Study Abroad 2019
Opening Doors to Increase Diversity in Study Abroad
The numbers tell the story. More than 325,000 U.S. students studying abroad each year, but fewer than 30% are from underrepresented groups. And yet evidence shows, more and more employers rate “international experience” an important factor in hiring.
Top-down approaches to address underrepresentation in study abroad have included marketing campaigns designed to reframe study abroad and scholarships pools designated to underrepresented students. But these efforts alone haven’t opened enough doors.
How can we dramatically increase diversity in study abroad including racial, ethnic, gender, religious, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, disability, and age, so that it accurately reflects the diversity in today’s student population?
Questions before us include:
- How does the underrepresentation in study abroad affect the overall experience for students and conversely, how does diversity enhance study abroad?
- What predeparture, onsite, and re-entry protocol changes are needed to address participation by diverse students?
- How can we proactively design programs to support students’ identities?
- Other than scholarships, how can we incentivize diverse students to invest in international education?
As educators, we are called upon to ensure today’s students become tomorrow’s diverse and interculturally-savvy employees and leaders. Study abroad can make that happen.
Let’s Create Actionable Ideas to Tackle the Study Abroad Diversity Challenge Together.
Join us at the 2019 CIEE Annual Conference in Brooklyn, New York, November 6-8, 2019 to discuss approaches for reframing global education and developing scholarship structures designed to make study abroad a reality for all students.
Registration is now open!
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