Students host fourth year of Thursday Social Club
Inver Hills Community College students in the Intercultural Communication course taught by Amy Zsohar, PhD, Communication Studies faculty are hosting the fourth year of the Thursday Social Club partnership with Living Well Disability Services. Each Thursday, residents accompanied by their aides travel from Living Well to the Inver Hills campus for an hour of social time with the students.
“Our students plan the days and activities,” Amy reported. “Spring semester 2026 started with the students completing Living Well volunteer training. In partnership with the Office of Accessibility Services (OAR), they learned skills to help them communicate with our nonspeaking guests. They were also trained, by Kate Olson, faculty in our Communication Studies program, to set and enforce their boundaries with our Living Well guests.”
Amy added that once her students were trained and had planned out weekly activities for their guests, the Thursday Social Club began. The first week was a Valentine’s Day party followed by a Mardi Gras mask-making party. The Thursday, February 26, social club theme was Fairytale Day.
“Student and their Living Well guests made and wore crowns, worked on coloring books, made magic wands from silly straws, pipe cleaners, and paper,” Amy said. “They also played games and just chatted together. Each week, the students meet more and more guests and learn how to communicate with each of them. It is a joyful time and an experience that impacts their communication styles and knowledge.”
Learn more by reading the Living Well news story:
“Living Well Partners with Inver Hills Community College for the Second Year of Thursday Social Club”
Learn more about Amy by reading her story on Inver Hills News:
“Amy Zsohar Named Minnesota State Board of Trustees 2023 Educator of the Year”
Thursday Social Club Fairytale Day gallery
View more event photos by opening the Inver Hills Flickr album:
Intercultural Communication Partnership with Living Well
COMM 2240: Intercultural Communication
Credits: 3
Course outline (PDF)Explores factors that influence communication between individuals of different cultures. In our global society we are increasingly called upon to communicate in a variety of intercultural contexts. Students will develop an understanding of the relationship between cultural orientation and communication behaviors.
Identifying their own cultural biases and assumptions will help students increase their awareness and tolerance of individual and group differences. Students will learn to demonstrate cultural sensitivity in interpersonal contacts and identify skills for interacting with people from culture groups other than their own. Students may not earn credit for both COMM 1114 and COMM 2240.
Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Future offerings: Spring semester 2026
Summer session 2026
Fall semester 2026
Spring semester 2027Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) Goal Areas
Goal 5: History, Social Sciences, and Behavioral Sciences, 3 courses
Take courses from two departments to increase knowledge of how historian and social and behavioral scientists discover, describe, and explain behaviors and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, events, and ideas.
Goal 8: Global Perspective, 1 course
Increase a comparative understanding of the growing interdependence of nations and people across cultural, social, economic, and political experiences.
Learn more about Communication Studies at Inver Hills by contacting:
Admissions Team
admissions@inverhills.edu
651-450-3902
866-576-0689
College Center
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Want to connect with an advisor? Check out our virtual drop-in hours or email admissions@inverhills.edu to request a campus-based or phone appointment.
More about Communication Studies at Inver Hills…
All human interaction is mediated through communication. The Communication Studies department at Inver Hills focuses on developing a stronger understanding of the nature of human interaction by exploring how messages are created, transmitted, and received through the use of verbal and nonverbal symbols.
Transfer Pathway A.A.
The 60-credit Communication Studies Transfer Pathway A.A. degree program offers you the powerful opportunity to complete an associate degree and transfer with junior-year status to designated communication studies bachelor’s degree programs at six Minnesota State universities.
As a student in this A.A. degree program, you will complete the Required Communication Pathway Curriculum (12 credits), General Education Requirements (28 credits), Health/Physical Education coursework (2 credits), and General Electives (18 credits) for a credit total of 60.
Minnesota State universities
Metropolitan State University
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Minnesota State University, Moorhead
Southwest Minnesota State University
St. Cloud State University
Winona State UniversityWhy major in Communication Studies at Inver Hills?
Solidify your most important soft skill.
The know-how, insights, and competency you’ll acquire in our Transfer Pathway A.A. degree program will give you first-class advantages in any number of fields. You’ll graduate fully fitted to make an auspicious impression in public relations, politics, fundraising, event planning, journalism, marketing, social media management, human resources, and more.Communication is the master key.
Successful interpersonal relationships depend on clear lines of communication. Learn how and when to listen while developing the skills to express yourself with precision, elegance, and simplicity. Studying communication will strengthen your connections with family members, intimate partners, coworkers, friends, acquaintances, and newly arrived guests in your life.Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking.
Four out 10 Americans are petrified by the thought speaking in front of an audience. You can beat that fright or enhance your already substantial oral presentation skills by taking our Public Speaking course.Turn culture clash into interactive harmony.
By exploring factors that influence communication between individuals of different cultures, you’ll start to understand the relationship between cultural orientation and communication behaviors. Identifying your own cultural biases and assumptions will help awaken your multicultural awareness while deepening your appreciation for the astonishing diversity of the human experience.Break into groups.
Working in small groups is an essential activity in college classrooms, corporate offices, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies. As a Communication Studies major, you will sharpen the leadership, conflict-management, presentation, problem-solving, and discussion skills you’ll need to make a splash in any group setting.Blaze your trail to success.
Our Transfer Pathway A.A. gives you the credits you need to transfer with junior-year status to a communication studies baccalaureate program at six Minnesota State universities. Your education at Inver Hills will empower you to become the pioneer of your own future.Learn to communicate with dexterity and empathy.
As a Communication Studies major, you will be trained to engage, entertain, influence, inform, and champion the people in your life. You will be an advocate for the swift and accurate comprehension of information and ideas. Exactly what every workplace needs.Career opportunities
Effective communication seldom occurs naturally. Communication expertise is honed by applying your knowledge through practice and diverse experiences. If you enjoy studying communication, but have another career path in mind, you will benefit greatly from taking several communication courses as electives.
You will broaden your career prospects, increase your self-confidence, and become a more sophisticated communicator. Interpersonal and public-speaking skills are always in high demand in the workplace.
Communication-based occupations in detail
Public Relations Specialists
Advertising Sales Agents
Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers
Editors
Market Research Analysts
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners
Public Relations and Fundraising Managers
Writers and Authors
Announcers
Reporters, Correspondents, and Broadcast News Analysts
Technical Writers
Actors
Producers and Directors
LEARN MORE…
