The Local and International Global Goals (LIV) Project is an experiential learning collaboration between VUC Storstrøm (Denmark) and Stellenbosch University (South Africa) that brings students together across global, cultural, and social boundaries. Designed as a cultural immersion and dialogical learning experience, LIV places culture at the centre of learning for global citizenship, social inclusion, and sustainable development. 

Experiential learning through cultural immersion 

Delivered across two cohorts in 2024, the LIV project engaged learning partners from Denmark and South Africa in a series of immersive, place-based experiences in Stellenbosch and Cape Town. Participants learned with and from one another through structured dialogue, collaborative storytelling, community engagement, and reflective practice. These experiences were intentionally designed to move beyond observation, enabling participants to encounter difference, question assumptions, and build relational understanding. 

Culture as a catalyst for learning 

Grounded in experiential and transformative learning theory, LIV positions culture as a catalyst for inclusion, innovation, and resilience. Participants explored how identity, history, language, and context shape perspectives and lived realities. Through facilitated learning activities and shared reflection, students developed cultural awareness, critical thinking, and the ability to engage constructively across difference, key capabilities for navigating an interconnected world . 

Developing global competence and social awareness 

Participant reflections and evaluation data indicate strong growth in cultural sensitivity, perspective-taking, and awareness of global inequalities. Many LIV learning partners reported a deeper understanding of social justice issues, alongside increased confidence in applying their learning in leadership roles, education, and community initiatives. The project also contributed to participants’ understanding of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, linking global frameworks to lived experience. 

Learning design that supports depth and reflection 

LIV’s learning design integrates experiential learning praxis and practice, critical thinking frameworks, and community-based participatory approaches. Reflection journals, focus group discussions, and digital storytelling tools supported sense-making throughout the project. This structure ensured that learning remained intentional, developmental, and ethically grounded, rather than incidental. 

Building relationships and shared responsibility

At its core, LIV is built on the principle that everybody is necessary, and everybody has a role to play. Educator reflections highlight themes of collaboration, adaptability, belonging, and co-creation. These relational dimensions of learning enabled participants to build durable connections and a shared sense of responsibility for addressing social challenges in their own contexts. 

The LIV project demonstrates how experiential learning, grounded in relationality and reflection, can foster global competence, critical awareness, and meaningful engagement relevant to specific contexts. By learning across cultures and south-north paradigms, participants expanded their understanding of the world and their commitment to a shared humanity. 

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