Posted on

5 Benefits of Educational Travel

International exposure is one of the most valuable experiences in which a high school student can participate. Eric Spina, President of @univofdayton says,”When you immerse yourself in another culture, you develop empathy, you learn to respect differences, you see your life from a different angle, and you confront your fears and inhibitions. These are life-shaping experiences that you just can’t pick up in other ways.” To that end, Former Secretary of Commerce, Penny Sue Pritzker encourages students “to travel and to deepen their cultural fluency, so they can better compete and succeed in the 21st century.”

Todays guest post from Jessica Miller details the benefits of such expereinces:

Anytime you can experience the richness of cultures different from your own — by talking with people of other nationalities, travelling internationally, trying foods from other countries and embracing other educational experiences that fall outside of your comfort zone — you grow and change in positive ways. And this is just the kind of personal development that can help you stand out in the eyes of college admissions counselors and future employers in a competitive field of other strong candidates.

For those who can physically get away, international travel, cultural immersion programs offer unparalleled exposure to the customs, language and everyday life of diverse communities. This experience is imperative for anyone who’s serious about pursuing public service or global relations work as part of a business or political career.

Specifically, here are five ways educational travel can improve your life:

  • Sharpens self-awareness: Gathering firsthand information about the world — seeing different landscapes, experiencing the challenges of certain cultures, listening to the opinions of people in other nations — provides a level of mindfulness that’s often tough to shake. Profound experiences give people a sense of place and purpose, and they establish lifelong values and priorities.

  • Enhances perspective: Exposure to the problems and perks of other lifestyles helps people break out of cultural-centric thinking. Having a broad awareness of how other people live and what other cultures prioritize can trigger solutions and ideas that don’t necessarily rely on familiar habits and comforts. Cultural immersion through travel and service programs can also help break down language barriers and open new channels of lifelong communication.

  • Fosters independence: Living and working for any amount of time in a culture that’s different from home can help in ways more profound than any sleep-away camp or vacation can. This enriching experience challenges students to open their minds regarding food, friends and basic needs. After all, it’s tougher to take things for granted in unfamiliar situations.

  • Strengthens leadership skills: A person who’s been there and done that simply has more credibility than those who rely on lip service. Instead of relying on others’ opinions, travelers establish perspective, confidence and conviction that make it easier to gain the respect of others. Plus, international travel, especially with a group or through a program, provides students with a global network of contacts and references.

  • Demonstrates courage: Travelling away from the comfort of friends, family and familiar surroundings is tough. But doing it shows that a person is interested enough in the rest of the world, and confident enough in him- or herself to venture out and discover other parts of the world. This is a character trait that’s very appealing to colleges and employers.

No matter what your life goals are, travel can provide important perspectives and help you discover what really makes you tick.

Special thank you to Jessica for your insight.  Visit The Young Leader at http://theyoungleader.experiencegla.com/about-the-young-leader/

Posted on

Developing Student Leaders

Last week while conducting a youth leader training session, we spent considerable time on the topic of the challenges they were having with their student leaders and the training necessary for the students to effectively lead.    

The conversation reminded me of a post I saw from Doug Franklin, a long time student ministry leader who addresses this issue of preparing students to be leaders. Enjoy this thoughtful piece.

WHY YOUR STUDENT LEADERS AREN’T ACTUALLY LEADING

By Doug Franklin

March 22, 2017

Recently, I was visiting a youth ministry with a large student leadership team. The student leadership program looked awesome: there were over 20 student leaders managing several different teams (service teams, ministry teams, and others) with two students overseeing them all. It was impressive, almost like watching an assembly line on the show “How It’s Made.” Students were busy in meetings and planning sessions, making charts and casting vision.

But it was all for show. The students’ busyness looked exciting, but ultimately, nothing came from it. Balls were dropped, projects were never completed, and adult leaders swooped in to take over when the student leaders came up short.

I asked the youth worker how this student leadership team got started. What was its purpose? He explained that student leadership was important to him. So he identified all the ministry areas where students could lead and plopped talented students in charge of each area. I asked what kind of leadership training the students had received. His answer was exactly what I’d feared: none. This youth worker believed that a student leadership program meant putting the right students in charge. He was half right. He gave students the experience, but he didn’t balance it with training.

You can fill your student leadership with the best and the brightest—school newspaper editors, quarterbacks, class presidents, first chair violins—but if you don’t equip them, all of that potential will lead to nothing. A balanced student leadership program has both training and experience.

Placing students in leadership roles without training them is like giving kids a soccer ball but never teaching them the rules of the game. Sure, they’ll look active playing with the ball, but are they really playing soccer? Without expectations, rules, or goals, there’s nothing to measure their progress. Your student leadership team may look busy, but you have to ask yourself one simple question: are they really leading?

Student leadership training allows us to evaluate the experience based on the leadership principles learned in training. You’ll be able to see the growth in your students, and they’ll have tangible tools to get things done. Imagine the teachable moments you’ll have from this kind of evaluation.

It all comes back to the question I asked that youth worker: What is the purpose of your student leadership team? If you set up your leadership team just because it seems like a good idea, or because that’s just part of healthy youth ministries, then you’ll probably get the same results as my friend—all show and no substance. But if your vision is to see real growth and deep leadership development, take the time to equip your students for their leadership roles. Train them now so they can get the most of their leadership experience later.

Thank you Doug for your sound analysis. Visit Doug at LeaderTreks www.leadertrek.org

LeaderTreks offers a wide range of student leadership training resources to help your students reach their leadership potential.