Specialization in International Education

The Specialization in International Education (SIE) is an optional, award-winning program for second-year Bachelor of Education students at the University of Prince Edward Island. The program is designed to develop students’ sensitivity to cultural diversity and to increase their understanding of global issues, so that their teaching is infused with a global perspective and they are better prepared to teach in other countries or in diverse cultural settings. The program consists of four courses: Perspectives on Culture and Society in Education; International Development; International Education; and Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language. Students are also required to undertake their final six-week teaching practicum in a cultural and educational system that is different from their own. Placements range from elite international schools in European cities to under-resourced village schools in rural African communities. Some travel bursaries are available, though collaborative fundraising and preparatory activities are key components of this international experience.

Since its inception in 1998, approximatley 200 Education students have graduated with a Specialization in International Education, having completed practice-teaching placements in schools in more than 25 countries around the world, including Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, England, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, St. Vincent, Sweden, Switzerland, and Thailand.

Many SIE graduates are now teaching in other countries, in Canada’s north, or in schools across the country. Wherever they are, their personal and professional lives have been enriched by their international experiences.

For more information about the International Specialization please contact: John Rollins or Linyuan Guo

"The SIE programme contained the courses that challenged me to consider what education should be concerned about and why a globally oriented view of education is important." - SIE participant, Russia	"The SIE experience has been the most positive experience of my life. It has enabled me to develop lasting friendships, broaden my global awareness, increase my confidence in my teaching activities and, most importantly, it has increased my self-confidence in ways I still can’t explain." - SIE participant, England	"I think this experience has definitely changed me. I think with knowledge comes a certain responsibility, and after being in Africa I feel a strong responsibility to help in some way. I no longer have the excuse to do nothing because I don’t know 'how'…. And this alone is motivating enough." - SIE participant, Kenya