Regis education professor awarded Erasmus+ grant for international education studies

This fall, Elizabeth Grassi, Ph.D., Regis professor of education, was awarded the international Erasmus+ grant for her and two undergraduate students to study abroad in Norway at Østfold University College this spring. The following academic year, two Norwegian students will study at Regis University in Denver.

As a Fulbright scholar in Norway from 2023 to 2024, Grassi developed her research around teaching in multi-lingual classrooms using international teaching styles. The exchange of culture and educational styles across international borders – known professionally as “global mobility” – became the basis for her submission to the Erasmus+ grant.

Grassi described how uncommon it is for an institution in the United States to receive the Erasmus+ grant. In the U.S., the global mobility model of education is only slowly gaining popularity. Regis University sets a precedent for other institutions in the country for future cultural exchanges through selection for this experience.

Deciding which students to bring abroad was the next step after the grant was approved. In the spring, the chosen students will complete courses at Østfold University College and visit schools from around the region, learning intercultural communication and education skills.

Deion Garcia, a senior and history major, and Joe Parnell, a junior and English major at Regis, are the two undergraduate students selected to participate. The two students excel in their majors, and according to Grassi, excel as candidates for the Erasmus+ exchange.

“They were both highly recommended by their advisors; that was something I was looking for,” said Grassi. “These two are incredible teachers, and they have skills that are unique to the United States, that they will practice, while also learning the unique Scandinavian skills.”

The two students, as future educators, raise the bar for education in the United States through the exchange, as well as their personal conviction to be educators. Garcia described that as a young Latino man, he has felt underrepresented in the education profession. He wants to become a face for students to demonstrate a love of learning.

Aside from their personal draws to education, both Garcia and Parnell expressed their excitement for the wealth of new experiences and moments of growth; the exchange abroad will offer learning moments both within and outside of coursework.

“I'm looking forward to gaining experience of what it feels like to be a foreigner,” said Parnell. “Especially because I'm going to be teaching in areas that have a lot of culturally and linguistically diverse students that are learning English which will help me be more receptive to students that I teach that are in the same situation.”

As Grassi, Garcia and Parnell depart for Norway this coming spring semester, they represent the Regis community while abroad, living out the mission each day. This cross-cultural experience mirrors the Jesuit mission to be contemplatives in action: an opportunity to strengthen the thriving Regis community through serving for and with others.