Goshen College Study Abroad Program
Goshen College study abroad program completely reinvents what a study abroad program should be. Goshen’s Study- Service Term (SST) is ranked #4 in Best Study Abroad Programs in America by Best College Reviews. Despite being a small liberal arts college in the Midwest, Goshen students and faculty leave their footprints all along the world!
First thoughts that generally come to mind when someone says ‘study abroad’ means gallivanting around Europe, and maybe that it is a recent trend. It is quite the contrary for Goshen College! Since 1968 the college has sent some 8,000 students abroad to serve and learn in 24 countries worldwide! Goshen College easily has 80% of their student body participate in their study abroad program.
Goshen’s SST programs essentially pick you up and place you in the middle of some of the most interesting countries of the world. Once there, you will live and learn from the locals. Whether its Tanzania, Peru, or Bali, Goshen students travel to places most people only read of. They’re dedicated to changing the world’s perception of ‘study abroad’.
Goshen University Study Abroad Programs
Study- Service Term (SST)
What exactly is SST? SST (Study-Service Term) is Goshen University’s version of a study abroad program, though they go above and beyond a standard program. SST is a semester long program, 13 weeks, who values cultural immersion, service, and community. On an SST trip, students will stay with host families. The main goal of this set up is to provide a full cultural immersion where students can experience the countries day-to-day activities and culture.
Current study-service Term (SST) send students to China, Peru, Senegal, Tanzania, Cambodia. However, other Goshen groups have gone to countries such as China, Peru, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Senegal, Tanzania, Cambodia, Haiti, El Salvador and South Korea, to name a few.
SST is in two parts. The first is essentially a nose dive into the local culture of the country you choose. As opposed to being off in a small village, Goshen College typically takes students to the countries capital to get a full intensive lesson on language, culture, and cuisine.
The second half of the trip is for a more independent exploration as GC peers are spread out more than the first half of the journey. In the second half is when students begin work on their volunteer service project where they may be living alongside indigenous people or learning first hand how Eco-tourism affects everyday life in Tanzania.
Featured Program: Senegal- SST
Since 1993 Goshen College has been sending students to West African countries, but the first official Senegal SST began in 2004. Goshen students will live in Thiès, Senegal to begin their journey. Senegal is on the Atlantic Ocean and borders 3 larger villages/cities.
As previously mentioned, the SST trips are separated into two portions. On the Senegal SST program, the first part of the semester students in Thiès are learning French four times a week. The rest of the curriculum includes learning more about Senegal’s history, religion, social issues, arts, and other important factors to their culture. In addition, an introduction to the Wolof language is taught to Goshen students.
The second portion of the Senegal SST trip is staying in various locations around Senegal. Here students will serve and live in a new community with a host family. The service projects are exhilarating and teach students more than any classroom could. Student blogs are a perfect place to learn more raw, uncut details about SST trips.
Contact Goshen University Study Abroad
Tom Meyers
Director of International Education
Associate Academic Dean & Professor of Sociology
tomjm@goshen.edu
(574) 535-7346
Passports & Visas
Goshen College Study Abroad must have a valid passport prior to travel. Apply for your passport in advance or the fees will add up fast. Your passport should be undamaged and valid. In order for a passport to be valid, it must not be expired. Or, must not expire up to 6 months after you return from your trip. Passports can take about 4-6 weeks to process. But, private and trustworthy expedited services is available if there is proof of departing in a short notice.
Student visas and visas, in general, vary from country to country as well as the planned duration of your trip. Apply early for your passport as visas can take several weeks for processing.