Strengthening Educational Practices: Empowering Teachers Through Cross-Cultural Collaboration

Abstract

The globalization era demands that education addresses both local and global learning needs by instilling cross-cultural understanding in students. Teachers play a pivotal role in creating inclusive learning environments, respecting diversity, and fostering students' character development as global citizens. This study documents a community service program designed to facilitate cross-cultural collaboration among 25 teachers from diverse cultural backgrounds in Indonesia. The program was implemented through workshops, interactive discussions, and the adoption of new methods using a blended learning approach. Results showed that the program successfully enhanced teachers’ competencies, with 85% of participants reporting improved understanding of inclusive and culturally responsive teaching methods. Innovations included the use of cross-cultural folktales and project-based learning approaches that promoted collaboration among students from different backgrounds