Church of the Nazarene - Academy of Intl. Education

Academy for International Education

A central component of the Resource Institute for International Education is the Academy for International Education (AIE). The driving force behind the AIE is a desire to maximize access to the rich educational resources in the Church of the Nazarene. The goal of the AIE is to respond to identified needs in Nazarene educational institutions by applying worldwide educational resources of Church of the Nazarene.

The AIE is composed of persons who have expertise to offer the worldwide educational program of the Church of the Nazarene. Persons listed as members of the AIE possess confirmed expertise according to designated categories and have also met the slated criteria for membership.

The driving force behind the Academy for International Education is a desire to maximize access to the rich educational resources in the Church of the Nazarene. The goal of the Academy is to respond to identified needs in Nazarene educational institutions by applying worldwide resources of the Church of the Nazarene.

Nazarene education is first of all people. We recognize that without committed, qualified people the mission of our educational system cannot be fulfilled. Additionally, we require an educationally and doctrinally sound program, and access to quality educational materials. Educational needs, as prioritized at the Johannesburg 2000 Conference, emphasize four focus areas.

People: Supporting and developing skills of the people working in IBOE schools is the first focus of the Academy for International Education (AIE). The Academy recognizes that the educational staff includes administrators, campus, extension and de-centralized faculty, and employees in administrative support areas like registration, technology, finance, facilities maintenance, and instructional materials management. Specific development areas include content competency, education and teaching methods, and continuing professional growth.

Personnel Resourcing: Identifying qualified personnel to fill open positions on a short-term or long-term basis is one of the most critical needs in IBOE schools. A registry of Nazarene administrators, faculty and other pertinent specialties should be maintained and communicated to all administrators and faculty

	•	To foster interaction between faculty and administrators in similar specialties
	•	To assist administrators in filling short-term and long-term assignments
	•	To facilitate personnel exchange between institutions

Program: The educational program of IBOE schools is delivered through campus, extension, de-centralized and distance channels. The curriculum must be developed systematically. On-going assessment and evaluation of the program is required to assess program quality. Teaching/Learning materials must be written, evaluated and validated in the unique culture of each school. The AIE will assist program development by

	•	Providing consultation in curriculum development processes
	•	Collecting and cataloging existing model clergy preparation curricula and contextualized educational materials
	•	Collecting a bibliography of reference material for clergy preparation
	•	Developing and empowering local writers

Intercultural exchange: Continued awareness of the richness of our worldwide church can be facilitated through communication with people from other regions. The AIE can encourage intercultural exchange by co-sponsoring regional and global workshops and conferences where people can share ideas, experiences and solutions to educational challenges. This interchange will help maintain a fresh and workable vision of contextualized holistic Christian education.