First Generation & Study Abroad: Building a Relationship

Strong campus partnerships are essential for Study Abroad professionals hoping to expand study abroad access and for First Generation Student Support Service professionals hoping to provide high-impact experiences for their students. This interactive session will explore strategies for building strong partnerships between First Generation Student serving offices and Study Abroad offices. Participants will be asked to share challenges and ideas from their own experiences, participate in group discussion, and begin to create their own outreach/partnership development plan for their office. The skills developed will be highly transferable for any campus partnership building efforts.

Accessibility & Inclusion Initiatives for Neurodiverse Learning in Study Abroad

Access, inclusion, and diversity are inherent ingredients in ensuring an intentional, student-based experiential learning program; as program administrators and staff, it is our responsibility to have an inclusion strategy that addresses various access and diversity issues throughout a student’s time on program, from initial inquiry to re-entry. Having carefully designed systems in place, and a well-trained and prepared team – at all levels – is the indicator for how well an organization responds to diverse needs of students. This Big Idea Talk will provide an overview of the The Experiment in International Living’s efforts to support increased neurodiversity on program.

Expanding Advising Vocabulary & Site Selection

Challenging the rhetoric behind traditional versus non-traditional study abroad sites. This session will highlight the impact that advisors have on reinforcing outdated practices or revolutionizing study abroad by incorporating the voices of the changing student demographic. Everyone is invited to join this conversation, especially, university practitioners and program providers!

First Gen Latinx Students Abroad: Critical Race Analysis & Recommendations

Presenters describe their research and application of Yosso’s (2005) Critical Race Theory based Community Cultural Wealth model on 1st Gen Latinx students studying abroad in a heritage location. This framework helps us recognize how the inherent capital possessed by 1st Gen Latinx students impacts their experiences, shapes their identities, and influences their development. Participants will examine policy and practice changes that will allow all students to leverage their unique strengths for academic and professional success.