34 THE QUEENS COURIER • BACK TO SCHOOL • AUGUST 24, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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3 reasons to study abroad during high school
Th ink about how your teenager will
spend their next summer vacation.
What if their months off from school
could include something much bigger
than the usual lineup of part-time jobs,
sports practices and hanging out with
friends?
Picture this: Your teenager wakes up in
a diff erent bedroom in a diff erent country,
far from home. Aft er eating a breakfast
that may consist of new and diff erent
foods and fl avors, served by a caring
host family, your student heads out to
have amazing experiences in a new land.
Whatever the day brings, your teenager
will remember it for a lifetime.
What surprises many is a summer of
studying abroad is not just for college
students. What’s also surprising: going
abroad is not just for families of means.
For all high school students, there is
ample opportunity to spend their summer
in a new country, having an experience
of a lifetime that just isn’t available
at home.
Every year, more than 300,000 U.S.
students study abroad, according to the
NAFSA: Association of International
Educators. If your high school student
were among them, how would the adventure
transform their lives and futures?
1. They stretch and grow.
A summer abroad is the ultimate
“stretch” experience a student could have.
Th at is, learning to communicate in a
foreign language and adapting to daily
life in a diff erent culture makes students
who study abroad in high school more
resourceful, and helps them develop their
interpersonal skills and discover new
solutions to obstacles.
“Many parents see a change in their
students when they return from the
experience of studying abroad,” says
Matt Redman, vice president of Global
Navigator High School Study Abroad programs
at CIEE: Council on International
Educational Exchange, a nonprofi t that
operates more than 300 study abroad programs.
“Th ey just carry themselves differently
because of that boost in maturity
and confi dence they gain from living in
a new place during their summer break.”
2. They get exposure to bigger
ideas and experiences.
If going abroad is an opportunity your
student wants to pursue, it’s important
to understand the options and to identify
goals for the program so your teenager
has the experience he or she is looking
for. Some programs off er daily itineraries
where students visit multiple cities
and see the major sites. Others are
more focused and off er interaction with
local people, local language lessons and
a chance to live and engage with the
community. While both approaches off er
valuable life experiences, learning can be
balanced with fun.
For example, CIEE’s Global Navigators
high school programs give students an
opportunity to learn and work in a fi eld of
study, such as marine science, fi lmmaking
or global entrepreneurship in places like
China, Spain or Peru. At the same time,
there’s room in the schedule for exploration
and fun, where students sightsee, try
new activities and participate in community
events.
3. It prepares them for
their next steps.
Aft er their time in a diff erent country,
the feedback from the students is nothing
short of inspiring.
“Our students oft en talk about the new
things they’ve discovered about themselves
just from having these new experiences
far from home,” Redman says.
“Along with becoming more independent,
many talk about their plans for the future.
With very few exceptions, they see college
as an essential part of their futures. Th ese
teens are not only excited about going to
college, they know what they want from
life. In having these experiences, they fi nd
their focus, and they set goals.”
It’s easy to see how focus and passion
can fuel a student’s drive to excel academically.
Beyond college, research suggests
studying abroad also has positive eff ects
on career prospects.
Villanova University found that graduates
who spent time in a diff erent country
as part of their studies had better opportunities
and a higher job placement aft er
graduation than those who did not.
In addition to that, businesses are
increasingly seeking employees who
can contribute a global perspective.
According to the Association of American
Colleges and Universities, 78 percent of
400 employers surveyed in 2015 said students
should gain the “intercultural skills
and understanding of societies and countries
outside the U.S.” Yet only 15 percent
of employers fi nd these qualities in recent
college graduates.
Th inking about it? Th e opportunity is
closer than you think.
Studying abroad is long associated with
families of means. Look for scholarship
opportunities and doors can start opening
for your teenager. For example, CIEE’s
Global Navigator Scholarships are based
on fi nancial need and cover anywhere
from 20 percent to 100 percent of their
tuition costs, making the opportunity to
study abroad and experience a new culture
within reach for even more families.
Since 2013, these scholarships have made
international study a reality for more
than 3,000 students. To learn more about
CIEE’s Global Navigator High School
Study Abroad program and the scholarships,
visit ciee.org/globalnavigators.
Courtesy BPT