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Best Practices for Pre-Departure Programming

Discover the essential strategies and techniques for organizing pre-departure programs for semester or academic year abroad experiences. Learn effective student engagement and feedback methods to ensure a successful journey abroad. This session focuses on practical tools and approaches to prepare students for cultural immersion and academic endeavors.

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Best Practices for Pre-Departure Programming

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  1. Best Practices for Pre-Departure Programming Semester & Academic Year Abroad Short-Term Abroad

  2. Jenny Kawata jkawata@allegheny.edu Allegheny College Jessica (Jay) Halchak jhalchak@iup.edu Indiana Univ. of Pennsylvania Kathleen Ellwood kathleen.ellwood@gowithcea.com Cultural Experiences Abroad Mandy Reinig arr14@psu.edu Penn State Altoona Tina Johnson  tjohnson@randolphcollege.edu Randolph College Jon Stauff stauffj@tcnj.edu The College of New Jersey Best Practices for Pre-Departure Programming

  3. Session Disclaimer • We are facilitators--not experts! • This is a resource session • Discussion and information sharing is encouraged • Testing of techniques and materials is recommended

  4. Semester & Year Abroad Materials Student Engagement / Student Reflection Feedback Techniques Best Practices

  5. MaterialsSemester & Year Abroad • Invitations: Evite, paper invites, email, etc. • Forms • Host Program Information  • Passport and Visa Guidance Sheet • Pre-Reflection Forms for Experiential Learning • Resource Websites and Handouts Timetable: Inquiry              Application             Accepted             Pre-Departure             Arrival  (On-Site)                                                                                                Meeting(s)  Country Guide            Forms                  Packet,                     Readings,               Local Info                                                                       Handbook,                Travel stuff,              Maps, bag,                                                                        Visa, Passport       Last Minute Papers         Course info

  6. Student EngagementSemester & Year Abroad • Pre-Reflection Discussions • Returnee Student Match Ups with Newly Accepted Students • Blogging • Culture Shock Activities: Pinata - oh, Hello! • Games: Jeopardy!, Family Feud, Communication Challenge • Content Sessions with (On Campus) Professionals: • Safety, Security, & Life as an American Abroad • Don't get Arrested, if you do--don't call me • Hey, Man, what's the 3-1-1? • Phone counseling one to one connections, answer specific needs for each applicant

  7. Pre-Departure Feedback TechniquesSemester & Year Abroad Online Surveys • Survey monkey • Abroad101.com • Re-entry Programming • One-on-one • Alumni ambassador programs • Study Abroad Café

  8. Short-Term Abroad Materials Student Engagement / Student Reflection Feedback Techniques Best Practices

  9. Materials-Short-Term Abroad • Ice Breaker Activity/Cultural Simulation • Pre-departure handbook • Covers University Policies and tips • Reference Materials • ATM/Cellphone guide, Map/Subway navigating skills • Emergency Plan • Given to Faculty  • Emergency Cards to students • Country Specific Information • Currency exchange rate and customary greetings   Note: Not all items will work at your institution.  Much of a successful Pre-departure session is about trial and error.

  10. Principles of Personal Leadership Mindfulness invites us to "wake-up" to our habitual behaviors, to bring self-awareness forward as both instrument and teacher, and to look at each situation with fresh eyes. Creativity invites us to bring forth something new. Instead of acting or speaking from habit, we discern the action or words appropriate to each situation we’re in. Creativity also invites us to pay attention to what feels personally generative and life-enhancing, what brings forth joy and builds upon our unique capabilities.

  11. Aligning with Vision Attending to Judgment Practices of Personal Leadership Attending to Emotion Engaging Ambiguity Cultivating Stillness Attending to Physical Sensation

  12. Student EngagementShort-Term Abroad Personal Leadership: Critical Moment Dialogues • Teach students principles/practices in pre-departure setting  • Require two to four reflection worksheets during sojourn abroad • Examples from Randolph College Ecuador short-term international study seminar    Create an environment where students want to learn the information  - ex. Randolph case study Create opportunities for reflection  • Ex. Blogs, hands on exercises, cultural assignments, cultural simulations

  13. Pre-Departure Feedback TechniquesShort-Term Abroad • Post Session Feedback • Surveys - On-line or paper • Focus Groups • Post Trip Feedback on Pre-Departure • Surveys - On-line  • Ex. homegrown surveys or Abroad101.com •  Re-entry Program • Ex. Ice Cream/Pizza Party • Debriefings  • Did pre-departure prepare them for trip? • Ambassador programs  • at fairs, info. sessions, etc.

  14. Best PracticesShort-Term Abroad • Define your outcomes • What do you hope to achieve • Engage the students • Allow them to be involved in learning • Prepare them for what they will potential experience • Make them aware of cultural shock • Solicit feedback after pre-departure and after the trip • On-line feedback tends to work best • Use feedback • Ex. Altoona

  15. Pre-Departure Programming Example:Radford: The Three-Hour Pre-Departure Marathon • Using a passport, students visit stations and collect stamps • Health/Safety • Academic Rigor • Culture Shock • Packing • Student Conduct (incl. Alcohol/Drugs) • Communication • Lobby is set up as a port-of-entry, each station has "passport control" • Students receive a visa stamp upon completion for the country where they are headed.

  16. Radford: The Three-Hour Pre-Departure Marathon • International Education Center - 20-page handbook • Faculty-Staff Committee - designs content of station presentations and selects materials • Student Affairs, Police Department, Faculty, Administrators  • Returnee Students (Global Highlanders) - port-of-entry officers and passport control officials, also co-presenting materials with a faculty-staff member • Game/prizes available to those successfully answering questions based on station content

  17. Pros - One-stop shopping Faculty-staff collaboration Active from a physical standpoint Social benefits - students meet everyone who will be abroad Lots of materials distributed IEC Branding Cons - TMI - Too much information at one time? Danger of superficial treatment of important content No guarantee faculty leader will reinforce message Overgeneralizations Radford Model - Pros and Cons

  18. Resources • wilderdom.com/games/Icebreakers.html • http://www.unr.edu/oiss/toolbox/index.html • www.abroad101.com • www.pacific.edu/culture • www.plseminars.com •  Thiagarajan, S. (2006).  Barnga: A Simulation Game on cultural clashes. Boston: Intercultural Press • Hofstede, G.J., Pedersen, P., and Hofstede, G. (2002).  Exploring Culture: Exercises, Stories and Synthetic Cultures. Boston: Intercultural Press

  19. Small Group Activity DIVIDE DISCUSS DISCOVER

  20. DISCUSS Best Practices: Materials What works for you? What have you tried?

  21. DISCUSS Best Practices: Student Engagement What works for you? What have you tried?

  22. DISCUSS Best Practices: Feedback Techniques What works for you? What have you tried?

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