My Original Travel Hat - Let's Go!

Before traveling the world with my GoAbroad hats (thanks to Troy Peden!) I traveled with my Let's Go hat!

My brother-in-law Luis was a Research-Writer for the 1997 Central America publication during the summer of 1996 (I think it was the 2nd edition) and my mother-in-law flew down and traveled with him through much of his Central American journey! Luis was then Editor in summer 1997 for the 1998 New Zealand book (which I believe was the 1st edition)! My wife Ana & I visited Luis at the Let's Go office at Harvard & it was great to see their operations as regular users and fans of the "Let's Go" series. Let's Go was an incredible resource while we studied in Valladolid, Spain during spring semester 1991, while I backpacked Europe during summer 1991 & while backpacking Spain & ending in Paris on our three week honeymoon in 1995! Perhaps Ana had the 1990 Let's Go Europe book when she studied abroad in Toulon, France during spring semester 1990? Ana and I met while on the same study abroad program in Valladolid and she is the one who introduced me to the series and her Let's Go Europe book!

Luis gave us a shout out in the Acknowledgements section of the 1998 New Zealand book: "to Ana and Dave (veteran Let's Go users) for the introduction to the series and the passion for travel" (see below)! This past weekend I found my Let's Go hat & it brought back such wonderful memories!

IHEC Blog Initiative Named a Finalist for the 2020 GoAbroad Innovation Awards new "Innovation in Crisis Response" category!

I'm proud to announce that my colleague Jessica Oldford and I have been selected as a finalist for the 2020 GoAbroad Innovation Awards new "Innovation in Crisis Response" category! Our initiative for which we are a finalist is: IHEC Blog: Policies and Statements on Study Abroad Programs and International & Domestic Travel Due to COVID-19. You can see all of the finalists and categories on the 2020 Innovation Awards Finalist page at https://blog.goabroad.com/innovation-awards-2020-finalists/.

I also want to thank Travolucion for sponsoring this award category!

Final Call for GoAbroad Innovation Award Nominations - Deadline is May 10, 2020 at 11:59pm MST

This is the final week to submit nominations for the GoAbroad Innovation Awards!  Nominations must be submitted by Sunday, May 10, 2020 at 11:59pm MST. 

Since the NAFSA 2020 annual conference was cancelled there will be no GoAbroad Innovation Awards reception in St. Louis later this month but they will be held virtually this year!  Following is from the GoAbroad Blog about the 2020 Innovation Awards:

The GoAbroad Innovation Awards acknowledge institutions, organizations, and individuals moving the field forward, and commend leaders in the community for their efforts to go beyond the conventional—and we want to ensure that those innovations do not go unnoticed in 2020.

GoAbroad has added two new Special Awards for 2020:

*NEW 2020 SPECIAL AWARD* Innovation in Online Programming

This award recognizes an innovative individual, institution, or organization that has provided an exemplary and intuitive online experience in the field of international and experiential education. Evaluation will focus on program development, creativity, quality, and ease of access.

*NEW 2020 SPECIAL AWARD* Innovation in Crisis Response, sponsored by Travolucion

This award honors an individual, institution, or organization that has displayed innovation, agility, and responsiveness to the global coronavirus crisis. Nominations are evaluated on their scope and ability to provide specialized support.

You can learn more about the Innovation Awards and submit nominations here.

A year ago my daughter was on a short-term exchange program in Lima, Peru and these are the only two photos she had taken of her!

A year ago, my daughter was in Lima, Peru on a short-term exchange through her summer theater program (she returned with a friend as an invited teacher/mentor for ~10 days last August!). When she was in Lima last April I asked if she could get some photos taken of her. Here are two photos of her at La Basílica y Convento de San Francisco de Lima on a very sunny day...so sunny, that in one photo she is shading her eyes with her hand and in the other photo her eyes were closed! So, when I was in Lima in July 2019 I tried to recreate the photos of her!

Nominations are now OPEN for the 2020 GoAbroad Innovation Awards!

GoAbroad Innovation Awards

Nominations are now OPEN for the 2020 Innovation Awards!

Submit your nominations today!

For People’s Choice, submit your nomination on this form.

SHOWCASING THE BEST IN INNOVATION, ORIGINALITY, CREATIVITY, AND EXCEPTIONAL IDEAS IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

As the leading resource for meaningful travel, GoAbroad is pleased to present annual awards recognizing innovation in international education. The winners are selected by a prestigious and selective group of international educators known as the GoAbroad Innovations Academy. Award recipients are announced each year during GoAbroad’s evening reception at the annual NAFSA: Association of International Educators conference.

These awards acknowledge institutions, organizations, and individuals moving the field forward, and commend leaders in the community for their efforts to go beyond the conventional.

• 2020 Nominations
• The Innovation Awards Event
• The Innovation Awards Academy
• Past Innovation Award Winners

Disclaimer:  I will again serve as a member of the 2020 GoAbroad Innovation Awards Academy.  

Decisions, decisions, decisions....

I received some new hats today...stay tuned!

Many thanks Troy Peden!

My 17 year old daughter is off on a nine day exchange to Peru!

Yesterday, my daughter drove our family through a blizzard to O’Hare where she is off to Lima, Peru for nine days on an exchange through her summer theater program. Will be able to post about her host family at a later date!

In the summer between 7th and 8th grade she participated on an eleven day service-learning trip to Ecuador through her middle school and you can see more about that trip here and here!

Athena's 3rd Annual Global Give NAFSA Fundraiser in Partnership with the GoAbroad Foundation #AthenaGlobalGive #NAFSA2018

For the 3rd conceutive year, Athena Study Abroad has partnered with the GoAbroad Foundation for their annual Global Give Fundraiser during the upcoming 2018 NAFSA conference in Philadelphia.  I learned about Athena's Global Give Fundraiser last year during the 2017 NAFSA confence.  I made a donation (see photo below for a sampling of photos of those who made donations) and I plan to do the same again this year.

You can learn more about the 3rd annual Global Give Fundraiser here and swing by the Athena Study Abroad booth (#2117) next week during the NAFSA conference should you find yourself in Philadelphia!

Disclaimer:  I recieve no compensation for this post.  Just posting as I think it's a wonderful fundraising initiative.

If GoAbroad.com had a "Best GoAbroad.com Hat Photo" category for their Innovation Awards...

...there would be a three-way tie!

Take a moment to vote for the 
2018 GoAbroad People's Choice Award!

GoAbroad Announces 2018 Innovation Award Nominations

The other day, GoAbroad announced that they are now accepting nominations for their 2018 Innovation Awards.  This is an excellent opportunity to nominate and recognize those who make a difference in and have an impact on our field!

The GoAbroad Innovation Awards are divided into the following categories:

Innovation in Diversity
Innovation in Marketing & Digital Media
Innovative New Intern Abroad Program
Innovative New Study Abroad Program
Innovative New Volunteer Abroad Program
Innovative Technology
Innovation in Sustainability
Innovation in Philanthropy
Innovation in Alumni Engagement
Innovative Student Video
People’s Choice

Please visit this page to read more about the award categories & to submit nominations: https://www.goabroad.com/blog/innovation-awards/

Disclosure:  I receive no compensation for this post.  I'm simply a huge fan of GoAbroad.com and what they are doing across many areas and I've been known to wear GoAbroad.com hats from time to time.  I have also been a member of the GoAbroad Innovation Awards Academy and judged during the 2012-2017 awards.

Check Out the New GoAbroad.com Gap Year Directory

GoAbroad is thrilled to share the publication of their latest meaningful travel directory dedicated to the GAP YEAR! Now, we’re not talking about your grandma’s gap year—not that we don’t give her credit, she did survive abroad without Google maps—but the gap year movement has gotten a serious makeover in the last few years.

Why? Because the stigma around the gap year… of taking a year off to travel, ask yourself questions, be introspective, and gain more clarity around your life goals… is waning. Rapidly. (As it should!).

More and more students are using the gap year as a rite of passage, not only between high school and college, but also between years of college, between colleges (transfer students FTW), before jumping into the workforce, or in the middle of their early professional years. Colleges are jumping on board (like Princeton’s Bridge Year!) and more organizations are improving the rigorousness of their courses (thanks in large part to initiatives like the Gap Year Association).

All this to say GoAbroad is thrilled to support young adventurers in their meaningful waywardness through the possibility of a gap year. Check out all of these ooey-gooey awesome resources for yourself, then hop on the gap year train because it’s moving full-speed ahead! 

• GoAbroad’s Guide to Taking a Gap Year
• GoAbroad’s Collection of Articles on Gap Years

   Rich media resources:

o    DOWNLOADABLE EBOOK: How to Kick Butt on Your Gap Year Before College

o    WATCH: Gap Year Options We Can’t Get Enough Of

o    INFOGRAPHIC: The 5 Best Gap Year Destinations Right Now

Join us in making like Malia and supporting the gap year movement!

Note:  I receive no compensation for this post.  I do receive some hats on occassion from GoAbroad.com but that's because I like hats and like to take pictures around the world with them.  I just like what GoAbroad.com is doing in the field and want to support their efforts!

Have awesome hats, will travel...

Putting the final touches on my slides for a talk I'm giving today on the Value of Study Abroad at another local university and created this as my final slide to show off my various GoAbroad.com hats!

Locations going left to right starting at the top and going down:

Chichen Itza, Mexico; Sydney, Australia; Devonport, New Zealand; Bavarian Alps, Germany; Tulum, Mexico; Iguazú Falls, Brazil side; Great Wall of China; Summit of Mt. Wellington overlooking Hobart, Tasmania; Bavarian Alps with Austria in the distance; overlooking Ocho Rios, Jamaica

GoAbroad & Lonely Planet Launch Volunteer Abroad Scholarship

GoAbroad and Lonely Planet have teamed up to offer a $2,500 scholarship to one lucky international volunteer, as well as weekly giveaways of Lonely Planet’s guide on volunteering abroad. 

Check out all the details here: http://ow.ly/fgSz30fVtC1

This is a great opportunity to pass on to your students and participants! Here are some social posts and an email template to do so: http://bit.ly/VolunteerBookPromo

For any questions, please reach out to Kayla Patterson at kayla.patterson@goabroad.com.

 

 

 

Help GoAbroad.com Reach 100,000 Facebook Fans

I'm a huge fan of GoAbroad.com for so many reasons!  This is just a quick post to encourage you (request) to like the GoAbroad.com Facebook page as they try to reach 100,000 fans.

Take 2 seconds to go to their page to like it and then stay and scroll through their content!

facebook.com/GoAbroadCom/

My 13 year old daughter and meaningful travel in Ecuador with @GoAbroad

Back in August 2015 my wife and I sent our 13 year old daughter on an 11 day service learning trip to Ecuador through her middle school (see itinerary at bottom).  Needless to say she LOVED her experience and took a bunch of photos!  This past weekend I revisited her photos and have posted a select few I found of her in her GoAbroad gear (her shirt/my hat).  She clearly takes similar photos as her father!