The number of study abroad programs is growing rapidly each year. According to The Institute of International Education there is a growing trend to develop study abroad programs that are customized to students’ needs. Some things I have learned you should consider when looking for your ideal program are:
- Community based Issues–Are the issues (i.e. girls education; trafficking etc.) that you are interested in addressed in the program?
- Field based or classroom based–Ideally you want to be living and interacting as much as possible in the community you are studying or volunteering in.
- Study or Research—how much support is in place locally to facilitate your study or research project
- Local Language immersion and instruction should be a strong component of the program
- Accreditation—Of course it’s ideal to receive college credits for your time and work while abroad.
As we build out the Call to Action section of our website we will categorize various study abroad programs with these attributes in mind. Again, please give us feed back or let us know about any firsthand experience you have had in study abroad programs so we can grow our support for those who want to take this path.
Mr. Borges,
I met you years ago at the Exploris Museum (Raleigh, NC) after a speech you gave to highlight the Tibetan Portrait. Working in that exhibit proved to be a life changing experience for me. I have a few questions for you:
What kind of camera did you use for the Tibetan Portrait photographs?
(I remember the story about the sticky film and chinese guards so I am guessing that it was a film camera and not a digital camera)?
What do you prefer using now?
Thank you.
Thank you for so generously sharing your response to Tibetan Portrait. I truly appreciate it.
I used a Hasselblad for the image in Tibetan Portrait. Today I occasionally will use the Hasselblad but I shoot mostly with a Canon Mark III 1DS with 24mm and 35mm lenses.
The Canon Mark III 1DS is a bulky camera. I’m sure the photos taken by it are amazing. I am buying my first SLR:
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
So I can learn the basics.
Have you kept in touch with any of the subjects from the Tibetan Portrait. All of the children must be adults now. I’m sure you left an impression on them.
You know I haven’t been able to keep in touch with the people in Tibetan Portrait since they are nomadic and I haven’t spent a lot of time in Tibet since then. I will likely be going back this spring and who knows. . .