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College students: broaden your horizons
Guest commentary
by Josh Schellenberg |
PUBLISHED ON 3/6/07 IN Commentary
Apathy toward global issues critically affects college campuses across the nation. Since catalyzing civil rights and anti-war movements in the 1960's, many college campuses have evolved into passive atmospheres where students are often unaware of important issues, such as global poverty, climate change and globalization. Due to the complexity and scale of these problems, many students feel powerless to make a difference.
Students attempt to expand their understanding of global issues by studying abroad in developed countries while spending social time among fellow Americans. This all-too-common experience fails to deliver an understanding of the factors that result in poverty for almost half of the world's population.
According to the Institute of International Education (IIE), the top five study abroad destinations last year were the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France and Australia. While learning in these angelic destinations is very appealing, it fails to actively engage students where their passion and energy is needed most. This perpetuation of Western nations sharing knowledge, resources, and privilege does little for the one billion people who cannot read or write. Without students seeing the reality of the developing world, is there truly any wonder why they suffer from apathy?
Fortunately, an increasing number of universities are working to tackle global poverty by sending their students abroad to intern and volunteer with underserved communities. The recently opened Blum Center for Developing Economies at the University of California at Berkeley is one example of a prominent school using faculty, students, and immense resources to implement projects in developing countries. It joins a growing list of schools like Stanford, Northwestern, Princeton, Notre Dame and many others that are shifting their students away from traditional study abroad programs and toward active engagement in the developing world.
"Colleges are slowly responding to a growing number of students who want the resume builders and skills needed to enter a very competitive job market. If one expects to work in a global profession like international development, they must have active experience abroad. Study abroad doesn't deliver enough experience," says Alex Michel, Outreach Director of the Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD). FSD provides students with hands-on training and project implementation with almost 200 grassroots development organizations in Latin America, East Africa, and India.
Students attempt to expand their understanding of global issues by studying abroad in developed countries while spending social time among fellow Americans. This all-too-common experience fails to deliver an understanding of the factors that result in poverty for almost half of the world's population.
According to the Institute of International Education (IIE), the top five study abroad destinations last year were the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France and Australia. While learning in these angelic destinations is very appealing, it fails to actively engage students where their passion and energy is needed most. This perpetuation of Western nations sharing knowledge, resources, and privilege does little for the one billion people who cannot read or write. Without students seeing the reality of the developing world, is there truly any wonder why they suffer from apathy?
Fortunately, an increasing number of universities are working to tackle global poverty by sending their students abroad to intern and volunteer with underserved communities. The recently opened Blum Center for Developing Economies at the University of California at Berkeley is one example of a prominent school using faculty, students, and immense resources to implement projects in developing countries. It joins a growing list of schools like Stanford, Northwestern, Princeton, Notre Dame and many others that are shifting their students away from traditional study abroad programs and toward active engagement in the developing world.
"Colleges are slowly responding to a growing number of students who want the resume builders and skills needed to enter a very competitive job market. If one expects to work in a global profession like international development, they must have active experience abroad. Study abroad doesn't deliver enough experience," says Alex Michel, Outreach Director of the Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD). FSD provides students with hands-on training and project implementation with almost 200 grassroots development organizations in Latin America, East Africa, and India.
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