{"id":150306,"date":"2024-05-14T11:26:11","date_gmt":"2024-05-14T15:26:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=150306"},"modified":"2024-05-15T14:57:38","modified_gmt":"2024-05-15T18:57:38","slug":"studying-abroad-gives-wright-state-students-impactful-learning-growth-opportunities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2024\/05\/14\/studying-abroad-gives-wright-state-students-impactful-learning-growth-opportunities\/","title":{"rendered":"Studying abroad gives Wright State students impactful learning, growth opportunities"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2024\/05\/14\/studying-abroad-gives-wright-state-students-impactful-learning-growth-opportunities\/rowdy-ucie-passport-2\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-150317\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-150317\" src=\"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/files\/2024\/05\/Rowdy-UCIE-passport-2-246x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"246\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a>While most students and graduates went home or stayed in Dayton after Spring Semester ended, about 140 Wright State University students boarded planes to travel to eight foreign countries for 10 to 30 days of learning and personal growth.<\/p>\n<p>The number of students is significant because it represents a near-return to international study figures that were common at Wright State before the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>Wright State\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wright.edu\/international-education\">University Center for International Education (UCIE)<\/a> organized the faculty-led study abroad programs from May 1 to Aug. 20.<\/p>\n<p>The groups are traveling to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>France, to study its language and culture<\/li>\n<li>Germany, to study engineering<\/li>\n<li>Greece and Italy, in a Lake Campus-based program to study the history of those countries<\/li>\n<li>Japan, to study its culture<\/li>\n<li>Poland, to study biology and psychology by observing animals<\/li>\n<li>Spain, to study its language and culture, notably through food<\/li>\n<li>Taiwan, to study engineering<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re excited to have these numbers,\u201d said Joy Wanderi, associate director of UCIE and director of the Education Abroad and Exchange programs.<\/p>\n<p>The drop-off in travel caused by the pandemic \u201creally hit us, but we\u2019re recovering,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re almost at pre-pandemic levels. We\u2019re making good strides.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Because increases in travel costs have become a barrier to study abroad participation, Wright State offers students study abroad scholarships.<\/p>\n<p>For those who are driven to experience life overseas, even for a brief time, the rewards are great. Wanderi said after the pandemic many students returned to classrooms at a loss for how to connect with others in person.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were socially isolated,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Participating in international travel takes students out of their comfort zone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a hard thing to go into a different culture, but it helps you make friends and discover yourself,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Wanderi has seen a change in students who participate in study abroad programs when they return to Wright State.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019ve changed for the better, significantly. Some had been shy but not when they returned,\u201d she said. \u201cIt helps you grow as a person. The change is priceless.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In addition to personal benefits, listing international study on a resume helps when students enter the workforce, added Michelle Streeter-Ferrari, director of the University Center for International Education.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt enhances job opportunities,\u201d she said. \u201cCommunications, problem-solving and teamwork are skills developed in study abroad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When students return to Wright State from their study abroad trips, they are invited to re-entry workshops to talk in a group setting about what they learned academically and personally.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt gives them the opportunity to talk about what to do with their experience,\u201d she said. \u201cThe students can articulate these experiences for their resumes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2024\/03\/21\/virtual-lecture-series-aims-to-build-bridge-between-wright-state-and-ukrainian-students\/ucie-logo-3\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-148656\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-148656\" src=\"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/files\/2024\/03\/UCIE-logo-260x173.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"260\" height=\"173\" \/><\/a>The students are also encouraged to engage with international students at Wright State, like in a buddy system.<\/p>\n<p>Another persistent result of studying abroad is that students will participate in the program again.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to their individual impacts on participating students, study abroad programs have a positive effect for Wright State overall. More high school students are looking for a university with international education programs, Wanderi said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are asking about study abroad, not only for their degree, but for the learning experience,\u201d she said. \u201cFor us to say we have a study abroad program puts us on the map. We hope the seeds we\u2019re planting with this current contingent of students who will return from abroad will go a long way to adding to the recruiting efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Students can learn more about studying abroad at <a href=\"https:\/\/studyabroad.wright.edu\/\">studyabroad.wright.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About 140 Wright State University students are traveling to eight foreign countries for 10 to 30 days of learning and personal growth during faculty-led study abroad programs this summer. <a href=\"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2024\/05\/14\/studying-abroad-gives-wright-state-students-impactful-learning-growth-opportunities\/\" class=\"morelink\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":150320,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[722,725,715,4295,2113],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-150306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-home-news-sidebar","category-news","category-study-abroad","category-university-center-for-international-education"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150306"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":150386,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150306\/revisions\/150386"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/150320"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}