Supporting Students of Color Traveling Abroad – On-Demand Training

Address and Remove Barriers to Ensure Inclusion and Safety

Students of color can experience unique challenges when studying abroad. Specific training for trip leaders and study abroad professionals should be provided to anticipate and recognize potential hurdles and barriers students of color may experience to help ensure equitable, inclusive, and safe participation.

Our expert presenters share how to find new ways to encourage participation in study abroad opportunities for students of color, how to examine systems in place with an eye towards equity and inclusion, and best practices to provide the critical training needed to both trip leaders and students. Foster cross-campus collaboration to ensure students of color feel supported before, during and after their study abroad experience.

Institutions and global partners need to put appropriate planning and training in place to help safeguard the safety and well-being of your students of color studying and traveling abroad. Intentional training and cultural competence will help staff and leaders mitigate risk, educate students to participate in safety and inclusion efforts, and respond appropriately and effectively when faced with a crisis.

Topics Covered

As a result of this online training, participants will be able to:

• Initiate the critical conversations with key stakeholders to create an inclusive and diverse participant pool for your study abroad programs – remove unnecessary barriers to improve your current programs so you can attract and retain students and leaders of color.
• Anticipate and recognize potentially worrisome situations that could impact your students of color traveling abroad – provide specific training to both trip leaders and students to better support students of color on-the-ground overseas.
• Foster cross-campus collaboration to ensure intentional and appropriate planning and training is in place – safeguard the safety and well-being of your students of color before, during and after their study abroad experience.
• Introduce best practices to your current overseas program leader training programs – learn what resources you can incorporate into your current programs to improve cultural competence and confidence in your trip leaders in supporting your students of color.
• Recognize the potential and unique challenges that students of color who study abroad may encounter – develop practical and easy-to-follow response protocols for program leaders that mitigate risk, so they aren’t caught off guard and scrambling to respond appropriately.

Presenters

Whitney Longnecker currently serves as the Director of Study Abroad at Texas Tech University.
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Dr. Maggie Mahoney currently serves at the Director for Global Engagement at the University of Houston.
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