2. Why go international? New commonalities Finding out what your passion and life’s work is in a unique environment Study abroad is a unique investment in your future It’s all about perspective
3. What the experts are saying… “ Not only do fewer Americans study abroad than foreign students in this country, but the students who come to the United states to study stay longer, sometimes for an entire undergraduate program.” -Institute for International Education Report Open Doors
4. What the experts are saying… “Making study abroad the norm and not the exception can position this and future generations of Americans for success in the world, much in the same way the establishment of the land grand university system and the enactment of the GI bill helped create the “American Century.” – Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program
5. Critical Need for Diplomats of Color Secretary Rice Calls Lack of Black Diplomats 'Unacceptable‘ I want to see a Foreign Service that looks as if black Americans are a part of this great country." Rice spoke bluntly about her desire to see a Foreign Service where black Americans are highly visible and directly involved in the development and promotion of America's foreign policy. Hispanic Business.com http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/2008/9/12/secretary_rice_calls_lack_of_black.htm
6. Most common Myths & Assumptions The number one myth is that the education abroad experience is not for Black students, especially in the traditional European study sites. “I was shocked and angered to find that the media had also taught South Africans a distorted view of African-Americans. The image of "the violent black male" represented in rap videos was almost all these kids had as a reference for blacks in America.” (Student experience on South Africa)
7. Student experience on South Africa The majority of the people I encountered in urban and rural areas were very receptive and hospitable to me simply because I am a black American. People felt comfortable discussing issues of race and what their experiences would possibly be like as Africans in America. While I was volunteering at the U.S. Information Service in Durban, students asked me questions that I never heard them ask my boss. As an African-American, I was able to provide another face of America for the South African students who visited the center.
9. Current Trends Experience in the global classroom is now a requisite for success in the 21st century Many developing countries are moving ahead in technology but lack infrastructure. Critical need for Nurses, Lawyers, Doctors Economic and Social Entrepreneurs , people who can build technology infrastructure.
10. Study Abroad Scholarships The Council on International Educational Exchange the leading U.S. non-governmental international education organization. CIEE creates and administers programs that allow high school and university students and educators to study and teach abroad. http://www.ciee.org/study/scholarships.aspx
11. Robert B. Bailey Scholarship The Robert B. Bailey Scholarship is intended to promote the participation in CIEE programs of individuals or members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in study abroad, especially ethnic minority students. EligibilityAvailable to CIEE Study Center applicants only. The applicant must be self-identified as belonging to an underrepresented group. AwardsBeginning in spring 2009, award amounts are $1,500 for semester or yearlong programs and $500 for summer programs. The award is applied toward the applicant’s CIEE program fee.
12. The Woodrow Wilson International Fellowship Foundation Offers several scholarship/internship programs for students from underrepresented minority groups interested in international careers. Most fund several years of undergraduate and graduate study and include summer institutes and internships. Scholarships for graduate students are also available. Undergraduates may apply in their sophomore year for the three undergraduate programs; seniors may apply for the graduate programs application deadlines are in February.
13. International Scholarships Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship – a scholarship based on the financial aid one is already receiving (must be getting the Federal Pell Grant) and the location of the study abroad program. http://www.iie.org//programs/gilman/index.html
14. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program U.S. Department of State. A 3-year scholarship for students interested in careers in diplomacy with the U.S. Department of State. Leads to a Masters Degree and a position with the State Department. The Graduate program is for 2 years. http://www.woodrow.org/fellowships/foreign_affairs/pickering_undergrad/index.php
15. Other opportunities of study National Security Education Program (NSEP) funds undergraduates and graduate students to study in less-frequented regions, often in less-developed countries. Students of color are encouraged to apply. Contact: NSEP, Institute of International Education, www.iie.org/nsep Fogarty International Center's Minority International Research Training (MIRT) Grant sends minority students abroad, accompanied by U.S. college faculty, with full funding to do health-related research worldwide. (U-M student Natalie McFarlin, see sidebar, had her first experience abroad through a Fogarty program). For more information, contact: Fogarty International Center, MIRT National Institutes of Health, www.fic.nih.gov. The Peace Corps is a great bet for anyone interested in working directly with ordinary people in more than 95 less-developed countries. The U.S. government pays all expenses plus over $5,400 savings at the end of the two-year voluntary commitment. Contact: Peace Corps, www.peacecorps.gov.
16. Institute for International Public Policy This program, administered by the United Negro College Fund Special Programs Corporation, is designed to prepare minority students for careers in international affairs. Past internship placements have included the U.S. Department of State, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Woodrow Wilson Center and the White House. http://www.uncfsp.org/spknowledge/default.aspx?page=program.view&areaid=2&contentid=407&typeid=iipp
17. Careers: The US Foreign Service The Foreign Service includes the U.S. Department of State, (diplomacy), the Department of Commerce (international trade and business), and the U.S. Information Agency (cultural and educational exchanges). A strong recruitment drive is underway for Americans of color. To apply, you simply take the Foreign Service Exam, which is similar to the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or other standard tests except that it includes a section on international knowledge. It's given once a year and costs nothing. Most people take it more than once before passing. Since only the highest score counts, there's no reason not to take it! See the Department of State's website for the next exam date. http://careers.state.gov/students/index.htmL
18. Other Useful Links http://www.brown.edu/Administration/OIP/pdf_docs/diversity_st_abroad01.pdf First person experiences of students in a racial/gender/status minority in a foreign country http://www.ciee.org/Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE) – includes programs and services for studying, working and volunteering aboard. Also provides five different scholarships. http://www.iie.org/programs/freeman-asia/Freeman-Asia Grant – this grant is based on the location of the program and financial need of the student. http://www.nafsa.org/ NAFSA: Association of International Educators
