West Virginias Blackwater Falls State Park provided the backdrop last month for a cascade of insights, ideas and thoughts related to the Mountain States moment on the global stage.

The West Virginia Consortium for Faculty and Course Development in International Studies (FACDIS) wrapped its annual summer institute July 21 at the park.

FACDIS is fronted by the West Virginia Universitys Department of Political Science, in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.

West Virginia and the World: Globalism, Then and Now,was the theme of the gathering that presented lectures and forums on West Virginia, China and Vietnam.

Some three dozen public school teachers from across the state gathered at the park for the discussion of West Virginias place in the world, both historically and in contemporary terms.

This years presenters were Dr. Ken Fones-Wolf, a WVU history professor who specializes in labor and working-class history of Appalachia; Dr. Steven Leibo, a professor of Modern International History and Politics at Russell Sage College; and Tom Collins, a retired expert on teaching with a focus on global education.

FACDIS is directed by Fones-Wolfs WVU history colleague, Dr. Jack Hammersmith.

Its always a delight and inspiration,Hammersmith said,to see outstanding teachers from all over the state eagerly advancing their global education.

Established in 1980, FACDIS is a consortium of 20 West Virginia institutions of higher educationwith more than 375 participating faculty in international studies and foreign languages from more than 15 different disciplines.

FACDIS provides professional development opportunities for public school teachers while helping retool international study and foreign language courses in their classrooms.

The consortium also works to increase student and faculty participation in study-abroad programs.

For more information, contact Gretchen Peterec, assistant FACDIS director, at gretchen.peterec@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-7140.