Closing the Loop: Sustainability Coursework in Collaboration with Local and German-Speaking Partners

Abstract

This article explores the intersection of international collaboration and community-engaged learning in the context of a curriculum development project focused on sustainability in German-speaking cultures. By closing the loop in international exchange between partners abroad and local community organizations, students in German Studies programs can streamline their engagement with sustainability and benefit from active use of their intercultural skill sets. However, significant difficulties arise when trying to simultaneously teach skills traditionally emphasized in German Studies programs, develop successful projects with local community practitioners, and collaborate effectively with international partners. This article discusses an upper-division course, taught primarily in German, in which students develop group projects by working with peers at a partner institution in Germany. The article provides reflection on three key areas of focus: bolstering students' intercultural abilities to engage with partners abroad, training students to leverage their intercultural skills through virtual exchange, and articulating how cultural context is relevant for ongoing local sustainable development projects. Strengthening these skills allows German Studies students to demonstrate the value of interculturally sensitive collaborators while using their cultural knowledge to benefit local sustainable development work.