Madison International (MI)

 

  • Do you want to experience and learn about cultures, beliefs, and practices around the world?
  • Would you like to make a real difference, both locally and globally?

Introduction

Living together in a residence hall at the heart of JMU's campus in Hoffman Hall, Madison International provides an extraordinary opportunity for a diverse cohort US and non US student residents to learn from and about each other through a series of exciting experiential and classroom-based activities.

"Madison International challenges residents to connect in community, to integrate global and local issues, and to act with intercultural competence."

Madison International will help you to develop the attitudes, knowledge and skills you will need to work and live effectively in an interconnected and interdependent world. Along the way, you will be asked to put yourself in the shoes of others, to see things from many different perspectives…by actively engaging with one another and with our local Harrisonburg community. Our approach is based on the idea that as the world continues to shrink, the ability to conduct oneself in culturally appropriate ways will grow in importance. It is one, small world, after all…

Mission Statement

Madison International challenges residents to connect in community, to integrate global and local issues, and to act with intercultural competence.

Goals

  1. Think and act locally and globally.
  2. Learn from and contribute to the multiple communities in which they are embedded.
  3. Cultivate the values and competencies of informed and enlightened global citizens who are prepared to lead productive and meaningful lives.

Overview

Madison International consists of approximately 30 new JMU students who live in a residence hall and 30 returning JMU students who live on and off campus. These 60 or so MI participants, both US and non US student residents, form a tight-knit community forged around everyone's academic major and provides the opportunity for real world engagement. The new JMU MI participants are matched with a returning JMU student (MI participant) to help them better navigate the campus and refer them to the many resources available to help them become successful "enlightened citizens," but also so that they can share their passion about different cultures, languages and countries together

Madison International strongly emphasizes the notion of becoming a global citizen and on the cultivation of specific aspects of intercultural competence. The program aims to prepare students to contribute meaningfully to the world in ways that honor the vast diversity of cultures and worldviews. The experiential pedagogy specifically developed for the MI community complements a wide variety of academic majors and provide "real-world" applications for theoretical and conceptual models.