The strategic goals of the GREAT Project are:

1. To grow Rice's global impact.
2. Provide professional development opportunities to international students.
3. Provide access, equity, inclusion, and diversity to the Rice University campus.
4. Give back to the local community.
5. Create a safe, productive, and joyful space for two-way learning and awareness.
6. Partner with community groups.

The GREAT Project was envisioned by Dr. Adria Baker, Rice University's Associate Vice Provost for International Education and Executive Director of OISS-IC. She has since retired, but continues to volunteer with OISS-IC to help lead the GREAT Project.

The program began with the Brazilian student group, where the Brazilian student president and club members embraced the idea, and helped create the inaugural immersion workshop in early 2019. The Brazil class focused on teaching Portuguese, mathematics through making Brazilian candy, biological science with nature and animals, and geography.

The teaching leadership of the Brazilian student group mentored, trained, and befriended the Chinese graduate students, who led the second workshop. This pattern continued with the Ecuadorian student leadership, and the legacy continues. (Please see our Past Activities page for information on all classes.)

Many students who have already graduated continue to volunteer for this program, and provide support and training for new student leaders.

As an outreach program, the GREAT Project has a strong focus on community engagement.

The program relies on volunteer work by students, Rice campus clubs, and other members of the Rice and Houston communities. The families of the young adult participants also help with program activities. In addition, the Guayaquil-Houston Sister City Association has provided significant volunteer support to the GREAT Project and we are very grateful for their partnership.

The GREAT Project is directed and operated by the OISS-IC and Brasil@Rice office and endorsed by the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, with support from the Provost’s Office. The program supports the Office of the President's mission statements, values, and international education exchange.

The GREAT Project provides a global template for academic and training experiences for community participants who have learning differences, and may not have access to the regular university degree programs. It is inherently flexible, as each workshop features different countries, regions, continents or themes. The GREAT Project could easily be replicated at other colleges or universities that host international students interested in giving back to the community, teaching about their home country, and mentoring with various academic subjects and themes. Furthermore, student teacher/mentors could be domestic students who are interested in teaching special needs learners, using a global backdrop.

If you are interested in developing your own program, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Adria Baker (abaker@rice.edu) or oiss@rice.edu for more information.