Service Learning
The Institute will incorporate service-learning projects. By taking part in service projects in sites near Xi'an Jiaotong University, participants will learn about the challenges posed by competing demands of growth and sustainability, while also making a local impact.
Cultural Excursions
Participants will visit several sites throughout the region, and experience the environmental diversity of China firsthand. During these excursions, participants will not be responsible for any travel expenses; these are included in tuition. Cultural excursions to the Famen Temple, the Eastern Royal Tombs of the Qin Dynasty, and the Terra Cotta Warriors are planned for the 2014 Institute.
Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi'an
Argumentation, Persuasion and Debate
In this course section at the Institute, Instructor Kimokeo-Goes will teach the theories behind argumentation and persuasion, as well as expose students to several different competitive debate formats. Students will learn how argumentation and debate serve as powerful vehicles for persuasion and social change. Skills learned in this section of the Institute will be applied during the Advocacy Institute debate tournament.
Sustainability
Sustainability is broadly defined to incorporate the 4 E's: education, environment, equity, and economics. Sustainability incorporates a commitment to fostering resilient, prosperous, and healthy communities that strikes a balance between resource use, the needs of the environment, and the social, cultural, and economic well-being of their citizens. Through lectures, discussions, and excursions with accompanying faculty, students on the 2013 program will explore these topics in the context of Xi'an and China.
Debate Tournament
The final event of the Advocacy Institute, the debate tournament is an opportunity for participants to apply their new knowledge and skills in argumentation and persuasion to debate a specific topic related to sustainability. Students will be paired in cross-cultural teams, learning other perspectives by debating alongside partners from different backgrounds, cultures, and values.