International exchange is a valuable experience in one’s university career. However, most of us do not get the opportunity to go abroad due to practical difficulties, such as, finance, family, required courses that are not found elsewhere, and more. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly crucial that we create opportunities for students to participate in the global arena from their own countries.

Classroom Connect is a project designed to foster international and intercultural connections between classrooms in Kerala, India and Alberta, Canada. Two classrooms in Kerala were chosen, from St. Mary’s College Manarcad and CMS College, as colleges within India do not have much association with one another. This allows for the Indian students to not only connect with students abroad but also with students in their own country. From Alberta, a classroom in Ambrose University was chosen.

In North America, the majority of information about India is conveyed through the news and various media outlets. These sources do not endorse the rich history and culture of India but only broadcast the most horrendous of events, thus portraying the country to be a dangerous and threatening place. This extinguishes any remote desire in North Americans to visit India; we live our lives thinking we know the country but in actuality, are completely unaware of India’s intricacies. India may not be one’s first choice of country to visit so this project serves as a sampler of sorts, giving us a taste of Indian culture and history.

Our aspiration is that students will recognize the value of internationalization and deem it to be a crucial sphere of global knowledge, skill, and experience.