Capacity Building for Study Abroad: Stories from Colleges in Canada and USA

Thursday, March 20, 2025

3:45 PM – 4:45 PM US EST

Location: Simcoe / Dufferin, 2nd floor

Session Leader(s)

Chelsey Laird (she/her/hers)

Director
University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (UMAP)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Slides

Presenter(s)

JG

Jennifer Gossen

Director, International Education
Vancouver Community College
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Wojciech (Voytek) Wloch (he/him/his)

Senior International Officer and Director of Global Engagement
Department of Global Engagement, College of Lake County
Grayslake, Illinois, United States
RL

Renae Leboe

Global Engagement Liaison
North Island College
Courtney, British Columbia, Canada

This session shares strategies that colleges have implemented in their endeavor to increase study abroad initiatives. The session will highlight case studies from colleges in Canada and the USA that have developed staff-led and/or indigenous faculty and elder study abroad programs, and field schools integrating virtual reality and COIL projects. The focus is on storytelling and sharing tips on how to leverage networks and consortia to create more inclusive opportunities for college students.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will be able to identify tactics, strategies, and approaches to help design and deliver unique and high impact study abroad programs at colleges, building capacity internally and externally through international partners, consortia, and local communities.
Upon completion, participants will have examples of how to design and implement field school programs to be led by staff members and/or indigenous faculty members & elders that cater to the unique needs of students at colleges, offering hands-on, experiential, flexible, and well-supported learning opportunities abroad.
Upon completion, participants will have examples of how to incorporate virtual learning components and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects into education abroad initiatives, expanding access and enhancing intercultural competencies into college programs.
Upon completion, participants will be able to leverage consortia models to maximize resources and support for underrepresented institutions, such as colleges ensuring that students from diverse backgrounds can participate in and benefit from global education programs.