How to Define the Study Abroad "Immersion" Experience

Immersion during study abroad involves a deep involvement and understanding of the culture of a different country. It is not just an overview or a checklist of that country’s features, but a thorough encounter into the sublayers of social, political, ideological, and economic factors that define it as a culture. 

If you are involved in the education field as an administrator, teacher or faculty member, your role in a study abroad program comes from preparing and supporting your students in making the most of their experiences within another culture. For students and travelers, your job starts with embracing the challenges that another country presents and finding the best ways to connect with this new culture.

Our team supports educators from across the academic spectrum, from middle schools to higher education, in creating programs that immerse students in another culture. You’ll learn more about how educators collaborate with us to build programs that authentically educate and inspire students through valuable experiences.

Our students organized over 1,000 pounds of food in Córdoba during their immersion in Spain!

Defining Your Immersion

Immersion is an experience that allows you to go deeper into layers of culture and what it really means to live in another society, despite any stereotypes you may have heard. An immersion experience helps students build a sense of appreciation for all the things that make us different: language, history, race, cultural background and cultural expressions, assets and challenges. As students understand challenges and differences in this new culture, they’ll approach the unknown, but all of our teachers will have a team of experts supporting the program as your group faces culture shock so the group can go into the experience with an open mind and heart.

Certain aspects of daily life cannot be captured in pre-packaged programs that don’t differentiate for learning objectives. That is why EdOdyssey focuses on experiences that are specific to what teachers and educators want their students to learn and value from their visits.

We plan accordingly. If a class’ focus is on improving students’ language proficiency, then every moment becomes an opportunity to teach language. For example, if the group of students has been waiting in line for our scheduled Welcome Lunch, our Cultural Advisor takes this time as a teachable moment. He takes opportunity to educate your students on common phrases used by waiters to tell you that your table is about to be ready. Then we help you and your students find out that the meaning of ahorita, or “right away”, is actually a time construct that can mean either right now or in half an hour, depending on the context.

In all of our countries around the world, our team of educators embrace the quiet moments as teachable moments, time for reflection, and an opportunity for teachers and educators to bond with their students. 

If the focus of the program is more a cultural-type immersion, that restaurant visit becomes a visit to el mercado, or a farmer’s market of sorts, is a more permanent sight in countries like Peru. We take that opportunity to educate your students about the struggles of daily life in certain areas of countries, making ends and how a place like el mercado is a place where the less fortunate can have a high-value meal for a fraction of the price of a restaurant, and where bargaining is not disrespectful but a way to get the most out of whatever budget you have for that day.

Immersion helps students understand culture and cherish it, and our mission comes from wanting to support educators and providing the best possible experience for the students.

The Immersion Experience & The Role of Educators

As an educator, your goal goes beyond taking your students on vacation and expanding their perspective. A vacation by definition is an extended period of leisure and recreation. Vacationers keep away from the daily stresses found back home. However, from our over five years working with educators, the goal of an immersion experience comes from becoming part of the cultural community of the country and embracing the challenges that come with us.

Furthermore, when teachers collaborate with us, the teachers can focus on bonding with their students and all of us as educators can support students to build context around the culture and support them through culture shock.

Our study abroad students in Lima visited one of our local partners!

For short term programs, it is understandable that you may be eager to have your class visit and have a look at the most popular or important places the other country has to offer to you, but remember that teachers and your group are not tourists. The students will approach these sights with the aim of becoming familiar with not only their history, but how that history defines their culture today and how their society behaves in relation to that history.

A short experience does not mean it can’t be a deeply enriching experience.

Managing Your Expectations

In another country, some services or situations may not always work or happen as you expect. Certain places might require cash and credit cards may not exist or be widely used in certain areas. 

Conveniences that we have taken for granted at home may not be available and we need to adjust when abroad. Before students go abroad, we share important notes and packing tips that will support them. That way, students will start to appreciate the nuances and particularities of their new home country, and by the end of their time abroad, they will tell stories of how they are now ready to take on challenges that life presents them.

Your Perspective Matters

Even if the program is short, teachers and students can still make the most of their stay by simply maintaining focus. It is not a vacation, it’s an immersion. As such, if the allotted time for your group is short then our team will aim for your group to gain the most authentic experience possible in that time. Your group will get a taste of what living there really is like, and everyone involved will be amazed at how much can be learned from a country in just a few days with an educational approach.

The right approach can turn challenges into opportunities, and that is the change of mindset we want our students and teachers to enjoy when they’re abroad. That is a positive change, a change of feeling empowered rather than hopeless. A feeling they will carry with them for the rest of their lives because they may be on the other side of the world, but they will be just fine.

Are you interested in taking the first step and building a truly meaningful immersion experience abroad?

It’s never too early or too late to start planning or to improve a past program! Please shoot us a message here and tell us about your idea for prospective program abroad!

The Power Behind the Travel Investment: Perspective From The Wandering Investor

EdOdyssey sat down with Brendan Hughes, the author of the upcoming book The Wandering Investor, to discuss the travel experience and how times have changed in the era of COVID-19.

Q: Tell us about your background.

A: My lifelong love for travel spawned when I was in college attending James Madison University. While I didn’t realize it at the time, my study abroad experience in Antwerp, Belgium (if you have the means to do it make sure you study abroad while still in school!) where I was fortunate enough to visit about 10 European countries along the way changed my life forever.

I firmly believe that travel is the single best way to learn, as you get real firsthand knowledge of how the world really works in other cultures. I currently work as an Investment Advisor for Lafayette Investments and have 8 years of professional experience in the Finance field.

I have made it a priority to go on 1-2 international trips a year, as it keeps me well grounded in developments going on around the world in addition to the enjoyment factor I get from the experience. I spent the last 5 years working on a book titled The Wandering Investor; details about the book can be found at the end of this article.

Q: Why do you consider traveling such a good investment?

A: There is no better way in the world to learn than to immerse yourself in another culture, especially if that culture materially diverges from your daily life. Reading is obviously a great way to learn but when you are observing the way of life in another country you will find that you will learn things that you weren’t even intending to seek information about.

For example, walking into a store and observing the sales tactics of the associates will tell you a lot about the local people and culture. In Peru, you will find that salesmen will often use a sales approach where the worker tries to make a sale by telling the customer a story about the origins of a particular product.

This sales style contrasts sharply with Moroccan sales culture where the underlying premise is basically to aggressively engage the potential customer until they ultimately give in and make a purchase. It is things like this that you can really only learn from experiencing different local cultures and I don’t believe there is a substitute.

Q: What are your thoughts on travel in the era of COVID-19?

A: I think you will see permanent reductions in travel in some areas such as business travel where employers are suddenly re-thinking sending employees to another city for a 1 hour meeting that can arguably be handled with a video conference call. From an everyday consumer perspective, it is difficult to say at this time how it will play out because there are so many uncertainties as to when a COVID-19 vaccine will become widely available and how quickly consumers will begin traveling at levels seen prior to the COVID-19 outbreak (if ever).

Some of the recent projections show that air travel won’t reach pre- pandemic levels until 2023 or 2024 but nobody really has any idea where we will be a few years from now. What I can say with high confidence is that the value proposition of total international cultural immersion is stronger than ever and I don’t see that changing in the future. I can understand the logic behind a reduction in business travel for meetings that could be handled with a short video conference, but it is a completely different ball game when you are talking about areas such as study abroad.

If students decided to only opt for a virtual study abroad experience in place of actually living internationally for a semester or summer program, I think they would be missing out on the highest value added parts of the educational experience. You aren’t going to get the life lessons in terms of observations about things such as local sales tactics which in my opinion is where the bulk of the value of the entire idea of study abroad is derived.

The Wandering Investor Book Description:

This book takes the reader on a unique journey around the world in a discussion about various economies, my personal adventures along the way, business outlooks and observations for each country, lists of recommended activities in each country with a focus on outdoor adventure experiences, and lessons learned in terms of both travel and business.

Given my experience as an investment advisor and what I would consider to be a deep knowledge base when it comes to global adventure excursions, I believe this writing provides a much different perspective than your average travel or investment book. It reads like a thriller in detailing extreme activities such as skydiving over Queenstown, New Zealand, while weaving in the details mentioned above. I will cover my travels across 17 countries spread out across six continents.

As of the time of this writing, I had visited 28 countries. This book is the culmination of five years of work and thousands of hours of research in terms of country-specific macroeconomic data, information about local laws and regulations, historical facts about specific countries, and recommendations for mostly adventure-related activities.

Do you want to read our more in-depth interview from earlier this year? Check out How To Make Travel a Lifelong Investment.

Book Title: The Wandering Investor

Author: Brendan Hughes

Date Book is Available: Presale begins later this summer, 2020

Brendan’s Email Address: Hughes2525@gmail.com

The views and opinions expressed in guest features on EdOdyssey’s blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of EdOdyssey. Any content provided by our bloggers or guest authors are of their opinion.

3 Ways to Reframe Challenges as Growth Opportunities

Confusion comes from situations that we don’t quite understand in the moment because the obstacles overwhelm us at first. Students, most of you have attended virtual classes for the first time. Teachers, you’ve had to adapt your lesson plans at a moment’s notice. Parents, you’ve had to support your children while maintaining your workload.

Businesses and offices have gone remote. The classrooms, and generally the world around us, has gone digital. With that said, all of us have experienced our respective challenges along the way. With little planning and preparation, all of us have resulted in a lot of unexpected changes and growing pains. 

Weeks and months later, we realize that these challenges were meant to teach us a lesson. At the moment, we might be in that moment of truth now. 

How have we overcome the initial obstacles? How have we grown in the midst of rapid changes? 

Today we focus on three ways to best work toward resolving frustrations that come from challenges and to move them toward solutions! 

1. Looking Beyond Immediate Challenges

What is this obstacle trying to teach me? 

The moment that we feel that we’re face a seemingly insurmountable challenge, we can automatically feel overwhelmed. The weight of a decision, or project, can feel like a huge weight if we don’t seek to understand our emotions first. 

We need to find a way to understand our emotions and channel it into a solution. 

With all the outside influences that affect our lives (the media, news, etc), and our responsibilities, we have to try our best to learn in the moment. We will have to make uncomfortable changes or adjustments, and we have to look at these decisions with a long-term view.

Will you remember this issue in years from now? 

Ask yourself what bothered you if it’s still bothering you or if you found a solution. 

We have to try our best to understand what our emotions are trying to tell us and focus on the bigger picture. All of us are learning and embracing the process, and the lessons learned from the challenge can create bigger impact if we focus on the desired outcome. 

If you’ve had a problem asking for help, you might have learned to confidently communicate that question. If you’re still struggling with your obstacles, and/or how to communicate, you’re still learning and that’s okay! Some challenges stem from widespread issues within society and culture, and they can’t be changed overnight, but on an individual level we can do our best change our relationship with them with the support of others.

One of the reasons why our team loves supporting teachers and students is because we see students overcome their culture shock, their fears, their biases, and whatever might be holding them back in the moment while abroad. At the end of each day, and throughout the day, our team leads reflections with the students to assess how students are overcoming challenges.

All of us are trying our best to understand our emotions, and we can’t judge ourselves while we’re in the process. 

2. Focusing on Lessons Learned

What have I learned about myself from this challenge? 

Sometimes we try to move so quickly past our challenges that we don’t appreciate what we learned from it. The valuable information and perspective that we gained from it. 

In many instances, the global pandemic has forced us to communicate in different ways. We can’t go over to our colleague, teacher or student in person and so we had to find another way to find closure or a solution. 

We focused on the issue, what we needed and how to articulate it in a new way. All of us increased our communication from outside of school, or the office, we’ve all had to better master digital chats, forms, messaging and email.

If you work better in a team, you’re probably realizing how much you can do on your own. If you’re always organized and structured, you've been pushed to be more flexible and find new approaches and tackle new challenges. 

All of us continue to grow in different ways as this digital era continues to change and evolve!

3. Embracing the Evolution of Connections & Relationships

What ways have I become closer to colleagues, friends and family? 

We continue to spend more time on our devices, and our relationship with them continues to evolve. We seek advice and information on search engines, but we also have increased ability to connect on social media platforms for those same answers. In some cases, we’re unable to see each other because of distance and restrictions. 

In the past few weeks, our team has created values and demonstrated our values and our commitment to creating meaningful, authentic experiences for students abroad. We continue to serve our school communities as we prepare for the future. 

We’ve found new ways to connect with each other in positive ways. Virtual coffees and virtual meetups have become more popular. In the past, that text message or phone call wishing someone a happy birthday has become a Zoom with friends and family. 

Please make sure that you’re taking time to reflect on your own growth and the challenges that you’ve overcome these past few weeks and months! If you’re a teacher, professor or administrator, we would love to hear from you!

Click here to share your growth with us and your passion for teaching your students!

Life at a Distance: Five Positive Takeaways

Nowadays distance is no longer a problem and most of our friends and family are not just a phone call away, but also just a video chat away. Prior to everyone staying at home, we had busy lives at school, work, or even both. Sometimes we didn’t make the time to visit our friends a few minutes down the road, or call our friends or relatives living in other places.

That has changed, and many of us find ourselves doing our part and staying inside rather than heading out. We moved away from our windows, or public places, and turned to our bedrooms or living rooms to stay in touch and reconnect with friends.

We’ve started talking more to our parents, roommates or even our pets, that just a few feet away from us, and we discovered there was so much more to learn from them.

Read more to learn the five positive takeaways of managing our friendships and relationships at a distance!

1. Reengaging Group Chats

Here at EdOdyssey, we firmly believe that travel really does change people, that having the experience of living in other cultures reshapes our minds into a more inclusive and humble way of thinking about life and others. Now that the world needs us to slow down for a moment, and technology has come to our rescue.

Some applications we have used for a long time now have issued updates to accommodate the need of more users in a single session. Whatsapp, for example, doubled its capacity to handle up to 8 users for video calls, and Google Meet became free to use for any users, whether they have a business account or not.

Social media and messaging apps become more important to keep these connections alive.  

2. Sharing more on Social Media

Never have we paid so much attention to our friends’ Instagram stories. And so, technology has helped us build virtual bridges that in just a few seconds tell us how everyone’s day is going, we can catch up on the latest with just tapping into a chatbox. There are now applications that say when people are available for phone calls to avoid calling someone when they’re not available.

But no matter how advanced our technology is today, what this actually tells us is that the connection between ourselves and our loved ones remains, despite the circumstances. This sentiment is especially true for those of us who have had the chance to travel.

3. Reconnecting With Old Friends

We have the opportunity to connect with friends on the other side of the world, another area in our region, or even a different state or time zone. The time that we’ve spent living somewhere away from home has given us the opportunity to learn about what makes us different, but also about what we share, and in the things we shared we built friendships.

We have laughed and cried with our new friends, we have been homesick with our new friends, and we have grown together even in our time apart from each other. 

4. Remembering meaningful moments

As we have returned to our lives back home, we too have physically distanced from those friendships from abroad with whom we once spent daily life, but we’ve gained perspective. If the added time at home has taught us anything, it has shown us that reconnecting with them will always feel like the last time we saw each other was yesterday. 

We may have had very little time in our lives in the past to reach out and ask how they are doing, but they were always in our thoughts. And if for some reason we never got to sending that text message, we have learned that it is never too late to pick up the phone and reconnect.

5. Embracing Positivity and Gratitude

From everyone at EdOdyssey, we want to thank you for doing your part during this time and sharing your light with the world. Our teams wants to encourage you to never let go of your adventurous spirit. If you are reading this as an avid traveler, a prospective study abroad student, a passionate teacher, or an EdOdyssey alum, please know that we appreciate you.

We have more options and opportunities than ever, but we have to share those feelings. If it’s a text, or any audio, say hello and you’ll be surprised what you receive in response! Follow us in the social media links below and engage with us!

Three Life Lessons Learned Through Travel

Author Joe Meringolo, Director of Program Development, leads a group reflection in Madrid’s Parque Oeste (West Park).

Whether we’re students or teachers, our knowledge of both content and beliefs gets tested when we go abroad. As we step into the unknown and travel, we begin to understand more about other cultures, but at the same time, we start to process and gain more insight into our own individual personality and values.  

When we immerse ourselves in another culture we learn a lot about that culture. In that time abroad, we may learn even more about ourselves. 

Here are three life lessons that we have the opportunity to learn through travel:

1. Perfection Doesn’t Mean Perfect

All trip itineraries can look and seem flawless. Although there are always challenges, a few bumps in the road doesn’t ruin the entire journey. 

At some point, you’ll be tired, hungry, thirsty, or all of the above as you get over jet lag. You’re probably shattering your normal routine with increased amounts of exercise, eating new foods, and you’re spending more time with a lot of people who you may or may not know well. 

Whatever obstacle you face in the moment, you’ll look at your trip with fond memories and these small expected changes will fade away.  

2. Sometimes We Need Perspective 

In school, sometimes we think that one exam or one project is going to dictate the outcome of our lives and we get anxious and nervous about the future based on the short term. 

Along those same lines with travel, we can get nervous or frustrated thinking that a delay or unexpected change will ruin the trip. In both cases, we have to step back and look at what’s important on a larger scale.

When we have the perspective and ability to have to step back and look at any experience on a more macro level, we realize that the strength of overall mentality controls the outcome. One rainy day doesn’t ruin an entire trip the same way that one exam or project doesn’t destroy our academic careers. 

In fact, sometimes it’s when we need to improvise that we learn the most about ourselves and the people around us. 

3. Your Perspective Means More Than Right or Wrong

As all of us have gone through school, or to continue to be involved in the academic world as students or teachers, we’re constantly trying to answer questions or solve problems that may or may not have clear answers. As we continue through life, we realize that right and wrong depends on our perspective as much as it does on the answer itself. 

Our visit to Madrid’s Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum that explored themes, such as reality and perception.

We have to embrace activities that pull us toward love or hate, yes or no, etc and look at how and why we feel the way that we do toward these activities. Whether we do museum visits or hiking, all of us either fall into the camps of “like” or “don’t like” but it’s understanding our reasoning that helps us grow to become stronger and more empathic individuals. 

At EdOdyssey, we consider ourselves both teachers and students. We want to help you gain your own life lessons.  What does travel mean for you now and how do you think it’ll continue to adapt and change as you continue to grow as a person? 

We enjoy asking these questions and learning about teachers want their students to gain from an experience abroad. If you want to learn more about how you can have a life-changing experience with your students, we encourage you to start planning your trip today with us!

The Life-Long Impact of Study Abroad Volunteering

One of my most memorable experiences in Peru was volunteering in the greater Lima area in Pamplona Alta. Volunteering while abroad offers the chance to see and experience parts of the country that you are in that you may not encounter on a day to day basis.  These experiences help to shape your overall experience abroad and they will stay with you. They are not only with you in the short term, but also provide long-term value in helping to understand your purpose, potential professional experiences in the future, and any future humanitarian work.  

In short, the purpose of volunteer work is not just checking an action item off of a list.

Uncertain Expectations

One day in Peru, one of my Peruvian friends told me about a place in Lima called Pamplona Alta.  They had a contact who was in charge of organizing students to go to Pamplona Alta to do volunteer work.  My friend said that I should definitely go to Pamplona Alta while I was in Peru. I did not initially think much of this, but I would soon realize why she highly recommended that I go.  Before going to Pamplona Alta, I felt as if I did not know what to expect. Up until that point, I had not really ventured outside of the main parts of Lima.

Gaining New Perspective

The day began with me going to meet with my friend’s contact and other volunteers in San Isidro.  We then boarded vans and headed toward Pamplona Alta. On the drive over I noticed something that I had not seen yet in Lima.

After exiting the main city part of Lima, there was a tunnel that we traveled through, and on the other side there was a stark contrast to what we had just left.  The main question I had was: Was this intentional? Would the government actually create a physical boundary between these two parts of Lima?

Upon arrival at the bottom of the mountain, it was time to get out of the vans and walk to where we would be working.  We walked for about twenty five minutes to our site, but there were even farther places higher up the hill. This is a walk that every person living in this community has become accustomed to.

Building For The Future

I knew that we would be helping to build new stairs for a part of the community, but I did not realize we would actually be making our own cement.  I learned that day just how this is done.

After making cement, we would put it in buckets and pass them down to the next person in the human assembly line, and then pour into the steps to dry. After working for a few hours, the members of this community who lived near our work site treated us to a homemade lunch.

I remember thinking about how selfless this was, how people with less than us were making us lunch, yet were so giving and generous in spirit.  After a few more hours of working and finishing the steps for that particular section, a person who lived in the community wanted to show us more of the community, so we climbed even higher up the hill.

Life-Long Impact: Sharing Solidarity

What we had done that day really hit me when we were at one of the highest points on the mountain. Viewing the entire community from that spot made me think about how the people of Pamplona Alta deserve everything. Everyone I met were the most warm and loving people I had ever met.

After writing our names in the fresh concrete and saying our goodbyes, we descended Pamplona Alta.  On the ride back, it was hard for me to not think about what I had just experienced. Stairs are a necessity for anyone living in a community like Pamplona Alta, yet this is not a guaranteed right.  I remember feeling a little angry that more could not be done, but I could only remember the smiles on all of the faces I saw that day.

There comes a point where you cannot be angry, but simply do more, and step up to bring change daily.  I learned from this experience that we are really in it together, and change can only be accomplished together. I also learned that the people of Pamplona Alta and beyond live their lives and make it with our help. It is up to us to live in solidarity when we do enter communities like Pamplona Alta, as they give a lot living their lives with big hearts.

Having New Appreciation

What I experienced in Pamplona Alta was in stark contrast to what I experienced on the daily in Miraflores. This experience taught me even more about Peru as a country and as a population. Would a random person in Miraflores invite me into their home for a refreshment?  

In Pamplona Alta, this type of hospitality happens without hesitation. Volunteering in Pamplona Alta definitely shaped my experience in Peru, as it exposed me to what most of Peru truly is, a country of warm, generous, and loving people.  Going to places like Pamplona Alta and actually interacting with the community make these areas less scary and aid in breaking down stereotypes.

In the long-term, experiences like this help to see your place in the world and serve to inspire you to do more in the world.  The world needs more people like the people of Pamplona Alta, a living example of selfless love in the world.