麻豆影院

Choose Your Destination for Studying Abroad During 'I Heart Travel Week'

Interested in studying in one of 60 countries around the world? 鈥業 Heart Travel Week鈥 is packed with informative and fun events.

Scheduled on the week of Valentine鈥檚 Day each year, 鈥淚 Heart Travel Week,鈥 from 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 Office of Global Education (OGE) has become a university tradition. The week celebrates 麻豆影院 State students who have studied abroad or are currently studying abroad and offers informative events for students who are interested in international study.

麻豆影院 1,500 麻豆影院 State students study abroad each year.

More than 20 events and activities scheduled for the week include the Education Abroad Expo; information sessions about studying in Florence, Spain and Ghana; an Education Abroad 鈥淟ove is Blind鈥 trivia game; several study abroad-focused financial aid events; a week-long immersive exhibit in the DI Hub鈥檚 Blank_Lab; a pizza party; an Instagram photo contest; and even an exploration of how Star Wars鈥 鈥淭he Mandalorian鈥 can teach lessons of intercultural competency. You can view the full event schedule here.

It鈥檚 a whole-university event

"I Heart Travel Week" events are hosted by different colleges on campus, along with the OGE to help raise awareness of all the international study opportunities offered by 麻豆影院 State.

Amber Cruxton is director of 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 Education Abroad program. She said, 鈥淭here is a lot of variety in the different events that are being offered. So, really, even if a student just has a general interest in travel or learning about other cultures, there鈥檚 activities for them. But for students who are interested in studying abroad, there is really a lot to offer for them to learn about all of the different opportunities that 麻豆影院 State has and the ways that it can impact their personal, professional and academic goals.鈥

鈥楻eally, the impacts of study abroad are something that will follow them through the rest of their lives.鈥

Cruxton continued, 鈥淭hen for students who have already gone abroad, it鈥檚 important for us that their study abroad experience does not end when they return to campus. Really, the impacts of study abroad are something that will follow them through the rest of their lives. So, we have been intentional in developing programming for students who have returned home from studying abroad so they can make the most of their experience."
 

Students in Spain spelling K-S-U with their bodies.

 

Informative, immersive and fun experiences

One of the week鈥檚 biggest events, The Education Abroad Expo will be on Tuesday, Feb. 14 from 11 a.m. 鈥 1 p.m. in the second floor lobby of the DI HUB. There, students interested in international study can meet with representatives from OGE and from 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 colleges and schools. There will also be giveaways and prizes.

Students greeting students at the Education Abroad Expo

 

The Immersive Exhibit will run continuously in the DI Hub鈥檚 Blank_Lab all week. It鈥檚 a wraparound experience that allows students to walk in and get a feeling for what they might experience while traveling abroad. 鈥淣ot only the sights,鈥 said Cruxton, 鈥渂ut the emotion it may evoke for a student to be able to participate in one of our education abroad programs. They will be able to not only see the sights and watch other students having that experience, but they can listen to students and other people from 麻豆影院 State talk about the importance of study abroad and what it might mean for a 麻豆影院 State student.鈥

Immersive I Heart Travel Exhibit at DI HUB Blank Lab
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Desiree Dube is an education abroad advisor. She described one of the week鈥檚 other big events, the 鈥淓ducation Abroad Trivia Night: Love is Blind Edition.鈥

鈥淪tudents will be matched with countries, without knowing which countries they鈥檙e going to match, based on shared interests,鈥 Dube said. 鈥淭hen, these teams will answer questions about love-themed trivia from around the world.鈥 Pizza will be provided and there will be prizes for the winning team.

OGE鈥檚 partners on campus from different departments, colleges and schools will also have events throughout the week.

鈥淒uring 鈥業 Heart Travel Week,鈥 there are events related to scholarships and financial aid,鈥 said Dube. 鈥淭wo financial aid sessions and then two sessions on the , which is through the U.S. State Department for students who receive a Pell Grant. They can receive up to $5,000. So, we have an information session for that where they can actually work on their application essays.鈥

Who can study abroad?

麻豆影院 State is a leader in offering education abroad programs and they are designed to be accessible to all. 鈥淎nybody at 麻豆影院 State, no matter their major or the class year that they are,鈥 said Cruxton. 鈥淪o, anyone from a freshman to a graduating senior, all the way to people who are in graduate school for their master's or Ph.D.鈥

She said, 鈥淭his is an opportunity that is available to 麻豆影院 State students that not many other students around the nation are able to access. And we have a really large portfolio of programs that have been carefully curated to fit the needs of 麻豆影院 State students.

Study abroad student in Brazil.

 

鈥淭here are opportunities that are one week long all the way to an academic year. You can speak a foreign language, or you don鈥檛 have to,鈥 Cruxton said. 鈥淪o, it really is open to everyone and we鈥檙e willing to work with every student to find an opportunity for them.鈥

Financial aid puts travel within reach

As long as a student is participating in a 麻豆影院 State-sponsored study abroad program, they can access financial aid that can be utilized for that program. 麻豆影院 State also offers a variety of study abroad program options, at different price points, that may make them more accessible and affordable to students.

鈥淎ctually, we have a team in the financial aid office who is dedicated to working specifically with students participating in our study abroad programs,鈥 said Cruxton. 鈥淎nd they can work with students individually to look at their current aid package, help them maximize their financial aid for study abroad and also help them seek out other funding options for their study abroad experience, such as scholarships and grants.鈥

鈥淢any of our programs actually have built-in scholarships that they would only be able to get if they participated in a study abroad program, so they should really take advantage of that,鈥 she said.

鈥淪o, again, it鈥檚 really worth it for students to at least come talk to us to learn about all this before they write it off and say, 鈥榠t鈥檚 too expensive鈥 or 鈥榯here鈥檚 no way I could go away for a week鈥 or whatever it might be.鈥

A program for everyone, and every length of stay

Because everyone鈥檚 needs and level of comfort are different, OGE offers a number of shorter study abroad options. 鈥淪tudents really do have that option,鈥 Cruxton said. 鈥淚f they, for whatever reason, may not be able to be gone for an entire year or an entire semester, whether it be that they have a job or they have a family 鈥 or they鈥檙e just not comfortable leaving home for that long, we do have short-term programs. But then we also have those that are available to be gone for a year 鈥 or longer.鈥

She explained that there are programs that offer more support for traveling students who may have never been outside Northeast Ohio and programs meant for more experienced travelers or those looking for a challenge.

鈥楴o matter what your major is or where your interest lies, how long you want to be abroad, etc., study abroad is something that is available to 麻豆影院 State students and others within the 麻豆影院 State community,鈥 said Cruxton. 鈥淓ven if they just want to explore, they could certainly meet with someone in our office just to learn about the different opportunities. And maybe if going abroad is not something that is of interest to them, we encourage them to be engaged with the international community that is here on campus.鈥

Study abroad student in Japan.

 

Study abroad 鈥 by the numbers

麻豆影院 1,500 麻豆影院 State students study abroad each year. In a recent graduating class, about one in four students had participated in one or more of those programs during their time at 麻豆影院 State.

Education Abroad offers more than 200 programs in 60 countries worldwide. Top destinations include 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 flagship international campuses in Florence, Paris and Geneva.

鈥淚 Heart Travel Week鈥 is the third in a series of OGE-sponsored education abroad events happening at 麻豆影院 State each year. The first is the week-long Education Abroad Showcase in the fall semester, followed by International Education Week in November.

Student in Switzerland, overlooking mountains and valleys.
POSTED: Sunday, February 12, 2023 06:14 PM
Updated: Monday, February 13, 2023 07:08 PM
WRITTEN BY:
Phil B. Soencksen