Dr. Ann Gillies brought a unique perspective on education and disability inclusion abroad to Colorado Mesa University’s (CMU) latest Cultural Cafe. Gillies presented on a three-week trip to South Africa in July 2018, where she was accompanied by CMU students representing early childhood, special education and teacher education majors.
The Cultural Cafe series is designed for Mavs’ and community members to share their experiences of cultures and customs from around the world with the campus community.
Gillies shared about her experience navigating new customs, as well as the volunteer work her team did and the conference they attended during their visit.
There is a learning curve, Gillies explained, that comes with being in a new place, especially when it comes to race. Gillies experienced this when her and her team wanted to donate materials to a “shanty town” in Cape Town.
“The gentleman who we worked with, who is a South African resident, born and raised in South Africa, very, very gently and respectfully said, ‘it’s not a good idea for you to visit this particular school in a shanty town, it might not be comfortable and you might not be well received.’ And he said it so gracefully… white people are not welcomed… that was awesome learning for me, because we really want to respect the cultures in which we visit. […] Very important lesson for me […] to really take a step back and not make assumptions when we’re in a different culture,” Gillies said.
The CMU contingent also volunteered at the Aiden Rose Center (ARC). Gillies praised the ARC for its job in inclusion.
“We saw a student […] with Down syndrome. […] A couple students with physical disabilities, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy […] Cape Town does an amazing job at this center of inclusive education.”
As part of their trip, Gillies’ team attended an international conference in Millerton, South Africa where they presented on inclusive education through community building.
“We learned a lot of different perspectives, shared from across the world […] all about education and the inclusive education of students with and without disabilities learning together,” said Gillies.
It seemed like audience members appreciated Gillies’ perspective on both education and travel. Freshman education major August Jones compared Gillies’ education journey to their own.
“I’m an education major […] so seeing what Dr. Gillies was bringing to the table was really interesting to me, the way that other countries do their education systems, the similarities and the differences, I’d love to learn more about those,” Jones said.
Cultural Cafes are a way for students to have a taste of studying abroad from the comfort of our Tomlinson Library and inspire students to open themselves to new cultures and experiences. The next Cultural Cafe is Sept. 27, featuring a special guest.
