Eckels, Smith Earn Top Honor at State International Education Conference

What does it feel like to navigate a conversation in a language you barely understand? Or to step into a culture whose unwritten rules may be difficult to decipher?  

Two individuals in the Office of International Students and Scholars at the U of A and a faculty member from the University of Central Arkansas took these questions beyond discussion into an experiential learning opportunity for the U of A campus, one which earned them the top honor at the NAFSA Arkansas State Conference.  

Clark Eckels, iFriend coordinator; Cynthia Smith, assistant director for engagement; and Dr. Evan Faidley, assistant professor of College Student Personnel Administration, presented a session "Gamifying Cultural Humility: Simulation-Based Experiences to Build Community" at the conference, demonstrating how experiential learning can foster empathy, cultural humility and stronger campus communities by placing participants in the shoes of international students trying to navigate the complexities of applying for, traveling to and studying at an American university.  

The presentation featured three interactive simulations designed for audiences with varying levels of experience. Most notable was ACIREMA, a simulation that immerses participants in the complex administrative and systemic hurdles international students often encounter while pursuing an education in the United States, with the goal of helping participants better understand the challenges many students face long before they arrive on campus. 

Another exercise, Redundancia, places participants in a foreign-language environment, where they experience the uncertainty and vulnerability that accompany communicating without fluency.  

And the third, BaFá BaFá, divides participants into two fictional cultures, each with its own customs and expectations, before allowing them to visit one another's communities to recreate the confusion and disorientation associated with culture shock. 

"Our session explored how simulation-based learning can cultivate cultural humility among campus and community members at varying levels of engagement," Eckels said. "We've found that it's much more impactful to give people opportunities to experience things like struggling to speak in a new language, feeling culture shock in a new country or walking in the shoes of a prospective international student." 

For earning the conference's top presentation honor, Eckels, Smith and Faidley have been invited to present the session at the NAFSA Region III Conference in Fort Worth this October, where educators from across the region will learn more about the simulations and how to adapt them for their own campuses.  

"I was thrilled and honored that our presentation was chosen as 'Best in State' and that we will have the opportunity to give the presentation to a wider audience at the NAFSA Region III Conference in Fort Worth," Eckels said. "I'm looking forward to teaching my colleagues from around the region how they could implement these simulations at their own institutions." 

BaFá BaFá has become a recurring educational experience at the U of A, with Eckels facilitating the simulation each semester for academic classes and campus organizations.  

The team's work with ACIREMA has similarly evolved through partnerships across Arkansas. Eckels was first introduced to the simulation during the 2025 NAFSA Arkansas State Conference through a presentation by Dr. Evan Faidley of the University of Central Arkansas. After participating in a UCA-led simulation later that year, Eckels invited Faidley to help facilitate an ACIREMA experience on the U of A campus before joining the team as a co-presenter at this year's state conference. 

Members of the campus community interested in hosting these simulations can request a session by contacting ifriend@uark.edu.