UNT hosts sixth Conference on Education and Culture

Thursday, March 26, 2015 - 20:02

DENTON (UNT), Texas -- The University of North Texas will host the sixth Conference on Education and Culture from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. May 1 (Friday) in the Ballroom of UNT's Gateway Center, 801 N. Texas Blvd, Denton. This year's conference is titled "Cross-border Challenges and Opportunities" and is co-hosted by the University of North Texas, the Secretariat of Education of Jalisco and the Consul General of Mexico in Dallas.

The conference is designed for UNT faculty, students and other educators in the region, particularly those interested in cultural and linguistic diversity, said Nancy Nelson, UNT's Meadows Chair for Excellence in Education.

"We're addressing issues that are becoming increasingly important as our societies become more diverse," said Nelson. "In the U.S., there is a longstanding emphasis on multiculturalism, but in this conference we are also emphasizing interculturalism and points of contact across cultures."

Tickets for the general public are $50 for those who register before April 15 (Wednesday). The price increases to $65 thereafter. Tickets for students are $20 before April 15 and $25 thereafter. Tickets include a continental breakfast, lunch buffet, closing reception access and parking pass.

The keynote address, "Intercultural Communication: Language, Culture and Learning," will be delivered by Ulla M. Connor, director of the International Center for Intercultural Communication at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis. The closing address, "Educational Challenges, Opportunities and U.S.-Mexico Relations," will be given by José Octavio Tripp Villanueva, consul general of Mexico in Dallas.

Interdisciplinary and international panels on "Cross-Cultural Collaborations and Communications," "El Mariachi: Transnational and Transcultural," "Language Diversity, Immigration, and Education," and "Intercultural and Indigenous Education" will also be included.

UNT's Mariachi Águilas, the student-led mariachi group, will perform at the conference, and an exhibit on Wixárika permaculture and education will be on display as well.

To register or for more information, visit the conference website.

About the Conference on Education and Culture

The Conference on Education and Culture is a collaboration between the University of North Texas and the Jalisco Secretariat of Education, which supervises EC-12 and a number of universities, normal colleges and research centers. The partnership has been in effect since 2001 and was recently renewed in 2014. The collaboration calls for cooperative projects, inter-institutional research programs, visits between UNT and schools in the state of Jalisco, and other programs that promote improved educational and cultural relations between UNT and the Jalisco Secretariat of Education.

About UNT's College of Education

UNT's College of Education prepares students to contribute to the advancement of education, health and human development. Founded in 1890 as a teacher's college, UNT now enrolls more than 4,000 students in the College of Education, which consists of four departments -- counseling and higher education; educational psychology; kinesiology, health promotion and recreation; and teacher education and administration. UNT's College of Education certifies about 1,000 teachers a year -- making it one of the largest producers of new teachers in the north Texas region. Students are also prepared for careers as researchers, counselors, leaders, physical activity and health promotion specialists, child development and family studies specialists and more.

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