Globalization and intercultural exchange are hallmarks of the 21^st century. Higher education must adapt and allow students to gain direct knowledge and experience from this growing global interconnectedness. Students who study abroad gain confidence, empathy, global perspective, and adaptability while also building new connections between course content and context.

Students in STEM fields, however, often do not have the ability to engage in traditional semester-long or summer study abroad experiences because of class scheduling, internships, and laboratory activities. Short-term study abroad programs can serve as a powerful solution to the problem of integrating study abroad into the STEM curriculum. Development of such a program can take the form of a unique stand-alone course, such as a senior capstone class. Another option is to embed a short-term study program into an existing course; doing so allows for the incorporation of global perspectives on the course topic without sacrificing any traditional course elements such as lecture, laboratory, exams, etc.

In this poster we will share a model for incorporating study abroad into the chemistry curriculum, including curriculum integration guides for organic, analytical, and physical/inorganic chemistry courses. By offering this plug-and-play embedded short-term study tour during spring break, faculty can offer students in STEM disciplines the opportunity to explore and engage their subject matter in a global context while also providing an opportunity for students to grow in global competency and cultural sensitivity. In this way students engage in a rigorous guided study abroad experience as opposed to “academic tourism.”

Anne Wilson

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