Building Your Portfolio

BUILD YOUR

EXPERIENCE 1 2 3 4

4 BUILDING YOUR
PORTFOLIO

It’s a Small World after All! The concepts of diversity, ethnicity, culture, and multiculturalism have been explored in this chapter. Reading about these controversial topics is one thing, but really stepping into someone else’s shoes is another. Study-abroad and student-exchange programs are excellent ways of adding new perspectives to your college experience.

Consider the possibilities:

  1. Visit your institution’s International Programs/Study Abroad office or, if you are at a college that does not have a study-abroad program, search for study-abroad opportunities on the Web. Tip: Look for the Center for Global Education (http://globaled.us/), the Council on International Education Exchange (http://www.ciee.org), or the International Partnership for Service Learning (http://www.ipsl.org). Using a major or career that interests you, think about how you might spend time abroad to gain experience in your major field.
  2. On the basis of your research, create a PowerPoint presentation to share with your class that outlines the opportunities to study abroad or participate in an exchange program.
    • Describe the steps students need to take at your campus to include a study-abroad trip in their college plan (e.g., whom to contact, financial aid, the best time to study abroad, how to earn course credit).
    • Describe the benefits of studying abroad, and include photos of the country or countries that you would like to visit.
    • Include information about your current or intended major and career and how a study-abroad or exchange trip would fit into your plans.
    • Reference Web links that you found useful in preparing your presentation.
  3. Save your presentation in your portfolio or in the Cloud.