Study Abroad: Getting Younger
March 31, 2002
New York Times
By SUSAN GILBERT

OVER the last few months, my 11-year-old son, David, has entertained two opportunities to study abroad this summer. First came a letter from the People-to-People Student Ambassador Program in Spokane, Wash., inviting him to apply for a 16-day educational tour of Australia for fifth and sixth graders. Then, a brochure from Johns Hopkins University arrived beckoning him to spend a week doing marine biology fieldwork in Scotland - with his family.

These are but two examples of how the concept of studying abroad has expanded. It used to mean spending your junior year of college at a university in another country, but in the last five years there has been a significant increase in other types of overseas programs: summer study, educational vacations for grade school students and specialized courses for graduate students. Some programs are run by universities here or abroad, others by private companies and others still by individual teachers  or professors. 

Interest in studying abroad has grown significantly. In the 1999-2000 academic year, 143,590 college students went overseas for college credit, 61 percent more than five years earlier, according to the latest figures from the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit educational exchange and training organization based in New York.

There are no national figures for participation in programs that do not offer college credit, but industry executives say that one of the biggest changes is an increase in the number of summer programs for high school and middle school students. "It's getting younger and younger," said William L. Gertz, executive vice president of the American Institute for Foreign Study, a private company in Stamford, Conn., that arranges study-abroad programs for about 50,000 students in middle school through college (www.aifs.org). "Parents are looking for an international experience for their children because it looks good on college applications."

Though industry surveys show that interest in studying abroad remains strong, since Sept. 11 everyone has been more security-conscious. Mr. Gertz said that enrollment in his summer programs was down 10 to 15 percent from last year, but that it seemed to be rebounding for the fall.

'A Critical Component' "There's an increased concern by students and their parents about safety as a critical component in making a final decision about study abroad," said Gary Rhodes, director of the University of Southern California's Center for Global Education.

Some study-abroad programs have been canceled in response to State Department travel warnings that Americans avoid certain countries, said David C. Larsen, chairman of the health and safety committee of Nafsa: Association of International Educators, in Washington. Most of these programs were in Israel, one of the few popular destinations where a State Department warning is in effect. But in general, he said, most of the canceled programs were informal ones led by individual professors, which are perceived as too risky, regardless of the destination.

Since last fall, the industry has updated its safety and security recommendations to study-abroad-program administrators. The document, drafted by Nafsa and is at www.secussa.nafsa.org/safetyabroad/guidelines1298.html, includes specific information that advisers should give students before departure, including common illnesses in the region where they will be traveling, advice on how to minimize the possibility of being a crime victim and tips on keeping a low profile in political emergencies.

But study-abroad programs are not required to follow these or any other safety recommendations. Dr. Larsen said there was considerable variation in the degree of attention that individual programs pay to student safety. Therefore, students and their families should do research.

For college students, the best way to start is by talking to the study-abroad adviser on campus. "These advisors know which programs are good and which ones aren't," Dr. Larsen said.

Another source is the Institute of International Education, which lists more than 5,000 programs, mainly for college students (about 10 percent for older learners). College programs are listed in IIE Passport (www.iiepassport.org). You fill in the country where you want to go and the subject you want to study (acting, aerospace, banking, mathematics and just about anything else you can imagine), as well as your desired length of stay. You then get a list of programs that includes the person to contact, dates, application deadline, fees and scholarship information. A similar directory for students in high school and younger can be found through the institute's partner Studyabroad at www.studyabroad.com.

Getting Students' Views

When you find programs to consider, it is best to talk with their administrators to assess the quality of the education and safety. The best programs conduct regular evaluations with feedback from faculty and other staff members as well as students. Ask to see these evaluations. In addition, try to talk with students who have participated in the programs to find out about their strengths and weaknesses. It is also important to get the name of the person in charge of student health and safety - the program should have one - and to find out about the program's procedures in the event of an emergency.

Dozens of other safety issues to consider are outlined in the Safety Abroad Handbook, a booklet just published online by the Safety Abroad First-Educational Travel Information Clearinghouse of the Global Center for Education at U.S.C., at www.usc.edu/studentsabroad.

Just as important as the safety precautions taken by study-abroad programs are the precautions that students should take. The Safety Abroad Handbook has many suggestions. For example, applicants should find out which areas and which forms of public transportation are considered safe, and have more than one way to keep in touch with your family, like e-mail, calling card and fax.

The State Department also has tips for students who plan to travel or study abroad (www.travel.state.gov/studentinfo). Included is practical information about obtaining passports, visas and medical insurance, as well as such general precautions as not wearing expensive jewelry to avoid being the target of robbers. The Web site for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/travel) provides health information for travelers, including updated information on disease outbreaks and recommended vaccinations (click on the region where you will be traveling).

As for my son, he will go to a camp this summer. He's too young to go to Australia alone, and the marine biology trip to Scotland would set our family of four back about $10,000. But every now and then, I catch David looking at those brochures, so I can only assume that studying abroad is in his future.