Extended Accelerator Program - Bachelor of Education - Community, Culture, and Language

The Extended Accelerator Program (EAP) is a three-semester program that includes an immersive English-learning experience. The program gives students firsthand practical and cultural understanding of the Gonzaga University campus and the Spokane area through its contextual curriculum. Upon successful completion of the program, students progress into the second year of their undergraduate education with a full year’s worth of academic credits.

The Bachelor of Education - Community, Culture, and Language is intended to provide students with a sophisticated, practical understanding of the ways in which cultures, languages, and literacies support or challenge communities. This program is specifically designed to be paired with elementary certification. The guiding philosophy of the program is that in order for students to be women and men for and with others, they must understand how their cultural and linguistic behaviors shape and are shaped by their worldviews and those of the communities they belong to. By developing a stance of cultural humility, students are better able to grow with and learn from individuals coming from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

The program may also attract those who seek a deeper understanding of and ability to navigate cultural and linguistic differences, as well as the tools to build and support community for the benefit of all. With its interdisciplinary focus and complementary integration with the university core, the major will also target potential employment by NGOs, NPOs, and any businesses or organizations with a global focus. By the end of their sophomore year, students will be placed into one of two concentrations: the Elementary Education concentration, or the Community Education concentration. Please note that completion of this major does not, in and of itself, result in teacher certification – as that is an additional program. Additionally, a concentration is an area of focus and does not equate to certification.