He was not nervous about boarding the plane. He had never been inside an airport before.
At the time, I was leading a group of students to Texas for an experiential learning opportunity in sports. While some students were excited about the trip itself, one student was overwhelmed by something many Americans take for granted: access to travel and exposure beyond their immediate environment.
For perspective, I have encountered this phenomenon quite often throughout my career, and it has inevitably changed my role as an educator. I now approach experiential learning through a global lens. Whenever possible, we travel and learn. When travel is not feasible, I bring the world to my students by connecting them with international universities, organizations, and experiences. Seeing, connecting, and interacting is believing. Experiences like these have also reshaped how I interpret the promises many universities make about preparing students for a “global workforce.”
Navigate the website of most universities, and you will find some variation of a commitment to preparing a globally competent workforce. This language is often embedded within institutional vision and mission statements. Universities frequently claim they are preparing students to compete in an increasingly interconnected world. Yet, too often they promote cross-cultural readiness without ensuring equitable access to international experiences or meaningful engagement with global perspectives before graduation. How, then, are universities ensuring that all students benefit from this stated global commitment? Is global learning merely associated with studying abroad, or is it intentionally interwoven throughout the curriculum?
Study abroad programs are often promoted as pathways to employability and workforce readiness. For example, Palm Beach Atlantic University highlights benefits such as cultural competence, language fluency, adaptability, and the ability to work effectively in diverse environments; skills increasingly valued in today’s global economy. NAFSA reported a six percent increase in study abroad participation between 2023 and 2024, which may indicate that universities are doing a better job of promoting international experiences, or that the next generation increasingly understands the value of engaging with global systems.
However, it is equally important to examine who is actually participating in these opportunities. Despite overall increases in study abroad participation, there has been little growth among students of color and students from rural communities.
