The design of a study abroad model to improve student understanding of different cultures

To fulfill its' mission, Delaware Technical & Community College (DTCC) must educate and expose students to diverse populations, cultures, and customs. Because many community college students enter the workforce directly upon completion of their studies, often the only opportunity they have to be exposed to international topics is at the community college. Currently, DTCC offers very few opportunities for students to learn about and gain an appreciation of different cultures. The International Education Office offers study abroad programs, but very few students have participated in these offerings. The goal of this study is to develop an action plan to increase international experiences, specifically study abroad opportunities for DTCC students.;This paper will be organized into five chapters. Chapter one develops the problem statement and provides further background on study abroad programs at DTCC.;Chapter two discusses the importance of students gaining an international understanding and examines causes of DTCC's students having little understanding of other cultures. This chapter also includes a literature review on the impact of study abroad.;Chapter three describes DTCC's current study abroad statistics and current study abroad practices. Best practices at other institutions and funding opportunities for study abroad programs are also discussed in this chapter.;Chapter four reports the results from a survey administered to DTCC students and data collected from focus groups. The survey provided information on student interest in study abroad programs, including what, where and when they want to study abroad, and what obstacles they face with study abroad programs. The focus groups provided data on what students know about study abroad programs and what financial assistance they would need in order to participate in these opportunities.;Chapter five concludes with recommendations and a plan of action to improve study abroad participation and ultimately student understanding of different cultures.