PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Intensive Communication for Global Understanding Program (ICP) is a 3 or 4 week immersive English learning program where participants develop practical communication skills while exploring contemporary social and global issues. This program offers abundant opportunities to practice English and to explore the Pacific Northwest.
PARTICIPANT LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the Intensive Communication Program, students will be able to:
- Communicate ideas and perspectives confidently and persuasively in English across academic, social, and cross-cultural settings, adapting their communication to diverse audiences.
- Examine contemporary social and environmental challenges through Trending Topics such as social disparity, homelessness, activism, sustainability, and other issues affecting communities locally and globally.
- Connect global and domestic challenges to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and explore how these issues intersect across communities, cultures, and societies.
- Apply critical thinking and reflection to real-world experiences, connecting classroom discussions with observations, community engagement, and experiential learning throughout Portland.
- Explore civic innovation, activism, and community-based approaches to change, identifying ways individuals and communities can respond to social challenges and contribute to meaningful action.
HOW PARTICIPANTS LEARN
Students participate in two English-focused learning sessions each day composed of one morning class as well as alternating afternoon classes/experiential learning activities. The program’s content focuses on Trending Topics — content relating to social and global issues. Learning continues through the PSU dormstay experience where participants independently explore campus, the city of Portland and have the space to engage in university life just like other PSU students. This combination builds confidence, critical thinking, independence and develops valuable intercultural communication skills by creating a rhythm of learning, exploration, and reflection.
SAFETY
Recent program feedback from Winter 2026 participants highlighted the following stats:
- 100% of surveyed participants reported feeling safe or mostly safe on campus and in the city.
- Zero unsafe experiences on campus or in the city were reported during the program.
- 91% of surveyed participants said they would return to Portland if given the opportunity.
PARTICIPANT TAKE AWAY
Participants leave the ICP with experiences they can carry into their academic, professional, and personal lives. They return home better prepared to contribute to classroom discussions, collaborate with people from different backgrounds, and approach complex issues from multiple perspectives. Their experience at PSU also provides meaningful examples they can draw on in future presentations, applications, job interviews, study-abroad opportunities, and conversations about their own role in an increasingly interconnected world.