International Opportunities at the COE

Teaching is a local affair, but the world is present in every classroom community. Effective education requires knowing your learner, and that requires knowing yourself as a teacher. There are a lot of ways to stretch those muscles (EDUC/ELED 310, for example), but one of the strongest is time spent in another culture.

The College of Education believes in the power of intercultural experience, and we want to take our students with us to learn in our partner sites. For 2023-2024, we have programs running in Kenya, Colombia, Kosovo, Ireland, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. We hope you’ll consider joining one of these teams.

Some of our programs are about a week long, conducted over spring break or immediately following spring semester. Others are 3-4 weeks, and these often carry course credit in the COE or Honors College. Some are free this year, and others have a program fee. Tuition, of course, is required for credit. We also offer multiple courses that employ virtual exchange to put you in touch with students from around the world.

Check out student opportunities to go abroad with the COE here, and contact Dr. Kris Wiley at wileykr@jmu.edu with any questions. Act quickly, because applications are due by December 15.