subject: Experience The Adventure Of Cultural Exchange Programs [print this page] When it comes to learning opportunities, the world is one of the best classrooms in which to be a student. Many people overlook travel as a way to learn due to the cost and the potential time missed in a traditional classroom. Cultural exchange programs offer students the opportunity to be a part of a global learning environment that, in conjunction with classroom training, is a great investment in your education and life. Participation in a student exchange program can become one of the richest experiences in life, providing the participant with learning and life experiences that could never be enjoyed within the confines of a traditional classroom. Here are some of the great benefits you can expect while participating in student exchange programs:
Cultural Exchange Experience - Experiencing a foreign culture firsthand provides a range of learning opportunities you cannot get from a book or movie. When you're immersed in a different culture the language, the ways of living and the customs become a part of your life. The joys and challenges faced while living in another land ultimately enrich your knowledge-base like no other mode of learning can.
Community Service Involvement - Community service is a wonderful aspect of exchange programs which presents the opportunity to do something for the local people without the expectation for receiving something in return. This aspect of an exchange program often presents students with their first opportunity to participate in community service. The quality of the experiences of selflessly giving your time and energy can lead to a desire to be more involved in your home community as well as providing service around the world.
Adventure Travel - During an exchange program, participants have an opportunity to see things they may have only read about in books or seen in movies. Having the opportunity to see firsthand places and buildings you've heard of in books or on TV as well as knowing you're walking where famous people have walked is definitely a life-changing experience. Adventure travel experiences often require participants to step beyond their comfort zones but, in the end, the process of doing so prepares them to work through challenges they will face throughout life.
Taking part in cultural exchange programs gives you a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience things which will impact you for your whole life. The experience provides a broader view of the world, leading to a mindset that's more global than local, resulting in the feeling of being a world citizen. Expanding your thinking with great experiences like these not only has a huge impact on your life but on the lives of those around you, from the exchange program participants and their families as well as your friends and family when you return.
