Harrisburg— Fourteen students from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania spent two weeks this summer in Belize as part of a class put together by history and political science professors Jeffrey Bosworth and Jonathan C. Rothermel. The trip gave the students a first-hand look at the small Central American country—its culture, and its people—that they couldn’t have gotten just by sitting in a classroom.

“Belize represents an excellent opportunity for students to see the problems that face a developing country, particularly with regard to globalization and environmental protection, and it has the added benefit of being English-speaking and a multi-ethnic democracy,” Bosworth said after returning from the trip.

The class and accompanying “field trip” is an example of the multitude of opportunities to study abroad that are available to students who attend any of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities. Those opportunities range from semester- or even year-long experiences, where students can become fully immersed in the language and culture of another country as they earn a full load of credits, to short-term programs that might last only two or three weeks while they take a single class.

International study—regardless of duration—is a valuable learning tool for students, no matter what their major, helping to bring into sharper focus what they learn in their regular classroom.

“Most people we met in Belize assumed we were archaeologists or biologists, and they seemed surprised—if not slightly amused—when we told them we were political scientists,” Rothermel said. “Belizeans were very forthright about sharing their political views, and their concern for the future of their country was evident in conversations that we had with them.”

Studying abroad provides invaluable life experiences, according to State System Chancellor Frank T. Brogan. “I believe every student should have the opportunity to take part in some type of international experience. It adds so much to their education,” Mr. Brogan said.

Every State System university offers a range of international experiences. Many share the opportunities they offer their own students by inviting students from their sister institutions to participate.

“That’s another advantage to being part of a system of universities,” Mr. Brogan said. “It gives our students a much broader array of available options.”

For example, Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Office of International Education, which coordinates the school’s international programs, offers a host of study abroad opportunities, ranging from summer courses in biology in South Africa and food and culture in Spain to a semester in Indonesia, that are available not only to IUP students, but also to those from the 13 other State System universities. One of the most widely coveted spots is on Dr. Caleb Finegan’s faculty-led course, The Road to Santiago: A Medieval Pilgrimage Across Northern Spain, a 33-day walking course that brings together academic, artistic, spiritual and physical realms of life by focusing on and participating in the Camino Francés pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.

Likewise, IUP students can search the offerings of the other State System universities to find an international experience that fits their academic major and personal interests.

The universities work in other ways to enhance the international education experience for their students, including making it more affordable. IUP’s OIE, for example, has worked alongside the IUP Foundation, university alumni and others to create scholarships for education abroad students, including one for students who have never been outside the United States.

In recent years, a number of State System university students have been selected for prestigious national scholarships that have paid for their study abroad. Two examples are students from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania who studied in France thanks to the awards they received. Anthony Bucher received the Joseph Yedlicka Scholarship from Pi Delta Phi, the French honors society, and Felicia Franklin received the Benjamin Franklin Grant awarded by the French Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Shippensburg, like several State System universities, has expanded opportunities for students in the area of international studies, introducing both a Bachelor of Arts degree and a minor in the field, as well as letters of completion in African and Middle Eastern Studies, Asian Studies, European Studies, and Latin American and Caribbean Studies. International study is a valuable addition to a student’s career preparation in today’s global economy.

Most State System universities have offices dedicated to assisting students in arranging international education experiences. At California University of Pennsylvania, it’s the Office of International Programming, which has helped students who have enrolled in programs in Australia, Costa Rica, England, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Madagascar and other locations around the world.

Among the opportunities offered through Cal U is the Madagascar Field School, where students spend five weeks living alongside scientists and scholars in Ranomafana National Park. They explore the unique ecology and biodiversity of a tropical rainforest and gain hands-on experience in the research techniques used by professional field biologists and natural resource managers. Classes take place in a combination of settings, from traditional classrooms to the heart of the rainforest and traditional Malagasy villages. The program includes a cross-country trek to explore Madagascar's famed spiny desert and coral reefs.

This summer a group of Cal U students also visited Turkey on a cultural exploration offered in conjunction with the Turkish Cultural Center of Pittsburgh. Their itinerary took students and Dr. Rebecca Regeth, an associate professor of psychology, to the cities of Istanbul, Izmir, Konya and Kayseri.

International study programs typically involve both an educational and cultural component, and sometimes are open to more than just students enrolled at the university.

Among Edinboro University of Pennsylvania’s most popular travel-learning experiences is a trip to Scotland, for both students and others, which includes a stop in Edinburgh, after which the town of Edinboro was named. The most recent trip in August was led by Music Department Chair Dr. Gary Grant and communications studies professor Timothy Thompson, who offered optional courses in music and intercultural communication respectively during the excursion.

Edinboro also has offered a biology/conservation experience in South Africa and Botswana led by Dr. Cynthia Rebar of the Biology and Health Services Department. Participants in the experience camp out and learn from guides who have lived in the bush their entire lives. Speaking about the trip, anthropology major Vanessa Toth told Edinboro University magazine upon her return, “I learned so much about an environment that I knew nothing about. I also experienced a culture that I probably would not have visited in any other way. I gained some great friends; the other students and I connected in a way that is difficult to do in a regular classroom. … It is a way to see new places and learn more than you could in a classroom. Not only do you learn about the actual subject material, but you learn about yourself.”

West Chester University of Pennsylvania offers a number of unique experiences through its Center for International Programs, including the Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research, which offers programs in Peru. Nursing professors Marcia Welsh and Christine Marconi last year began a winter session program in South Africa in which students assisted in orphanages for children with HIV/AIDS, and observed practices in maternal and neonatal units in the region’s largest hospital. This summer, the university sponsored its first study abroad program to Rwanda.

You don’t even have to stay on dry land as part of the international educational experience you can receive through a State System university. Millersville University student Laura Saltzman of Glenmoore, a social work major, is taking part in the Semester at Sea program. She will participate in a blend of experiential study, interdisciplinary coursework and field labs across 16 ports of call and multiple countries. To read her blog about the experience, go to:http://www.millersville.edu/admissions/studentprofiles/laura-saltzman.php

China and India are increasingly popular destinations for educational exchange programs. Several State System universities have direct connections with universities in China and other countries. Among them, Bloomsburg University’s exchange agreements with both the Beijing Normal University and the Shandong University of Technology, where BU students can go to further their study of the Chinese language.

A number of State System universities also are participating in a pair of initiatives organized by Commonwealth agencies or affiliated organizations. The Pennsylvania Higher Education Initiative in India is a joint project organized by the state Department of Community and Economic Development and the Team Pennsylvania Foundation. It is designed both to provide opportunities for Pennsylvania college students to study in India and to encourage more students from India to attend colleges and universities here.

“We’re looking at working with strategic partners in India, with two centers dedicated specifically for Pennsylvania, in the cities of Mumbai and Bangalore,” said Kanika Choudhary, honorary ambassador and special envoy with the project. “Students will have the opportunity for internships as well as being able to attend classes to learn more about the country of India and the economic development opportunities there.”

Spring break is growing in popularity as a time when students can participate in a short-term international experience. More than 300 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania students took part this year in one-week seminars during their brief time off from the classroom, traveling to Cuba, Denmark, England, France, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Costa Rica, the Bahamas and Greece. The academic component of the seminars ranged from the study of art to the latest in exercise science and rehabilitation, as well as geography, geology and the environment, philosophy, physical therapy, elementary and early childhood education and special education, among others.

Slippery Rock, which offers students a full range of international study opportunities, also invites students to participate in its Care Breaks program, which provides extended service-learning experiences during fall, winter and spring breaks. Students have visited seven countries to provide volunteer assistance where needed. During the 2014 winter break, 16 Slippery Rock students visited Petersfield, Jamaica, working in local schools to assist with daily activities and tutoring. Seven SRU students also visited Cochabamba, Bolivia, to lend a hand with various light construction projects, including laying bricks and a painting project in the community.

The temperatures might be similar to spending spring break on the beaches of Florida, but the experience is far different.

To learn more about what the universities have to offer in the area of study abroad, go to any of the links below:

Bloomsburg www.bloomu.edu/international

Californiawww.calu.edu/current-students/student-services/international-programming/

Cheyney Contact Dr. Norma George atngeorge@cheyney.edu

Clarionwww.clarion.edu/46770/

East Stroudsburghttp://www.esu.edu/academics/international_programs/index.cfm

Edinborowww.edinboro.edu/departments/international/abroad.dot

Indianawww.iup.edu/international/

Kutztownhttps://www.kutztown.edu/about-ku/administrative-offices/international-education-and-global-engagement/study-abroad.html

Lock Havenwww.lhup.edu/students/student_resources/international_studies/index.html

Mansfieldwww.mansfield.edu/international/

Millersville www.millersville.edu/globaled/

Shippensburgwww.ship.edu/ism

Slippery Rockwww.sru.edu/academics/globalengagement/Pages/GlobalEngagement.aspx

West Chesterhttp://www.wcupa.edu/international/

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, with about 112,000 students. The 14 State System universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study.

The universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The universities also operates branch campuses in Oil City (Clarion), Freeport and Punxsutawney (IUP) and Clearfield (Lock Haven), and offer classes and programs at several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and in Center City in Philadelphia.