Ask most students who have traveled abroad for study, work, volunteering, or research, and they will tell you that it was one of the best experiences of their lives—and, often, they'll say that it changed their lives. And, while the academic and personal value of experiences abroad make them worth the carbon you'll use to get where you're going, what's even more important is the mutual respect and understanding you can build as you meet the people of your host country.
In our global community, understanding the world's cultures, conditions, and the challenges it faces is critical to creating a better planet for everyone. If you choose to go abroad, which we hope you will, you'll join a small, but growing, group of U.S. students who are making this decision. At a time when only some 27% of Americans hold passports, according to the U.S. Department of State, it's important that those with the will find a way to go abroad, learn what's going on in the world, meet its people, gain new levels of appreciation for the planet's diversity, and hopefully return impassioned and empowered to address some of the issues affecting our global neighbors.
As Mark Twain once said, "don't let your studies get in the way of your education." Follow the links below to move further out into the world.
