Last semester, I completed a fellowship in Franke Global Leadership Initiative (FGLI). I previously enrolled into FGLI during my freshman year, because the program was offering a huge scholarship to aid a study abroad experience. During the next couple years, the purpose behind the program remained unknown and ambiguous. Last semester, I realized the value of an ambiguous program was independence.
I accepted my scholarship, and spent a summer in Milan, Italy. I attended international business and Mafia history classes at the Universita Cattolica. FGLI tasked me with conducting my own studies regarding a global issue of my choosing. I chose to observe how Italian businesses were handling the immigration and economic crises that challenged the European Union.
Franke GLI got more intensive after my study abroad experience. I joined a team of five students who had also studied abroad. We were tasked with identifying and solving a global issue. Slowly, my team developed an action plan.
We wrote a research paper called “Elementary Coding Education.” The research portrays how children are growing up in a globalizing world and must be prepared to compete in a global job market. Modern technology and software are linking the world together and providing career opportunities for people in developing countries that were once only available in developed nations. At this point, software is used to aid professionals in every career. Students who wish to be successful in the globalizing world will need to utilize and manipulate software more effectively than their global competitors. Finally, students in Montana have an insufficient knowledge in programming skills. The research shows that a foundation in coding curriculum in elementary schools would be beneficial for students.
Next, we went to Sussex Elementary School to teach students the foundations of programming with the aid of online games created by http://www.hourofcode.com. In addition, we discussed our experiences with programming, and reasons why programming is vital for a diverse array of professions. The students were inspired and excited. Now, Sussex Elementary School will continue using Hour of Code for students every year.
My team presented our project at the University of Montana Undergraduate Research Fair. During the fair, I attended the presentations of other FGLI groups. The power of an ambiguous program like FGLI became clear. Every group had unique methods of solving a wide array of global issues. Furthermore, everyone was strongly passionate with their own projects. I was thrown into an interdisciplinary group tasked with an ambiguous mission. Quickly, my team grew excited to solve a problem that was rooted in our strong beliefs. The implementation of a coding curriculum at Sussex Elementary was hugely successful due to our strong belief in the importance of programming. Franke Global Leadership Initiative provided me with an experience unmatched by any other program at the University of Montana.
Here is a link to the research paper:
Literature Review
Here is a link to the Franke Global Leadership Initiative blog:
https://glimontana.com/
Here a video of my team in action:
