2022 Global Education Student Experience Survey by DA Global | Jun 10, 2026 | Articles, Internal Header, News & Updates, Public, Reports, Surveys DA Global’s Global Education Experience Student Survey offers a comprehensive look at what students actually experience before, during, and after studying abroad — from program selection and on-site life to the re-entry process back home. The survey provides practical insights for advisors, faculty, and program administrators working to improve the quality of global education for all students. The survey was conducted in Fall 2022 and gathered responses from 934 students across more than 200 institutions, representing programs in over 70 countries and 19 fields of academic study. Respondents span a wide range of program types — from faculty-led programs and direct enrollment to third-party providers and internships — and program durations from short-term to a full academic year. Among the areas explored: how students learned about and decided to participate in their programs, what support they received on-site, how they grew personally and professionally, and how they navigated the return home. The data surfaces both the strengths of current program design and the gaps that still need to be addressed. The survey also captures important identity dimensions of the student experience — including race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and first-generation college student status, with 24.4% of respondents identifying as first-generation. For these students in particular, the data highlights where targeted support can make a meaningful difference in access and outcomes. Key findings: Students reported strong personal growth: 91% experienced improved cultural adaptation and 90.6% increased self-confidence. Program cost was the top logistical concern, with over half of respondents indicating it as a significant worry before departure. Family (84.3%) and peers (71.5%) were the primary sources of support students turned to before going abroad — more than institutional advisors. Over half of respondents felt stereotyped or isolated at least once while overseas, and nearly one-third experienced verbal harassment or microaggressions. The majority had access to identity-related resources before going abroad — yet over half did not expect their identity to be a significant factor prior to enrolling. Many students experienced the intersection of multiple identities — including first-generation status, race, gender, and nationality — as shaping their daily experience abroad. Request Access to the Report
Short-Term Embedded Study Abroad Develops Measurable Career Competencies by DA Global | May 19, 2026 | Articles, Education Abroad Resources, Global Engagement Resources, Homepage Articles, Public Introduction to Case Study: Short-term programs can deliver rigorous, assessable career readiness outcomes. The key is not how long students travel. It is how intentionally the experience is designed. This paper examines student reflective writing from a two-week embedded program in the Bahamas. It finds clear, quotable evidence of all eight NACE Career Readiness competencies across twelve student reflections. Structured reflection tools and intentional site selection made the difference. The program was not originally designed around NACE competencies. The outcomes appeared anyway, because the design put students in high-stakes, culturally complex situations and gave them a framework to process what they experienced. This matters for every professional who works at the intersection of global education and student success. The challenge facing our field is not that short-term programs lack value. It is that we lack consistent frameworks to document and communicate that value. Case Study Information: Course: GBUS 330 · International Organizational Behavior in the Bahamian Context Institution: The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University Cohort size: 12 students Program Duration: 2 weeks Read the Full Article Who should read this Faculty and program directors. This research offers a replicable model. Structured reflection frameworks mapped to NACE competencies can be built into any faculty-led program, before or after travel. You don’t have to start from scratch. International education administrators. This paper gives you a data-supported argument to take to institutional leadership. Short-term embedded programs belong in the same conversation as high-impact practices. Here is the evidence to make that case. Career services professionals. Student reflections from global programs already contain career-ready language. This research shows how to surface it, code it, and help students translate their experiences into resume language, portfolio entries, and interview narratives. Key Findings All eight NACE competencies appeared in student writing from a single two-week program. From critical thinking at historical sites to AI ethics discussions with local professionals, each competency showed up with specificity and depth. Discomfort was the most consistent driver of growth. Students most often named difficult moments as their most impactful: confronting colonial history, navigating social anxiety, adapting to unfamiliar professional norms. Programs that lean into productive discomfort produce stronger outcomes than those that prioritize comfort. Equity and inclusion functioned as a connective thread, not a standalone competency. Themes of power, identity, and difference surfaced across nearly every competency domain. Programs that engage honestly with history and social complexity produce more holistic career readiness outcomes for all students. Structured reflection unlocks career-ready language students already have. The Heart/Brain/Stomach framework gave students scaffolding to articulate their growth in ways that directly translate to career conversations. Open-ended reflection alone does not produce the same result. Career and self-development showed the deepest engagement. Direct access to global professionals prompted students to revisit career goals, question assumed paths, and recognize that success is not linear. This is hard to replicate in a classroom. Competency mapping works even when applied after the fact. This program was not designed using the NACE framework from the start. The outcomes were still there. Institutions do not need to redesign existing programs to begin documenting their career readiness value. Listening is a form of respect. The value of this experience was learning to slow down and pay attention rather than just hearing information at a surface level. Student 2, GBUS 330 · Communication competency What practitioners can act on now Map your existing program to NACE competencies. You do not need to travel anywhere new. Review your current site visits, learning objectives, and reflection activities. Identify where each competency is already being activated. Build the matrix into your syllabus and share it with career services. Use structured reflection as an assessment tool. Multi-lens frameworks produce richer, more career-translatable writing than open-ended prompts. Build daily or post-visit reflection into the program structure. Code the responses for competency language. This is your evidence base. Include at least one site that engages historical or social inequity. This is where the deepest competency growth consistently emerges across leadership, professionalism, and equity and inclusion. Do not design it out of the program in favor of positive experiences only. Connect the data to career services before students return home. Student reflections from the field contain résumé language and interview narratives. Career advisors can help students recognize and use it. This partnership is most effective when it starts during the program, not after. Reframe short-term programs to leadership and accreditors. Use the NACE/WEF mapping tool and the competency mapping approach from this research to demonstrate assessable outcomes. Short-term embedded programs are high-impact practices, when there is documented infrastructure that highlights outcomes. Global learning is not a supplement to career readiness. It is a driver of it. Read our full report, Global Education as a Career Success Imperative, for the research, frameworks, and strategies your institution needs to make that case. Deborah J. Pembleton, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Global Business Leadership Department at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. She co-chaired the ACE Internationalization Steering Committee and leads embedded study abroad programs, including trips to the Bahamas. This resource was published on May 19, 2026. Learn more about Dr. Pembleton.
Promising Practices: Study Abroad Efforts in Two Northern California Community Colleges by Amanda De Blas | Feb 18, 2026 | Articles, Collaboration & Initiatives at Home, Global Engagement Resources, Public Opening Global Doors: Study Abroad Pathways for California Community College Students Community colleges enroll nearly half of all undergraduate students in the United States, yet they remain significantly underrepresented in study abroad participation. According to the Institute of International Education, only about 7% of U.S. study abroad participants in 2020–2021 (1) came from community colleges. This gap is a well-known issue that has existed for several decades, as reported by long-standing organizations (2). One participant indicated that institutions perpetuate this situation by solely focusing on the barriers that students might face. This deficit perspective limits how study abroad is presented, thus biasing students’ ability to even consider these opportunities. As part of the DA Global Impact Fellowship, I conducted an environmental scan focused on study abroad resources available to California Community College students and the organizations that support them. The goal is to better understand the ecosystem and identify opportunities for community college professionals to collaborate and expand access for this student population. What the Landscape Shows While California is home to the largest community college system in the country, the ecosystem to support community college students is scattered at best, making it more difficult for students to navigate, access, and understand what is available to them. Conversations with partners and a review of available resources revealed several important patterns: 1. The pathway is underdeveloped Many programs that welcome community college students do not clearly advertise this on their websites, making it harder for students and advisors to know where to begin. 2. The ecosystem is scattered Multiple organizations support global learning in community colleges, but there is no single hub that aggregates their resources or opportunities. 3. Persistent deficit framing creates barriers Institutions often focus on perceived obstacles (cost, preparation, and credit transfer) rather than the strengths and interests of community college learners and the career benefits global learning provides. This deficit perspective can unintentionally reduce enthusiasm and limit student engagement. 4. System-level planning rarely includes global learning California’s Vision 2030 roadmap (3), for example, outlines ambitious goals for workforce and academic success but does not foreground global learning, despite the well-documented benefits for career readiness and intercultural development. Opportunities for Practitioners Supporting Community College Students This landscape scan highlights several areas where institutions, advisors, and practitioners can take action to improve access and visibility for community college learners: 1. Make community college students visible in your programming. Ensure your study abroad materials, webpages, and outreach efforts clearly indicate whether two-year students are eligible and how they can participate. 2. Strengthen partnerships with organizations already serving this population. Groups such as CCIE, CCID, and SAA offer existing models, resources, and networks that can support or expand community-college-focused global learning pathways. 3. Shift the narrative away from barriers. Use strengths-based language when discussing global opportunities with students. Highlight their goals, lived experiences, and academic pathways rather than emphasizing obstacles. 4. Highlight flexible and varied program formats. Short-term, faculty-led, COIL, and hybrid programs can be especially accessible for community college students balancing work, family, or transfer goals. 5. Engage colleagues across campus. Connect with academic advisors, career services, TRIO staff, EOPS programs, and transfer centers to ensure global learning options are understood and visible throughout the institution. 6. Share examples and success stories. Showcasing the experiences of community college alumni who studied abroad can help normalize participation and create relatable pathways for future students. Looking Ahead Expanding global learning opportunities for community college students requires planning and cross-campus collaboration. With nearly 2 million students in the California Community College system alone, this represents a large and diverse population with tremendous potential. Increasing visibility, strengthening partnerships, and reframing messaging can help ensure more community college students see global learning as possible and as a meaningful part of their academic journey. California Townhall Abroad California Colleges for International Education (CCIE) California Community Colleges Community Colleges for International Development Institute of International Education Study Abroad Association True North Intercultural Website calabroad.org ccieworld.org cccco.edu ccidinc.org iie.org studyabroadassociation.com truenorthintercultural.com California Townhall Abroad California Colleges for International Education (CCIE) California Community Colleges Community Colleges for International Development Institute of International Education Study Abroad Association True North Intercultural Description Provides general information on study abroad for CA students including those in community colleges Non-profit consortia of California colleges, to assist faculty, staff, and students to address international education issues. International association of community,technical, and vocational institutions to create globally learning environments. Partnering with institutions to achieve internationalization goals. Promotes innovation in international education to increase access to global experiences Offers capacity building to organizations interested in inter-cultural education California Townhall Abroad California Colleges for International Education (CCIE) California Community Colleges Community Colleges for International Development Institute of International Education Study Abroad Association True North Intercultural Notes Membership based organization Membership based organization Includes global education platform with curated, interactive, multidisciplinary content to promote study abroad. This is a resource for educators and/or organizations, not students (1) Institute of International Education (2022). IIE Celebrates #CCMonth recognizing community colleges’ contributions to international education. (2) Humphrys, J. and Koller, A (1994). The vision and the history. 1976-1994. Community Colleges for International Development Inc. (3) California Community Colleges (2023). Vision 2030. A roadmap for California Community Colleges. September 26, 2023. Retrieved from https://www.cccco.edu/-/media/CCCCO-Website/docs/report/Vision-2030-A-Roadmap-for-California-Com munity-Colleges.pdf Alejandra Rincón, PhD is Assistant Vice-Chancellor at UCSF, advancing equity initiatives and teaching in medicine and leadership. She is an author, advocate, and board member. She is a 2025–2026 DA Global Impact Fellow. This resource was published on December 3, 2025. Learn more about Dr. Rincón.
Interactive Map for LGBTQIA Students: UC Davis by DA Global | Sep 24, 2024 | Education Abroad Resources, Fundamentals Interactive Map for LGBTQIA Students: UC Davis UC Davis Study Abroad and the LGBTIQIA Resource Center’s UCEAP-sponsored interactive map for LGBTQIA students: The interactive map was designed to be a resource for LGBTQIA scholars with an interest in studying abroad. In this map, each country is profiled by the laws impacting their LGBTQIA communities, local organizations providing LGBTQIA advocacy or support, multimedia resources about LGBTQIA identities in the region, and LGBTQIA events. Many of the resources we provide have clickable url links to websites. This map is not intended to advocate or dissuade scholars from visiting specific countries. As such, please note that the colors chosen for each country are not symbolic. Instead, this resource can be viewed as a jumping off point for further independent research to determine which country or study abroad program is most personally appealing. Download Presentation
Asian American Students in Global Education by DA Global | Apr 1, 2019 | Education Abroad Resources, Fundamentals, Support & Advising Asian American Students in Global Education Educators and researchers have focused on understanding the influences and barriers for underrepresented students in study abroad, however, the research has predominantly focused on students of color as whole or solely on African American students. There is little research that focuses on Asian American students and the varied ethnic groups there within. This literature review is comprised of the existing research on the factors influencing Asian American students to study abroad and the barriers that may prevent Asian American students from studying abroad. Download Guide
