The Cross-Cultural Rhetoric Project, or CCR, began as a research project funded by the Wallenberg Global Learning Network and initially connected one single PWR class with one single class in Örebro, Sweden.  Four years later, CCR has expanded to connect students in PWR classes with students across the globe, at world-class universities including the University of Sydney, the American University in Cairo, the National University of Singapore, Uppsala University in Sweden, the University of Lausanne Switzerland, Khabarovsk State Academic of Economics and Law in Russia, and Seoul National University.  Led by Alyssa O’Brien and Christine Alfano, the CCR Project provides real audiences for PWR 1 and PWR 2 writing and speaking projects, while it teaches students essential skills for global collaboration and intercultural communication. 

The latest development in CCR comes through generous grant funding from SiCa (the Stanford Institute for Creativity and the Arts).  Now PWR students are not only able to connect with students in other countries, but they also have the opportunity to participate in virtual workshops led by artists, filmmakers, and experts in oratory and comic writing.  These guest lecturers, such as Steve Bodow from the Daily Show, or former PWR lecturer and filmmaker Bump Halbritter, are “beamed in” through CCR video-conference technology to run a virtual class.  Students then join colleagues at universities abroad to work on collaborative writing and speaking projects, putting into practice what they’ve learned. 

“The new grant funding makes possible an unrealized opportunity to use technology for global learning in small class settings; it enriches our PWR classes while we enable Stanford students to work closely with others who have diverse experiences and perspectives around the world,” said O’Brien. 

PWR lecturers who teach courses with CCR components (video-conference or blogging activities) include Christine Alfano, Julia Bleakney, Jonathan Hunt, Donna Hunter, Sangeeta Mediratta, Alyssa O’Brien, Carolyn Ross, and Helle Rytkonen.  See the CCR website for more news, links to the student blog, and a photo gallery.  (http://ccr.stanford.edu)