CETUSA is proud to be a commitment partner in the Generation Study Abroad initiative. This initiative aims to double the number of America students who study abroad by 2020. Currently, the US makes a very poor showing on the international scene with LESS THAN 10% of our students having a study abroad experience before they graduate from college. There are so many reasons that a study abroad experience is vital to the growth and success of our young people and our nation, and there are so many reasons that this experience has been institutionally blocked or undervalued.
Our task as supporters of Generation Study Abroad – and of our national future – is to increase the awareness of students, teachers and parents of the value of study abroad. International experience is an essential skill for a 21st century education. We need to provide our teachers and educators with international studies resources they can use to engage students’ imaginations. We need to include global awareness and perspective across all subjects.
As Michael Slackman, International Managing Editor of The New York Times, explained in his remarks at the recent Generation Study Abroad summit, it is key that students understand their prism of perspective is not the same as everyone else. He told the story of speaking to an Albanian woman who consistently shook her head while he talked. He finally asked her, with great disappointment, why she was being so negative. She laughed and explained that in Albania, shaking your head side to side is the same as nodding your head up and down in the US. She was agreeing with him!
Be with us on this adventure as together we engage and inspire! Follow our blog, send us a message, like us on Facebook, and help us spread the word.