By Eleanor Conrad and Essie Lenchner
Feb. 2, 2024
On January 8, staff from the UW Madison International Division and College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) visited Waterford Union High School to talk with the students about opportunities to study and work abroad. The team engaged high school students in a discussion on language learning, life abroad, and the potential for these skills to enhance career opportunities globally and domestically.
Visitors shared stories from their own academic and professional experiences abroad and discussed the current study and intern abroad programs available at UW Madison. The presentation highlighted the benefits of learning another language and the many avenues for funding a study abroad experience, in particular the extensive support available at UW-Madison, including federally funded awards such as the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship.
The students were astonished to learn that UW-Madison offers over 260 study abroad programs, and that more than 50 languages are taught on campus. Several students stayed after the presentation to ask additional questions about their college and career aspirations.
This outreach event was made possible with support from Title VI National Resource Center grants from the U.S. Department of Education and exemplifies UW-Madison’s commitment to fostering global awareness and providing students with the tools they need to thrive in an interconnected world.