CAPA Spring 2019 Diversity Advocates scholar Malia Waltman opens up about her American identity and Chinese heritage, as well as how she is reconciling these facets of herself in Shanghai. She also talks about her experiences with locals, including the advantages and disadvantages of blending in abroad.
Continue ReadingPosted in: Shanghai, China, Diversity Abroad
CAPA Spring 2019 Diversity Advocates scholar Juan Gonzalez attends the Carnaval de Fraga and celebrates this lively annual tradition in Fraga, Spain. With millions of people of all ages participating in the Carnaval, the city ramps up its energy and shows off its fun side. Juan also falls in love with the city's culture and shares how he was welcomed by the locals!
Continue ReadingPosted in: Barcelona, Spain, Local Culture
CAPA Spring 2019 Diversity Advocates scholar Kim Corona writes about the sense of camaraderie she experienced after seeing singers Mitski and Clairo live in Sydney. As a music enthusiast, she tells us about the creative spirit in the city, what it's like to be surrounded by locals with similar interests, and the empowering experience within music.
Continue ReadingPosted in: Sydney, Australia, Diversity Abroad
CAPA Spring 2019 Diversity Advocates scholar Jeff Chan shows us how Lunar New Year is celebrated in Sydney. He tells us about the similarities and differences between the celebrations in Sydney and Boston (where he grew up), as well as what he enjoyed the most during this cultural festival.
Lunar New Year is a celebration of the beginning of a new year based on the lunar calendar. Determined by the cycles of the moon, this date changes from year to year. Typically held in January or February, cities all across the world hold festivals and celebrations to help ring in the new year. Unlike the United States, Sydney celebrates the holiday for a week!
Continue ReadingPosted in: International Education, Sydney, Australia, Diversity Abroad
The following is an excerpt from a paper written by Lauren Ehrmann—currently a sophomore of Indiana University—that focuses on Black History Month as celebrated in Florence, Italy. The research paper was completed as a requirement of receiving a Diversity Advocates Program Grant and studies other organizations in Florence that explore and encourage the intersections of cultural heritage and immigration. Lauren's focus on these organizations is born of an effort to explore the porosity of multiple cultural heritages made possible in Florence, and the ways that CAPA students could become involved with either cultural heritage or immigration issues while there.
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Posted in: Florence, Italy, Diversity Abroad
CAPA Fall 2018 Diversity Advocates scholar Lauren Ehrmann reflects on her time teaching English at Anelli Mancanti in Florence and how her experience teaching locals with diverse backgrounds completely changed her preconceived ideas about Florence.
I arrived at the specified time to a historic building with bright orange hallways decorated with optimistic murals about community and diversity, ready for my first day of volunteering. Linguistic confusion ensued when I asked the young adults at the front desk where to find Jacopo, the person I was supposed to meet: they cheerfully tried out their English on me, while I further confused things by attempting to use my rudimentary Italian. Just as I was about to despair, I was saved: Jacopo came down the stairs, shook my hand, and greeted me (much to my relief) in excellent English.
Continue ReadingPosted in: Florence, Italy, Diversity Abroad
CAPA Fall 2018 Diversity Advocates scholar and art history major Lauren Ehrmann experiences the Islam e Firenze exhibit at the Uffizi Gallery and shares her Revisionist History-style take on the forgotten story of Florence’s exchange with the Islamic world.
Like any good art history major, the Uffizi was first on my list of things to see in Florence. I hurried to the galleries my second day in the city. When I arrived to the grey arched courtyard that contains the entrance to the museum, I noticed a large banner proclaiming the special exhibit currently running: Islam e Firenze.
My specialization within art history is Islamic art, so naturally I was overjoyed to see an exhibition about my area of interest. I rushed through the whole museum to get to the special exhibit space at the very end which housed the show.
Continue ReadingPosted in: Florence, Italy, Diversity Abroad
After interning abroad with CAPA Sydney in 2013, alumna Kristen Geatz realized she wanted change her career path from law to international education. Read about more about her experience and where she is now!
In my current role at IIE, when people ask me what my degree is in, I get some very strange looks when I answer. I guess “I have a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Society” doesn’t make much sense in a world where everyone studied international relations or global affairs. But in a roundabout way, my degree had everything to do with my love for international education, and my time abroad with CAPA was transformative in shaping my career goals and trajectory.
Continue ReadingPosted in: CAPA Alumni, International Education, Sydney, Australia, Internships Abroad, Professional Development
CAPA Study Abroad Ambassadors Column
Thoughts on Education Abroad Written by Dr. Michael Woolf, Deputy President for Strategic Development at CAPA The Global Education Network
Connecting Global Cities Written by Colin Speakman, Shanghai Resident Director at CAPA The Global Education Network
Sarah Harmon—Vlogger, Florence and London
Antonia Bignotti—Blogger, London
Nina Vrtjak—Blogger, Barcelona
Sky Dedrick—Blogger, Buenos Aires
Jamie Taylor—Vlogger, Dublin
Lily Tang—Blogger/Vlogger, Dublin
Sara Shriber—Blogger, Florence
Annabel Thorpe—Vlogger, London
Emma 'Will' Baldwin—Blogger, London
James Nightengale—Blogger, London
Emma Estabrook—Blogger, Sydney
Nicolas Dostal—Vlogger, Sydney
