Global Opportunities  Empowering First Gen and Low-Income Students
Channel: Educational Opportunity Association
Date: 2023-11-30

Creating Global Experiences for First-Generation and Limited Income College Students was a program developed at Metropolitan State University (St. Paul, MN) (approved Validated Practice 10/31/16)  As we live in a global-based economy, geopolitics, and intercultural society – undergraduate students must gain experiential learning and navigate other cultures from a global perspective. Yet, many non-traditional and underrepresented students are less likely to participate in long-term or short-term global experiences.  The barriers and obstacles are too great to overcome for participation in a global experience.  This program provides faculty, support services, and administrators both a research context on barriers and actual practical opportunities to overcome obstacles facing nontraditional and underrepresented college students. Creating global opportunities illustrates the significance of having a structured global opportunity that consists of (1) other limited-income and first-generation students (creating a sense of community); (2) staff and faculty who underrepresented students trust (creating a trusted and confident environment of support; and (3) integrated academic content and cultural knowledge (creating a meaningful growth experience).