Whether or not you have an established service abroad program, it is essential that you

have students talking about international service early on and throughout their time as Bonners. Here are some ideas and resources for integrating conversations about service abroad into your structured Bonner meetings. Remember: “service abroad” could entail alternative break trips, semester/year abroad, or international summers of service.

 

Have upperclassmen Bonners share how they may have applied their Bonner experience to global contexts through either coursework or immersion. Inform first-years of study/service abroad resources on campus. Particularly highlight alternative break opportunities or international summer of service, which first-years could more readily participate in than a semester abroad. While students may not do these freshman year, they can begin to think and plan.

 

Many programs focus on a common commitment at each monthly meeting. Organize a monthly meeting around international service, inviting older Bonners who have gone abroad to share their experiences and inspire others to begin considering their own. If this is not the case, use the meeting to introduce the student Service Abroad Handbook and invite them to speak with you about campus contacts they may help them through the process of serving abroad.

 

Sophomore Class Meeting; engage in reflections on social issues in multiple contexts (local, national, global) and invite students to begin considering and planning for experiences abroad (direct them to the student Service Abroad Handbook)

 

Junior Class Meeting; If juniors are going abroad in the fall, engage in meaningful reflection with them upon their return in the spring. See the Facilitating Reflection section in this handbook.

 

Senior Class Meeting; Talk about career opportunities with seniors, reminding them of international options as well. If students have gone abroad, encourage them to include that experience in their capstone presentation.

 

Throughout your one-on-one meetings with students, encourage them to consider service opportunities abroad. In particular, follow the guidelines in the Managing Students Abroad section in this handbook. That section includes timelines for both administrators and students for planning out an experience abroad, which were primarily designed for framing conversations of one-on-one meetings.

 

First Year Trip: Take students to another community that may have an international population or have students serve with a community partner that addresses global issues. Facilitate some reflection around service in local and global contexts.

 

Sophomore Exchange: Do a service exchange with another Bonner Program in your area that may have an effective service abroad process. Take time during reflections to strategize with others on creating a similar process and get ideas from students who have done it themselves.

 

Junior Leadership: Invite students who have been abroad (in any context) to present their experiences to other Bonners. Invite juniors to form a committee or initiative around creating service abroad opportunities.

 

Senior Capstone: Have students either share their international experiences in relation to their student development or challenge students to think about the issues they worked with on the local level in a global context.

 

After introducing service abroad to students in your program by using the strategies listed above, it is highly recommended that you make the student Service Abroad Handbook available to them. It would be very useful for you to have a printed copy available in your office for students to look through as well. Here is a downloadable PDF version: (Service Abroad Handbook.pdf)

 

The handbook features tools and tips on studying and serving abroad specifically for Bonner students. It also includes links to important resources, as well as stories from Bonners who have done it themselves.

 

Lastly, the International Partner Directory may help students begin thinking about what kind of abroad experiences are available to them. The directory is compiled of both Bonner Foundation Partner organizations and organizations in which Bonners across the network have found and served with on their own--making this directory perfectly tailored to your program!