By Dr. Sophia Howlett
President, School for International Training
In the 90 years since Donald Watt launched an “experiment” that took 23 students abroad to experience a new culture and country, The Experiment in International Living, SIT, and World Learning have faced any number of challenges. Each has been a learning opportunity that has expanded our worldviews and the way we approach our work.
When the pandemic, by necessity, propelled our expansion into a virtual space, some saw it as a fast track to an online learning trend that had been coming for years. Many of my colleagues at The Experiment and World Learning’s global development and exchange programs had been preparing for this transition and were able to convert to a digital format in near record time. As you’ll read in this report, the results were inspiring; by shedding some of the economic and societal constraints of in-person programming, we saw more participation from women, young people, and ethnic minorities around the world.
"Although divided into geographic regions, our program teams across the world came together with common goals: to share and process our challenges, reflect on our solutions, and apply knowledge that could move our organization into the future."
At School for International Training, we faced the challenge of replicating online the production, reflection, and application of knowledge that are at the core of our experiential learning model and planning for an even more engaging future. In other words, how could we create online the immersive experiences—gained from staying with a family, speaking another language, and meeting new communities—that open our students’ hearts and minds?
As we grappled with this question, the pandemic became our own experiential learning environment. Although divided into geographic regions, our program teams across the world came together with common goals: to share and process our challenges, reflect on our solutions, and apply knowledge that could move our organization into the future.
We devised digital language courses and virtual internships that continued to bring our students into direct relationships with instructors, academic directors, and organizations abroad and introduced new students from diverse backgrounds to SIT. We launched the SIT Critical Conversations Webinar Series—webinars available for free to anyone, anywhere—that bring the knowledge and lived experiences of SIT faculty, alumni, students, and others into homes, libraries, and classrooms worldwide. While these measures are not substitutes for an immersive experience abroad, they keep an open window on the world—a starting point from which our students can continue their global education when the time is right.
Meanwhile, we have been planning for that moment when we can all get back together in “real life.” We know our students are still ready for that international learning experience. We know that new students who have joined us online will continue to value the impact of being connected globally virtually. We also know that our students share our priorities: to confront the most critical global issues of today. We are all resolute, resilient, and ready to change the world.
