Elon students, faculty and staff to immerse themselves in Winter Term Global Engagement programs

By Owen Covington, staff

January 3, 2020

"The most beautiful part of traveling is making friends at every turn." - Robyn Lane '20, who studied in Malawi, Africa

More than 1,000 students, faculty and staff are participating this month in programs around the United States and the globe.

​During Elon University’s Winter Term this month, more than 1,000 students, faculty and staff are traveling to locations on six continents to participate in unique programs that cater to a variety of interests across multiple disciplines.

Elon University is renowned for its emphasis on global engagement, and Winter Term is the busiest time of the year for this critical element of an Elon education. During this year’s Winter Term, which spans the month of January, 906 undergraduate and graduate students will participate in intensive programs through Elon’s Study Abroad and Study USA programs, cohort travel and course-embedded travel.

“Global engagement came when I got a chance to meet the University of Cape Town’s mascot. Even though I did not understand any part of the rugby game it was great to immerse myself within the environment. While a simple activity, this experience helped me to bond with my South African peers through fun, laughter, cold weather and genuine camaraderie.” – Shawna Harris-Lenoir ’20

To support students on these programs, Elon has awarded more than $193,650 through the GEC Access Scholarship and endowed gifts. Thanks to these initiatives established to support the university’s commitment to diversity and global engagement and enable Elon to offer financial aid for global engagement to every student with documented financial need.

Unique to Elon is the preparation students receive for their Winter Term programs. Most Study Abroad and Study USA courses require a one-credit course in the preceding fall semester, where students meet with their faculty members and classmates as they learn in advance about the locations and cultures they plan to visit. The classes allow professors to forge strong relationships with their students and give students an avenue to learn about each other prior to their immersion in new and dynamic places.

Among the new programs this year:

Returning this year, and every presidential election year, is Iowa: The Trail Starts Here, with Elon students traveling to this battleground ground state to cover the Iowa caucuses as voters prepare to weigh in during the 2020 presidential primaries.

In addition to these Winter Term programs managed by staff in the Isabella Cannon Global Education Center, each of the cohorts and courses listed below has students who will also be involved in a study away program this Winter Term:

  • Business Fellows – France and Italy
  • Communications Fellows – Florida
  • Elon College Fellows – Washington, D.C.
  • Honors Fellows – Italy
  • Leadership Fellows – Southeast United States
  • Teaching Fellows – Mid-Atlantic United States
  • Periclean Scholars – Cuba
  • iMedia Fly-Ins – Bermuda, Costa Rica and Cuba
  • Master of Arts in Higher Education – Japan
  • MBA – Singapore and Vietnam
  • Master of Science in Accounting – London
“While hiking during this past Winter Term in Peru I took this photo during our stop at Puerto Inka. To me, Global Engagement means creating community, getting out of your comfort zone, and committing to making your experience the best it can be. I believe this picture represents all of those aspects of what study abroad should look like. Everyone participated in this hike, which was at times a little nerve-wracking, and stuck together as a group to help each other along the way.” – India Kirssin ’21

​The Global Education Center will announce all 2020-21 short-term programs this spring and will shortly thereafter kick off the application period for Winter Term 2021 Study Abroad and Study USA programs.

These programs, in addition to a wide offering of Elon Centers Abroad, affiliate and exchange programs, and Study USA Centers contribute toward Elon’s goal of achieving 100 percent access to global engagement. As a result, Elon is consistently ranked the nation’s #1 doctoral university for the percentage of students who study abroad by the Institute of International Education, with 78 percent of Elon graduates participating in at least one study abroad experience.

To stay abreast of Elon Study Abroad and Study USA travel this month and always, follow @ElonGlobal on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and join the conversation at #ElonGlobal.

Winter Term Global Engagement programs include:

Posted in: Global Engagement Student Experience

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