Expanding your horizons.

TRAVELING IN A CRAMPED MINIVAN without air conditioning, 10 students and I made our way under an unrelenting African sun to the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe. Suddenly, we heard a strange noise and our van stopped in the middle of a treeless country road. With no pay phones, AAA or taxi for miles around, we unloaded our bags and began to walk, hoping the next chicken bus that whizzed by would stop for this group of weary travelers.

That day, I truly learned the value of patience, determination and flexibility. I could have learned these things only by spending the semester in a foreign country where I was forced to become independent--and find ways to communicate with others who didn't always speak my language.

Studying abroad is no longer a privilege reserved for the wealthy elite. It's an invaluable experience that transforms students mentally and emotionally, preparing them to become driving forces in the growing global economy.

"The students we send abroad aren't always a polished, finished product," says Paul Brown, study abroad advisor for Clark Atlanta University. "They are usually students who have the ability but lack the confidence. Once they arrive in the country, we see a transformation. They begin seeing themselves as world citizens and stop seeing America as the beginning and the end of everything," he explains.

For Tiffany Brookins, a junior majoring in modern languages at Converse College in South Carolina, spending a semester at Khon Kaen University in northeast Thailand was a life-changing experience. "I never thought I'd be able to handle some of the things I did," says Brookins, who showered in cold water every day and washed her clothes by hand. "It made me more aware of how lucky I am and not to take things for granted," she adds.

"I didn't think it would change my way of thinking, but it did," says Asali Solomon, a '95 graduate of Barnard College in New York, who spent the spring semester of her junior year in the Dominican Republic. The experience, she says, opened her eyes to the politics of developing nations and how slavery affected the way people of African descent view one another. Living with a local family, who spoke entirely in Spanish, also strengthened her command of the language. Solomon's study abroad program is just one of many such programs offered by universities and outside organizations that allow high school and college students to gain academic credit or work experience in the host country.

Classes may be taught within a U.S. academic framework or students may have to comply with the educational system of that country. Most programs place students directly in a foreign university for a semester or a year. Students either live with a family or on the campus of the host university.

Study abroad programs usually fall into one of three categories: study m a foreign institution with courses arranged by the sponsoring U.S. institution; a fully integrated program at a foreign university; or an "island" program, where the courses are arranged for the Americans and taught by faculty of the sponsoring U.S. school.

Several programs are sponsored by a consortia of U.S. colleges. The advantage of studying through a consortium is that they offer specialized programs that individual universities cannot provide. One such organization is the 30-year-old New York based Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), a nonprofit, nongovernmental education organization offering a wide range of pograms in over 34 countries, from Ghana to Singapore.

The American Field Service (AFS) is another nonprofit organization that has sponsored exchange programs for high school students for almost 50 years. "The students are earnest about really wanting to go and learn about another culture," says Alix Florio, communications associate in the New York office.

BRIDGING FOREIGN BARRIERS

Still, there is a major underrepresentation of minorities in these programs. "More and more students are in need of international exposure and experience," says John Meyers, director of field services for the Council. Although Europe has always been a popular destination, says Meyers, increasing numbers of students are going to Southeast Asia, which is expected to become a major player in the international market. To compete successfully in that market requires knowledge of other cultures and the ability to communicate in more than one language. In most other countries, students are able to speak English in addition to their native language.

Unfortunately, students who have traditionally studied abroad represent a narrow margin of the total population. Usually, they are young, white women from professional families, who are majoring in the humanities or social sciences. A 1994-95 survey conducted by the Institute of International Education showed that 84% of the over 76,000 American students who studied abroad last year were white. Latinos and Asian Americans constituted about 5%, and African Americans and Native Americans were a mere 2.8% and 0.3%, respectively. Additionally, many universities say the number of African Americans studying abroad annually is too minuscule to even track.

In her address at the 43rd International Conference on Educational Exchange in 1990, Spelman College President Johnnetta Cole cited four major obstacles to African Americans studying abroad. First, faculty members rarely encourage black students to study abroad. "They tend to encourage 'the best students' to participate in special programs, compete for awards and rewards--and indeed, to apply for and go on study abroad programs. Many faculty do not see black students in those terms," said Cole.

Secondly, African American parents are less likely to have traveled abroad themselves, and are therefore skeptical about sending their child to a place they know little about. Also, African American students are deterred from studying abroad by their fear of encountering another form of racism in a country far away from home. "The response of many of our students is that they know and, on some level, understand American racism, but why venture into foreign variations on that everyday theme?" says Cole.

Unfortunately, that was an experience encountered by Spelman College senior LaLisa Anderson, when studying abroad last year at the University of Sussex in England. As one of only two U.S. students awarded the Luard Scholarship, a full-year scholarship for students at historically black colleges and universities to study at universities in England, Anderson was almost spat upon by three people while walking from class on the Sussex campus. "Ironically, the purpose of the foreign scholarship is to foster goodwill and knowledge between peoples," explains Anderson. That incident aside, "it was really a growing experience, and for that, it was beautiful," says the Atlanta native. A natural sciences major with a concentration in biology, Anderson chose Sussex because of its biology and pre-med program, the only one among the universities offered by the scholarship. Asked if she'd go again, Anderson enthusiastically says yes. "Everyone wasn't like that, and I did get a chance to go to other places like London."

Finally, the most common barrier is financing. Most programs range from $2,000 to $10,000. Fees usually cover tuition, room and board, meals, visas and field trips, but not round-trip airfare or money for books. Some schools also charge a registration fee, in addition to regular tuition, for academic credits to be received. And, the wide disparity in costs depends on the country where the student is studying.

Since black students are found disproportionately among those who need financial assistance to attend college, foreign study programs often seem like a luxury they cannot afford. However, most financial aid is transferable to wherever a student chooses to study. Finding the additional money for the course fee and expenses, nonetheless, is often the determining factor in enrolling in such a program. Some schools provide special study abroad scholarships to underrepresented students, but the deadlines for these awards are usually a full semester prior to departure. Advance planning is essential.

Although not common, part-time work and work-study jobs may be available but cannot constitute the bulk of the spending money you'll need. Students should bring spending money in travelers checks or international charge cards.

Financing his trip abroad was a major concern for Michael Barbosa, a senior majoring in political science at Syracuse University who spent the fall of 1995 in Zimbabwe. "As an African American, I didn't think I could ever go to Africa. I thought it was too expensive," he recalls. But his financial aid advisor helped him find loans, grants and scholarships to pay for the trip. Barbosa started preparing a year ahead for his African visit by talking to students who had participated in the program and by learning as much as he could about Zimbabwe.

GET PARENTS COMFORTABLE

Parents considering sending their college-age child abroad have numerous fears. High on their list: whether or not their child will be fed and housed properly, their safety, opportunities to call home if needed and the availability of support staff in case of emergency or to soften the student's transition to the new environment. For high school students, the concerns of their parents are much the same.

However, parents of younger students put more stress on adequate supervision for their children and proper screening of the families they will live with. Most parents of high school students "want to make sure their children will get proper care on the other side," Florio says. AFS takes a diversity of parental concerns into account when pairing students for exchange, including the cleanliness of the host family and the amount of parental supervision. The organization may also require students to follow specific rules and regulations, which may include prohibiting them from driving.

Barbosa and his mother attended predeparture workshops set up by the school to help lessen parental fears. Jon Booth, the deputy director of Syracuse University's study abroad program, understands chat parents have reasonable fears but encourages them to let go. "Don't try to solve their problems--just be there to listen. To solve them undermines their ability to adapt to that culture. Nine times out of 10, the students have a positive experience. The bumps are all a part of it." Booth also says he encourages students to go somewhere other than the traditional European countries like England or France and suggests chat they go to countries where English is not the primary language--they are likely to have a more profound experience as a result.

Kate Watkins, now enrollment manager for CIEE, said her stay in Russia as an undergraduate matured her and broadened her understanding of a different culture. "It's definitely gotten me interested in the importance of cross-cultural education. People need to understand chat representations of other countries on television or in books are not necessarily accurate," she stresses.

Parents and their children should prepare for the study abroad program together. First, research the options, comparing price, course offerings, credit transfer, availability of financial aid, internship and volunteer opportunities. Students should be proficient in the language of the country they are planning to visit. Consider the impact of geographic location on your stay. Large cities offer diverse cultural opportunities, while students are more likely to meet local residents in small towns and villages.

The key to a successful trip is advance planning and a dear idea of what you and your child want to gain by studying abroad. Above all, enter into it with an open mind . The lessons your child can learn will limitless.

RELATED ARTICLE: STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Participating in a study abroad can be a wonderfully enriching and unique experience that will offer your child a rare opportunity to spend several months in a foreign country. There are many resources available to facilitate your planning and help you find the program that suits you best. Most are guidebooks that can be found in the reference section of your local public library or a college or university library. Others are publications by specific international exchange programs. Here are a few:

Resource Books

Academic Year Abroad. Institute of International Education, New York; $42.95

Vacation Study Abroad. Institute of International Education, New York; $36.95

Fulbright Grants and Other Grants for Graduate Study Abroad. Free from the Institute of

International Education, New York

The International Student Identity Card Travel Grant for Education Programs in Developing

Countries. Free from the Council on International Educational Exchange, New York

Study Abroad. UNESCO, Paris; $29.95

Work, Study, Travel Abroad: The Whole World Handbook. St. Martin's Press, New York; $13.95

International Handbook of Universities and Other Institutes of Higher Education. Stockton Press,

New York; $245

Directory of Canadian Universities. Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, Ottawa;

$32.15 Canadian

Commonwealth Universities Yearbook. Association of Commonwealth Universities, London; [140 pounds]

The World of Learning. Distributed by Gale Research, Detroit; $415

The Students' Guide: The Compete Guide to Taught Courses and Research Opportunities in the U.K.,

Careers Research and Advisory Centre; [19.95 pounds]

Foreign Exchange Programs

Council On International Educational Exchange (CIEE), 205 East 42nd St., New York, NY 10017;

212-661-1414.

Institute of International Educational (IIE), 809 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY, 10017;

212-984-5412.

NAFSA--Association of International Educators, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suit 1000,

Washington, DC 20009-5728; 202-462-4811.

American Field Service, 220 East 42nd St., Third Floor, New York, NY 10017;

212-949-4242 or 800-AFS-INFO.