), 1101 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana
EUC staff will escort you back to the Illini Tower after dinner.

Wednesday, June 13

Workshop location: All sessions are held at Illini Tower - THINK Study Lounge on the first floor if not noted otherwise.
Illini Tower
409 E. Chalmers St., Champaign
Web: http://www.illinitower.net
To locate Illini Tower: http://www.campushousing.com/uiit/html/locate_us.php

7:00 – 8:00am

Breakfast (provided) – Breakfast is available daily from 7–8 am in the Illini Tower Cafeteria. Please simply show the cashier your nametag.

8:30 – 10:00am

“Understanding the EU and EU Institutions: A brief overview” (presentation)
Speaker: Kostas Kourtikakis, Research Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Illinois

10:00 – 10:15am

Break – coffee, tea, and light refreshments provided

10:15 – 11:45am

“Food Sustainability in the EU” (presentation)

Speaker: Bernd van der Meulen, Professor of Law and Governance, Wageningen University, the Netherlands

11:45am – 1:15pm

Lunch (provided) and "Curriculum Resources and Using the Web & Images for Teaching the EU” (presentation)

Speaker: Adam Heinz, EUC Graduate Assistant and MA Student in EU Studies, University of Illinois

1:15 – 2:45pm

“The Impact of Climate Change on Food Security” (presentation)

Speaker: Lisa Ainsworth, Assistant Professor of Plant Biology and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois

2:45 – 3:00pm

Break – coffee, tea, and light refreshments provided

3:00 – 4:30pm

“The Farm Bill and Common Agricultural Policy” (presentation - Note: This video is an earlier version of the presentation, as delivered by Professor Bullock for the EUC's lecture series.)

Speaker: David Bullock, Professor of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois

4:30 – 7:00pm

Free time and dinner (on your own)

7:00 – 9:00pm

Movie "Fresh" and post-screening discussion led by A. Bryan Endres, Director, European Union Center; Associate Professor of Agricultural Law, University of Illinois

Thursday, June 14

Workshop location: All sessions are held at Illini Tower - THINK Study Lounge on the first floor if not noted otherwise.
Illini Tower
409 E. Chalmers St., Champaign
Web: http://www.illinitower.net
To locate Illini Tower: http://www.campushousing.com/uiit/html/locate_us.php

7:00 – 8:00am

Breakfast - (provided) – Breakfast is available daily from 7–8 am in the Illini Tower Cafeteria. Please simply show the cashier your nametag.

8:30 – 10:00am

"Animal Welfare: Food or Friend: EU and US Perspectives" (presentation)

Speaker: Jim Pettigrew, Professor of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois

10:00 – 10:15am

Break – coffee, tea, and light refreshments provided

10:15 – 11:45am

“US and EU Environmental Policies” (presentation)

Speaker: Robert Pahre, Professor of Political Science, University of Illinois

11:45am – 1:15pm

Lunch (provided) and “EU-Turkey Energy Partnership” (presentation)

Speaker: Lauren Turk, MA Student in EU Studies-- Graduate, University of Illinois

1:15 – 2:45pm

“EU Bioenergy Policy: An Introduction and Ensuring Environmental and Social Sustainability” (presentation)

Speaker: Jody Endres, Assistant Professor of Environmental, Natural Resources and Energy Law, University of Illinois

2:45 – 3:30pm

Break – coffee, tea, and light refreshments provided

3:30 – 5:00pm

“Challenges in Creating Sustainable Transport Systems” (presentation)

Speaker: Julie Cidell, Assistant Professor of Geography, University of Illinois

5:00 – 5:15pm

Break

5:15 – 6:45pm

“Approaches to Spent Nuclear Fuel in Europe and the US” (presentation)

Speaker: Cliff Singer, Professor of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering, University of Illinois

7:30 – 9:30pm

Dinner (provided) and the University of Illinois College of ACES (Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences) IBIP (International Business Immersion Program), including short films by IBIP students and presentation by Jessa Barnard, Experiential Learning Coordinator, College of ACES, University of Illinois (presentation)

Friday, June 15

Workshop location: All sessions are held at Illini Tower - THINK Study Lounge on the first floor if not noted otherwise.
Illini Tower
409 E. Chalmers St., Champaign
Web: http://www.illinitower.net
To locate Illini Tower: http://www.campushousing.com/uiit/html/locate_us.php

7:00 – 8:00am

Please check out of Illini Tower and return parking key. You will not need your parking key to leave the garage -- garage doors are operated by censors.

Breakfast - (provided) – Breakfast is available daily from 7–8 am in the Illini Tower Cafeteria. Please simply show the cashier your nametag.

8:00am

Meet at the lobby of Illini Tower and drive to the Prairie Fruit Farm and Creamery -- transportation will be provided.

8:15 – 10:00am

“Visit to the Prairie Fruit Farm and Creamery”
Location: 4410 N. Lincoln Ave., Champaign
Tour guides: Wesley Jarrell and Leslie Cooperband (farm owners)

10:00 – 10:15am

Drive back to the Illini Tower and Break

10:15 – 11:15am

“2012 Farm Bill, School Nutrition & Farm-to-School Programs” (presentation)

Speaker: Julia Govis, Urban and Small-scale Organic Agriculture Research Institute, University of Chicago; State Lead for Illinois, National Farm to School Network

11:15am – 12:15pm

“Food Policy Councils: Their Role(s) and Transformative Potential” (presentation)

Speaker: Michaela Tarr, Graduate Student at the Michigan State University

12:15 – 2:15pm

Lunch (provided), Group Discussion on “Teaching food and energy security in the classroom”, Evaluation, CPDU/CEU distribution, and Final wrap-up

2:15 – 3:45pm

“Study Tour to Europe” orientation and information session (for tour participants)

*Required for teachers/students who are going on the “Study Tour to Europe”

The workshop is approved for 25 CPDUs/2.5 CEUs.

Background Readings

Wednesday, June 13

"Understanding the EU and EU Institutions: A Brief Overview" - Kostas Kourtikakis

• eufocus: Understanding the European Union
• The European Union: A Guide for Americans – Ch. 1 & 2
• Desmond Dinan. “Ever Closer Union: An Introduction to European Integration” (Lynne Rienner Publishers, 4th Edition, 2010) (optional, for more details)

"Food Sustainability in the EU" - Bernd van der Meulen

• European Commission: Environental Sustainability of the Food Chain (webpage)
• Environment, Sustainability and Food Supply Challenge

"The Impact of Climate Change on Food Security" - Lisa Ainsworth

• eufocus: The EU and Food Security
• Schmidhuber and Tubiello, “Global food security under climate change”
• Gregory, Ingram and Brklacich, “Climate change and food security”

"The Farm Bill and Common Agricultural Policy" - David Bullock

• Commission: The Common Agricultural Policy Explained
• BBC News: Q&A: Reform of EU farm policy (webpage)

Thursday, June 14

"Animal Wellfare: Food or Friend: EU and US Perspectives" - Jim Pettigrew

• euinsight: EU Animal Welfare Policy
• NY Times, “E.U. Push on Animal Welfare May Open New Trade Front with U.S.”

"US and EU Environmental Policies" - Robert Pahre

• eufocus: Climate Change and Energy: 20 20 20 by 2020
• Renewables make the difference
  

"EU Bioenergy Policy: An Introduction and Ensuring Environmental and Social Sustainability" - Jody Endres

• Commission Green Paper: A European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive and Secure Energy

“Challenges in creating sustainable transport systems" - Julie Cidell

• EU Bookstore: Towards low carbon transport in Europe
• EU Bookstore: Innovating for a competitive and resource-efficient transport system
• EU Bookstore: 10 out of ten: TEN-T Project Implementation Successes

"Approaches to Spent Nuclear Fuel in Europe and the US" - Clifford Singer

• University of Illinois ACDIS: ‘Plan D’ for Spent Nuclear Fuel
• ENSREG: Spent fuel and radioactive waste directive
• USNRC: Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel (webpage)

Friday, June 15

"2012 Farm Bill, School Nutrition & Form-to-School Programs" - Julia Govis

• USDA: Legislative History Related to Farm to School
• Resource: USDA: Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (webpage)
• Resource: Illinois School Nutrition Association (webpage)

Other Related Resources

• euinsight: The EU: Keeping Food Safe from the Farm to the Fork
• euinsight: Organic Agriculture in the European Union
• eufocus: Energy Security and the EU’s Path to a Low-Carbon Economy
• eufacts: Europe 2020: A European Strategy for Smart, Sustainable, and Inclusive Growth
• eufocus: The EU and Food Security
• eufocus: The EU and Energy Security
• European Commission Green Paper: A European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive and Secure Energy
• Tortajada, “Water Governance: Some Critical Issues”
• World Bank, “Good Governance for Good Water Management”
• eufocus: Climate Change and Energy: 20 20 20 by 2020
• European Commission: Being wise with waste: the EU’s approach to waste management
• eufocus: The European Union and the United States: A Long-Standing Partnership
• Office of the US Trade Representative: European Union
• EU Bookstore: Education on energy
• EU Bookstore: Europe’s energy future
• EU Bookstore: Environment fact sheet: Energy for sustainable development
• EU Bookstore: Soil: The hidden part of the climate cycle
• EU Bookstore: Agriculture…Go! (flashcard)
• Europa: How the EU Works
• Europa: The EU in Slides
• Europa: Teaching material

European Union Center 2012 Summer Curriculum Development Workshop: Food & Energy Security and Sustainability: A Comparative Look at the European Union and the US

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Curriculum Development Workshop visits Local Farm

On June 15, members of the EUC staff and attendees of the 2012 Summer Curriculum Development Workshop visited the Prairie Fruit Farm and Creamery, a farm located in Champaign, IL. This visit was part of the workshop's theme, "Food and Energy Security and Sustainability."

Check out a photo album of the visit here.

Curriculum Development Workshop visits Local Farm

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Transatlantic Educators Dialogue helps European and American educators connect

The Transatlantic Educators Dialogue (TED) is an EUC sponsored event connecting educators in the US and the EU. The College of Education recently published an article about TED. Check out the article below or by clicking here.

An educator from east-central Illinois wouldn't ordinarily have the opportunity to discuss a riveting educational issue with a peer over coffee, at least not a peer from Denmark or Poland, for instance. And they probably wouldn't be able to discuss how immigration affects classroom dynamics in the European Union versus the U.S. or whether sharing artwork of a nude would raise parental eyebrows at the local school board meeting. (What's considered pornography in America is considered art and perfectly acceptable in some European countries.)

Bring to the scene a computer with internet, a cup of coffee (optional), and Transatlantic Educators Dialogue (TED), and voila, you have the perfect setting for some really good educational dialogue with an international flair.

TED provides an opportunity for educators to connect with colleagues in other countries to share their opinions, openly discuss their views, and learn from each other. The weekly sessions are led by TED participants on a rotating basis, and discussions focus on current educational issues. In addition to what they learn during the weekly discussions, the leaders in charge of each session prepare 30-minute lesson plans based on their respective week's content and share these at the last session of the Dialogue.

Lucinda Morgan, a Ph.D. student in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership who works in the College of Education's Office of International Programs, has coordinated TED since its creation in the fall of 2009. Using Moodle asychronically throughout the week prior to the TED session, participants share articles and videos, post comments on topic-specific forums, and send messages to fellow dialoguers.

Sponsored by the European Union Center (EUC) in the International Programs and Studies office on campus and co-facilitated by the College of Education, the EUC recruits the European participants for the Dialogue and Morgan recruits U.S. educators through College of Education networks. There is a brief application process to ensure a wide array of demographic representation. In addition to participants in the United States, around 20 European countries are typically represented during each TED session.

The Dialogue currently underway started mid-February and meets weekly on Sundays for 90 minutes synchronously at noon U.S. CT/5 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time. It will wrap up May 6. TED received 188 applications and out of those applicants, 65 educators were accepted. From the 65 individuals accepted, two groups were formed.

Upon successfully completing TED, U.S. educators receive six ISBE-approved continuing education units. Participation in the Dialogue is free of charge. Participants may be current teachers, pre-service teacher education students, school administrators, graduate students, college faculty, or involved in educational organizations.

While two to three European educators apply per available TED slot, U.S. applicants don’t come forth quite as readily, according to Morgan. Consequently, more U.S. educators are encouraged to apply in the future. The next TED will be offered in the spring of 2013.

Morgan said feedback about the program has been positive. "Teachers across the world face many of the same types of issues, but in different contexts. Through TED, they can discuss how different issues affect them locally, such as ESL concerns in the U.S. and varying language dialects in Europe, and it connects them globally," Morgan explained. "Not all teachers have the opportunity to talk to teachers in other countries or to teach there, so TED gives them the platform to share and compare contemporary classroom issues."

Along with geographical differences, the age of participants also varies. While some educators are 25 years old, others have taught for 45 years, according to Morgan, which helps to bring a variety of perspectives to the virtual table.

For more information about Transatlantic Educators Dialogue and about future sessions, contact Lucinda Morgan at lmorgan4@illinois.edu or 217-244-3581

Transatlantic Educators Dialogue helps European and American educators connect

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Record Entries for University of Illinois EU Center Essay Contest

February 28, 2012
Record Entries for University of Illinois EU Center Essay Contest

This year 27 high school students from across the United States participated in an essay contest
sponsored by the University of Illinois EU Center. This annual event is an opportunity for
high-achieving high school students to showcase their knowledge on EU-US relations. This
year’s topic was “The United States and the European Union: Seeking Sustainable and Secure
Connections in Food, Energy & Governance,” which also serves as the theme for the EU
Center’s Summer Study Tour for K-12 educators and local officials.

The EU Center received a record number of entries from Illinois, Pennsylvania, Arizona,
Virginia and Michigan. High school teachers covering a range of subjects—including French,
Spanish, History, Environmental Science, English, Geography, Computer Literacy, and
Government & Politics—supervised students’ participation in the contest.

The annual essay contest is one way the EU Center promotes learning and curriculum building
on the European Union. A second is the Center’s annual summer study tour with educators,
elected officials and journalists. The European Commission’s Getting to Know Europe Grant
funds this year’s Study Tour and the anticipated trip dates are June 23-30. 8-9 Illinois educators
will be a part of the study tour, with one of those spots reserved for the respective teacher of the
first place student from the essay contest.

The EU Center congratulates the following students selected by a review panel as the winners:

First place: Anya Marchenko, Naperville Central High School, for her essay The
Other Side of the Pond. Anya earned a $500 cash prize and her teacher, Ignacio
Gamboa, will participate in the EUC's Summer 2012 Study Tour this June.

Second place: Lara Orlandic, University Laboratory High School (Urbana, IL)
for her essay Accessibility vs. Advancement: The Differences in Healthcare and
Education between the United States and the European Union. Lara earned a
$250 cash prize.

Third place: Thomas Hassiepen, Peoria Notre Dame High School for his essay
Common Problems Create Common Solutions. Thomas earned a $150 cash prize.

The winning essays can be found on the EU Center’s website at http://www.euc.illinois.edu/essaycontest2011/. The winning students, their families and teachers have been invited to the EU Center’s EU Day Luncheon on March 29, 2012, where an award ceremony will be held.

The annual EU Day (this year held on March 29) is the EU Center’s signature event.
EU Ambassador to the US, His Excellency João Vale de Almeida, will be delivering the
keynote “State of the European Union” address. The Ambassador’s 10:00 am address will be
held at the University of Illinois Alice Campbell Alumni Center (601 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana,
IL) and is open to the public.

The EU Center is always looking to connect with more K-12 schools and educators and the
center invites your school and students to participate in future events. Please check the EU
Center website http://www.euc.illinois.edu this coming fall for details on the 2012 Essay
Contest.

Contact: University of Illinois European Union Center, eucenter@illinois.edu
328 International Studies Building, 910 S. Fifth Street, Champaign, IL 61820
Ph: (217) 265-7515

Record Entries for University of Illinois EU Center Essay Contest

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Regional Faculty Working Conference Featured in Muskegon Community College Newsletter

On January 13 & 14, the EUC sponsored its annual Regional Faculty Working Conference to increase research on and teaching of the European Union at institutions in the Midwest. The conference was featured in Muskegon Community College's e-Newsletter, Global Awareness. You can read the entire newsletter, or check out the expanded article below!

by Tom Schurino

If you are looking for a way to infuse international content into your classes then you may want to consider attending the next European Union Regional Faculty Working Conference sponsored annually by the European Union Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana with support from the Center’s US Department of Education Title VI and European Commission grants. Bringing together regional college faculty, this conference includes panel discussions on effective teaching of EU-related subjects. This year’s event was held on January 13 and 14 in Chicago, in partnership with DePaul University’s School of Public Service.

With the aim of increasing research and teaching of the European Union at universities and four-year and two-year colleges in the Midwest, the conference had a very positive impact on the three dozen participants who came from Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio. Here is what a few of them had to say:

Seth Koehler, Muskegon Community College: “The most interesting topic at the conference dealt with the Euro debt crisis, and how it can affect the rest of the world. The presentation by Elisabeth Oltheten, Assistant Professor of Finance, University of Illinois was the best speech of the entire conference, and explained everything in layman's terms, which is good for us educators because we can transfer the message immediately to students. In my classes, the knowledge gained from the Euro debt crisis lecture will be extremely important. Members of the community rarely have a good idea of how the rest of the world’s economy can affect us here in America. By learning more about Europe, and the challenge it faces while trying to unify its currency, we can better understand why and how our economy functions as a piece of the global financial puzzle.  “I think faculty should attend this conference because it covers a variety of topics: immigration, music, economics, foreign policy, business, to name just a few. While attending these conferences, faculty can network with other educators from multiple colleges and universities in the Midwest. The European Union is an important entity today, and the better we understand it, the more we can use it to accomplish our educational goals. Whether those goals be cultural, economic, or political, the European Union Conference is hugely beneficial to those who attend, and in turn, those benefits can be passed on to students.“

Here is what Patty Croonquist and Sheryl  Griffith from Iowa Central Community College had to say:  “The whole conference was interesting, but my favorite presentations were the “European Union Agricultural Policy—A Closer Look at CAP and its International Effects” by David Bullock, Professor of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois, and “Breaking Up the Family- —Migrants, Homophobia, and the Political Left in Europe.” by Patrick Ireland, Professor of Political Science, Illinois Institute of Technology.   I think the one on agriculture interested me because it is so close to home in the Midwest.  The whole conference made me aware of how the EU affects us every day.”

“Why should other faculty go to this conference? This was a very informative conference. And it applied to all disciplines from music to mathematics. I found all of the sessions interesting and presenters well prepared. And European Union Center Office Manager Kim Rice did a great job of organizing everything.

“I found all of the topics to be very interesting. I especially enjoyed the presentations on agriculture and economics and will use them in my classes. I think that faculty from all areas will find this conference helpful and interesting with material they could add to their courses, as we are a global community. Thank you again for a great conference.”

There you have it, another successful European Union Conference. To access more information about this year’s event, including resources such as speakers’ PowerPoint presentation files and sample course syllabi, visit the conference web page at http://www.euc.illinois.edu/facultyworkshop2012/

If you would like to be notified about next year’s conference, plus periodically learn of other resources and opportunities for educators, contact the European Union Center (EUC) at eucenter@illinois.edu and ask to be added to their regional faculty listserv. Since its inception in 1998, the European Union Center (EUC) has become the focal point on the University of Illinois campus and throughout the Midwest for teaching, research, and outreach programs on the European Union. The Center’s EUC will continue to bring together faculty and students from diverse disciplines across campus to promote the study of the EU and transatlantic relations, making it one of the most comprehensive EU centers in the US.

Tom Schurino is the past director of the Center for International Trade and Development for Riverside California Community College and the former Executive Director for The Corning New York Chamber of Commerce. He holds a M.A. degree in International Business Education from California State University Long Beach (CSULB) and a BBA degree in Business Administration from Western Michigan University. He recently completed a Fulbright Research Trip to Africa with the Midwest Institute for International-Intercultural Education. The project provided a rich mixture of cognitive and affective learning with overseas colleagues, other professionals and citizens in Botswana-S. Africa-Swaziland. The primary purpose of the project was to internationalize their teaching through curriculum development. Tom Currently teaches international business at Muskegon Community College.

Regional Faculty Working Conference Featured in Muskegon Community College Newsletter

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Young Translators of European Languages Unite: DGT Goes West

by Anna Holmén

Dr. Elizabeth Lowe, Director of the Center for Translation Studies, addresses high school students and teachers at the Illinois Translation Competition capstone program, held on the campus of the University of Illinois, November 4, 2011.

Sometimes when you open your mailbox in the morning you find something that really cheers you up. That definitely was the case for the Juvenes Translatores team when we got a letter of invitation from the University of Illinois. ‘Request for assistance,’ it said. ‘Speaker from the Directorate-General for Translation [DGT] for the "Illinois Translation Competition" awards luncheon’.

The Illinois High School Translation Competition, to give it its full name, turned out to be a school contest modelled on DGT's Juvenes Translatores translation competition for secondary schools. The University of Illinois has a European Union Center, established in 1998, as well as a Center for Translation Studies, which started up only three years ago. So when they heard of Juvenes Translatores, our American colleagues decided to pick up the ball and run with it.

They say that everything is bigger and better in America, but for this first round of Juvenes Translatores the US version covered only high schools in the State of Illinois, with a maximum entry of 25, and the rules were less strict than ours. The texts they used were the ones written by DGT colleagues for JT 2010 on Erasmus. The teachers were free to organise the test any time in August or September, and it was the teachers too who picked the winners.

Just as in the original EU version, the pupils were free to choose the source language from any of the official EU languages, but the target language was only English. The young winners who were invited to Urbana-Champaign, which is where the University of Illinois is situated, translated from Spanish, French, German, Lithuanian, Bulgarian, Polish and Italian.

I was the lucky one to make the trip across the pond and into the prairies to attend the award ceremony on 4 November 2011. The University of Illinois were generous enough to pay for all my expenses, and what they asked in return was for me to hold a presentation and in general act like a genuine translator from the European Commission.

For the presentation I decided to give the teachers and high-school students some fairly basic facts about the EU and its language regime. I followed it up with a few words about the founding fathers and the Coal and Steel Community, then the first four languages, all the subsequent accessions, and of course Regulation No 1/58 and the daily work of DGT.

I also had some useful exchanges with the staff of the Center for Translation Studies, who are planning to visit DGT with their pupils in May. Dr. Elizabeth Lowe, the director of the Center, is interested in attending a future European Master’s in Translation conference. What is clear is that DGT, as the largest public translation organisation in the world, is seen as a centre of excellence for translation by our friends in the west, as well as in other parts of the world.

Anna Holmén is coordinator of the annual ”Juvenes Translatores” competition, which is designed to reward the best young translators in the European Union. Juvenes Translatores is organized by Unit S.3. Multilingualism and Translation Studies, part of the Directorate-General for Translation for the European Commission.

Note: a version of this article originally appeared in DGT Monthly, the internal magazine of the Directorate-General for Translation of the European Commission.

Young Translators of European Languages Unite: DGT Goes West

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Resources for Teachers

Wondering how you can integrate more materials on the EU in your classroom? Don’t know where to look? Check out the EU Center’s resource pages for teachers. The Center has a lot of options for general knowledge about the EU, including copious internet links and materials (http://www.euc.illinois.edu/resources/internet/). For more specific materials addressing the

Illinois/EU relationship, visit our “Connections” website (http://connections.euc.illinois.edu/classroom/). Check back frequently for new resources as they come to our (or your) attention!

Resources for Teachers

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