ERIC Number: EJ792671
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 2
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0895-6405
EISSN: N/A
Creating Global Citizens through Study Abroad
Bellamy, Carol; Weinberg, Adam
Connection: The Journal of the New England Board of Higher Education, v21 n2 p20-21 Fall 2006
One of the greatest challenges for a student today is how to live as a responsible citizen in a globalizing world. Today's interconnected world cannot afford bystanders or passive participants. It demands confident, skilled citizens who will make responsible choices that take into consideration how educators allocate resources and what impact their decisions will have on future generations. It is important to have citizens who make decisions marked by these characteristics: (1) intercultural understanding; (2) mindfulness; (3) partnerships; (4) pragmatic hope; and (5) social entrepreneurship. How can educators help students develop these capacities? Among other strategies, higher education must increase the number of students who study outside the United States as part of their formal education. Study abroad programs teach important intercultural and language skills, but the true success of a program occurs within a student, when she/he realizes that she/he can see the world from a different cultural viewpoint. This is true global citizenship. A study published in "Transitions Abroad" magazine by Mary Dwyer and Courtney Peters of the Chicago-based Institute for the International Education of Students documented strong and lasting impacts of study abroad. Years after students return, they continue to learn languages, are keenly aware of other cultures and are more confident and committed to a sensitive global point of view. There is a growing body of literature that documents these and other impacts. Yet far too few U.S. students study abroad--about 1 percent by most estimates--and the numbers are skewed to wealthier students from elite colleges and universities.
Descriptors: International Education, Citizenship, Language Skills, Second Language Learning, Study Abroad, Decision Making, Cultural Awareness, Educational Benefits, World Views
New England Board of Higher Education. 45 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111. Tel: 617-357-9620; Fax: 617-338-1577; e-mail: connection@nebhe.org; Web site: http://www.nebhe.org/connection.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A