(Photo by: Vaughn Wheat)

Studying abroad can be a daunting decision to make, and moving away from home for an extended period of time is not always the ideal choice for some. A tool you can use to help make that decision is Global Engagement, located in COM 201. They offer information on study away programs, exchange programs and host events and activities all semester long.

Global Engagement has an event called “Explore The World,” where they focus on one country and bring guest speakers on to talk about it. They’ve had events focused on Japan, France, and the Netherlands. The Messenger’s Editor-in-Chief, Baptiste Raffin, spoke at the France event. The next Explore The World event will feature Australia on Nov. 13 at 12:30 p.m. in the CoLab, OCB 107.

For next year, the study abroad programs with open applications are Japan, Mexico, Spain, Greece, and Italy. Requirements vary for each program, but all of them require applicants to be eighteen or older with a valid passport that won’t expire until six months after your program is over.

The staff in the Global Engagement office is there to help. Coordinators Emiko Asakawa, Junxian Xie and Janette Jasperson are available by appointment to answer any questions. The Japan outreach initiative (JOI) coordinator, Miho Kawashita, is sponsored by the Japanese government and tasked with sharing Japanese culture in the midwest. Schedule a meeting to go over how to apply, finding scholarships, program requirements, and other opportunities for financial aid.