Could universities offer courses that have a concurrent partner course in another country? The partner courses could follow the same curriculum so students can engage throughout the course with students from another culture and region of the world.

As for local engagement, if there are service learning projects that are intended to benefit a local community, the community members' perspectives can be integrated into the project. Even better, the community members can be engaged throughout the learning and problem solving process.

I cannot champion this this idea but I wanted to contribute a few thoughts to get the discussion rolling :).

Hi Lisa,
Thanks for sharing about your experience. I wonder what you think about programs like the General Assemby UX training to get the skills needed for a career transition. I know it's not the same as getting credit towards a college degree but perhaps it's another way to move forward towards getting a job.

There's an organization in San Francisco installing beehives on hotel rooftops: https://www.facebook.com/jdmcmaster/posts/10154127608293085

Might this inspire ideas or is there possibility for collaboration?