Students have taught classes in English as a second language to recent immigrants from Laos, Vietnam, Sudan and Bosnia. They have traveled to inner-city schools to tutor troubled youth. In short, they have experienced life in ways that many never imagined while they were growing up in small Midwestern towns. However, other students are unable to travel abroad, and it is Central's goal to provide these students with opportunities to experience the cultural diversity that exists within our national boundaries. She works with professors to find ways of connecting course material with off-campus experiences, and assists students as they plan their individual programs.
Brand is a long-time exponent of experiential learning.
She teaches a course in human relations for future educators, and for years she has required her students to spend time with youngsters from the Mesquaki Settlement School in Tama, Iowa, and Longfellow Elementary, Finley Elementary and Harding Middle schools in Des Moines. A high percentage of minority students attend the three Des Moines schools. They have decreased interpersonal and group barriers. They have increased empathy and understanding of those groups. Phil Webber, professor of German, also has long been convinced of the value of experiential learning.