Name change better reflects purpose of intercultural outreach program - BYU News Skip to main content
Intellect

Name change better reflects purpose of intercultural outreach program

Undergoing a name change could cause an identity crisis for some, but the director of Brigham Young University’s Intercultural Outreach program thinks the fit of its new name is more appropriate than ever.

Formerly known as “International Outreach,” the program has returned to its roots and chosen a name that is more indicative of its goals.

“‘Intercultural Outreach’ better represents what the program aspires to accomplish,” said Cory Leonard, program director and assistant director of the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies.

Intercultural Outreach is a three-credit class (IAS 353R), offered through the Kennedy Center, in which students who have spent at least three months outside the United States work with elementary and secondary teachers to spread cultural understanding to the schools. They develop lesson plans that share the culture they have experienced as classroom presentations, which are then published and made available for purchase as “CultureGuides” used by K-12 teachers.

Although the content is still international, raising cultural awareness is the name of the game in this program, and the new name helps participants remember the focus of what they’re doing: helping students overcome cultural misunderstandings and replacing cultural generalizations with respect and acceptance, according to Leonard.

For more information on Intercultural Outreach, visit the Web site at outreach.byu.edu.

Writer: Brooke Eddington

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

Geology meets history: BYU professor studies WWII shrapnel on Normandy beaches

June 05, 2025
Eighty years after D-Day, BYU geologists uncover lingering WWII shrapnel on Normandy beaches to study how history still shapes the coastline today.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Forum: Lessons from Noise: Crackle to Calm

June 03, 2025
This year’s Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, Kent Gee, delivered his forum address on the science of sound and how he and BYU students have contributed to significant research in the acoustics industry.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

BYU study finds the real reasons why some people choose not to use artificial intelligence

June 03, 2025
In a recent study, BYU professors Jacob Steffen and Taylor Wells explored why some people are still reluctant to use GenAI tools. While some people might worry about an AI apocalypse, Steffen and Wells found that most non-users are more concerned with issues like trusting the results, missing the human touch or feeling unsure if GenAI is ethical to use.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=