Learn by Doing: Expanding International Internships/Work Abroad Opportunities for U.S. STEM Students is the outcome of a special workshop held in April 2012 in Washington, DC, to explore internship and work abroad programs in the STEM fields, specifically creating, maintaining, funding and assessing these programs. A coalition of education abroad professionals from the NAFSA: Association for International Educators’ Work, Internship, and Volunteer Abroad (WIVA) Subcommittee, and the University of California, San Diego joined IIE in convening the event, which was attended by more than 60 participants from across the United States and Canada.
This briefing paper helps define work abroad, review existing program models, and address how to effectively communicate the benefits of work abroad programs to faculty, administration, and employers. The paper also discusses funding and assessment tools for work abroad programs.