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Concurrent enrollment students featured in national magazine

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Students from M State and Fergus Falls High School’s Intercultural Communication concurrent enrollment class, at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo.
Students from M State and Fergus Falls High School’s Intercultural Communication concurrent enrollment class, pictured here at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, appear in the May 2026 issue of NEA Today magazine for their learning experiences outside the classroom.

 

Students from M State and Fergus Falls High School’s Intercultural Communication concurrent enrollment class have gained national attention for learning beyond the classroom. The group is featured in the May 2026 issue of NEA Today, a magazine distributed to National Education Association members and available online.

The students are highlighted in the feature article, “Expanding Students’ Worldview: Teachers reflect on helping students learn about people, cultures, and experiences beyond their own communities,” which explores how exposure to different perspectives can reduce stereotypes and support student growth.

A key part of that learning happens outside the classroom. As part of the course, students travel to Fargo for an immersive day that includes visits to the Adult Learning Center, where they connect directly with New Americans learning English. The partnership, in place for more than a decade, benefits both groups: the concurrent enrollment students gain insight into immigrant experiences, while Adult Learning Center students share their stories and practice their English speaking skills. This year, students also ate lunch at Tee’s Tacos and visited the Plains Art Museum, where they engaged with Indigenous art.

Intercultural Communication instructor Mindy Christianson is quoted in the article, noting that these interactions help students “lose some of those stereotypes and assumptions they had.” 

In post-trip reflections, students describe the experiences as eye-opening and meaningful, noting a greater appreciation for differences and similarities across cultures, along with a deeper understanding of the challenges of adapting to life in a new country. It’s like experiencing “a hundred different cultures within hours,” as one student described it—an impact difficult to replicate in a traditional classroom setting.

M State’s concurrent enrollment program offers college-level courses in Fergus Falls High School and more than 40 other partner high schools across west central Minnesota. Courses are taught by qualified high school instructors and supported by M State faculty mentors, giving students a head start on college while learning in their own communities.