Morocco seems like an exotic place to visit, and the food in Italy is known to be the best worldwide. Internationalization is a rising concept within education since it opens the minds of individuals to more opportunities, makes them culturally aware, and develops empathy.
However, learning about the cultures of different countries seems impossible when you cannot travel to them. With all of the work, home, and family commitments, traveling and immersing oneself in a foreign land’s culture seems impossible.
Luckily, now, it does not have to be. With the rise in culture competence education, more people are taking up the idea of a virtual international cultural exchange program. But what exactly are these programs, and how are they beneficial?
Let’s take a deeper look into the concept and idea of a virtual student cultural exchange and how collaborating and building online relationships through it can be beneficial.
What Is a Virtual Cultural Exchange Student Program?
This is an immersive and innovative opportunity for students to learn about different cultures and countries from the comfort of their homes. Students from all over the world enroll in specific programs. They can then log into their classes from their computer and phones, typically any time of the day.
The cultural exchange students would then indulge in discourse regarding various social concepts and problems, often to brainstorm ways to bring about social change in their communities. They also partake in other activities, such as projects, structured activities, and games.
These programs are an excellent way for students of any age to build more tolerance, empathy, and cultural awareness. This is especially true considering how the world is becoming increasingly multicultural and interconnected. Now more than ever, young individuals need to learn how to effectively communicate with individuals from various cultures and how to serve them.
Benefits of Cultural Exchange Programs
All students should be enrolled at least once in a cross-cultural exchange program because it can help pique their curiosities about other cultures andteach them more about the world.. Now that you are aware of what virtual cultural exchange programs are, let’s take a look at their benefits and why they are so popular:
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Students Can See the World from a Different Lens
A cultural exchange does exactly what it sounds like; it gives students the opportunity to exchange ideas and concepts of their culture with someone from across the globe. This opens their eyes to a whole new world and a fresh perspective on things. They also expose themselves to different forms of learning that they can remember for the rest of their lives.
Moreover, it allows students to learn about global issues on a more personal level. This brings about a deeper level of awareness than watching the news would. In fact, research shows that students not only learn abundantly from cultural exchanges, but their interest in different communities is heightened after the program ends.
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Allows Students to Keep Up with Other Commitments
When students enroll in a virtual student cultural exchange, they can keep up with all of their other commitments since they will not be traveling. Hence, you can continue your job, studies, or other extracurricular activities. This is because they would be attending your program virtually on their own time.
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It is Affordable
A virtual cultural exchange program in the USA is convenient, but it is also affordable. Students don’t need to pay for international tickets and accommodation to visit another country and learn about their culture. Theyu can still immerse themselves in different cultures, explore, and develop relations globally without breaking the bank.
Not to mention, such online programs also give them the chance to learn about countries and communities that they could visit later on in life.
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Provides Opportunity for Personal Development
Above all, a student cultural exchange program significantly aids in a student’s personal development. The experience will result in greater knowledge about oneself, others, and the world in general. It helps build confidence, self-esteem, communication skills, and independent thinking skills. All of this can then contribute later in life when a student is looking for a job.
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Brings Unity and Peace
A student cultural exchange creates a melting pot of different cultures. Students can start noticing similarities between different cultures and understand that we are all the same at the basic level. Hence, it provides the first step towards peace and unity.
Final Words
Cultural exchange programs are an experience that stays with students forever. If you are interested in bringing such programs to your school, whether you are looking for a cultural exchange program students, you can check out Level Up Village.
We have a Global Citizen Series that allows students to engage in discourse about social issues with others worldwide. For more information, visit our website.