Once on the ground in one of the 17 countries where WPI runs project programs, students work in teams on projects for nonprofit agencies, government organizations or corporations. They shae apartments or live in student housing, cooking local food to keep expenses down. They spend seven weeks defining and responding to the issues presented to them, finishing up with a presentation to their sponsors and a detailed project report. Recent projects include a market research study for an ecotourist site in a Costa Rican rain forest, a study of the feasibility of using solar energy in a Danish high school, and the development of a graphical database of outdoor art in Venice. THe effects of this international experience is long-lasting.
Students return with a changed outlook on their lives and, often, their potential careers.
They prove they can write lengthy reports and make oral presentations to people they've never met. Their international experiences set them apart from other job candidates, he says, since they're more prepared to live and work in a global society. As more and more students and faculty return to Worcester energized from their exposure to new ways of thinking and living, WPI will retain its undisputed leadership position in global education. More important, the campus atmosphere will become one of greater understanding of the variety of cultures and perspectives in the world beyond Worcester.