Trip To Brazil Creates Opportunities For NIC Students, Faculty

North Island College is exploring new educational partnerships with an institute in Brazil.

NIC faculty member Megan Wilson’ received a grant to cover a three-week stay in October in the Amazonas region of Brazil.

The trip started in the city of Manaus, where Wilson got an overview of the people, area and partner institution. This included meeting students, touring anthropology museums, and visiting a remote Indigenous campus. The final week allowed Wilson to go into the jungle to explore ecological issues, such as deforestation.

“Despite the differences, the two regions have some common ties,” Wilson said.

Her trip is an example of NIC’s Journeying Together plan and its commitment to Indigenize its international programs and projects.

“The plan aims at re-imagining global engagement for the NIC community by encouraging engagement and collaboration with global partners who, similar to NIC, are striving to become truly Indigenous serving,” said Romana Pasca, Manager, International Projects, Partnerships and Global Education for NIC’s Office of Global Engagement.

NIC and the Instituto Federal de Amazonas, the partner institution for the project, share remote campuses with diverse student populations.

Both have a variety of programs that focus on engaging and working together with Indigenous communities and students.

NIC says the trip is an example of NIC’s Journeying Together plan and its commitment to Indigenize its international programs and projects.

The trip offered her a chance to look at further possibilities for collaboration, such as student projects, research, and other partnerships.

She even had the chance to meet with an exchange student from Brazil, who is attending NIC in 2023.

Wilson expects the outcomes of the trip could include NIC design students working virtually with students in Brazil to create infographics, websites or social media platforms that raise awareness around Indigenous language revitalization or issues such as deforestation.

Collaborative Online Intercultural Learning (COIL) projects could offer students and faculty the opportunity to engage with the Brazilian partners and bring in other partners that share similar interests, such as in Hawaii or Costa Rica.

The Brazil journey marks the third time Wilson has ventured abroad for NIC’s Office of Global Engagement. The previous trips included one to the Philippines and Vietnam and another this past year to Mexico.

As Wilson puts it, life in more rural, remote Vancouver Island communities can sometimes feel a bit small or isolated, but these exchanges can help bridge the distance between students here and around the globe.