Northampton Community College Students Explore Culture at Diné College
News & Events
October 15, 2013
Tsaile, AZ. - Students and faculty from Northampton Community College (NCC) in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania are visiting the Navajo Nation. The intercultural exchange is a collaboration between Diné College and NCC. The fourteen students and Faculty are temporarily residing with participating community members in Tsaile. Students will be given the opportunity to explore the Navajo culture and sites on October 14-19, 2013. The experience for the Northampton College students and faculty is an ongoing intercultural exchange project made possible by Diné College instructor Dr. Miranda Haskie and NCC professor Donna Acerra.
“It’s an exciting project where students from NCC come to Diné College and make contact with surrounding communities to learn more about the Navajo culture and our current lifestyles,” said Dr. Haskie. “Our students will also take part in the intercultural exchange by visiting NCC in Pennsylvania in November.”
The one-week visit will introduce the students of NCC to the lifestyles and culture of local Navajo residents. They are scheduled to participate in a variety of scheduled activities that will help them gain more knowledge of the Navajo people. Some of the activities include demonstrations of silversmithing, and beadwork as well as traditional foods.
Donna Acerra, Professor of Communication at NCC first introduced the intercultural exchange project to the College in 2009. She wanted to give her students the opportunity to learn of other cultures by having them interact and experience it themselves.
“We can read about other cultures and get a small sense of what we are teaching, but to truly help our students gain a deeper understanding we must try new methods,” said Professor Acerra. “Through the intercultural exchange students will have a lasting knowledge of the experience of being immersed in the Navajo culture and environment.”
Diné College students will also participate in the program in November where students will travel to Bethlehem, Pennsylavania. Earlier in the year students and faculty at NCC launched a fundraising campaign to help fund the travel for students from Diné College.