Beyond 2%: Increasing Community College Participation in Education Abroad

Thursday, March 20, 2025

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM US EST

Location: Maple, Mezzanine level

Session Leader(s)

Jeanette Owen

Senior Director
American Councils for International Education
Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Handouts Slides

Presenter(s)

Richard Johnson (he/him/his)

Director, Office of International Education
Harper College
Carpentersville, Illinois, United States
KM

Karen Miller

Director of Global Engagement
Johnson County Community College, Kansas, United States
Sarah R. Lemelin (she/her/hers)

Professor, ESL and Italian
Oakland Community College
Ferndale, Michigan, United States

Community college students make up 40% of undergraduates, yet less than 2% study abroad. How do we reach this underserved student population? In this panel discussion, hear from faculty and staff from three diverse community colleges about what their students seek from education abroad opportunities, how to reach them, and discuss barriers impacting participation. Take away new strategies and ideas to promote and design education abroad opportunities to meet community college students’ needs.

Learning Objectives:

Develop a broader understanding of community college students and their needs in education abroad programming; examine what barriers (including administrative or institutional barriers) prevent community college students from exploring or pursuing education abroad; discuss strategies to support this underserved student population.
Question and Answer session about community college student advising and recruitment with a panel of community college faculty and staff from diverse community colleges drawn from across the United States.