My name is Jessica, I’m in my second year of the Practical Nursing program at College of the Rockies and will be graduating in June. When approached in first year about College of the Rockies’ Nursing in Ireland trip, I realized this was something I would regret if I passed up. I’ve never traveled outside of Canada or the U.S. before, so I decided I had to go. We flew from Cranbrook to Vancouver, then to London. The plane to London was my first ever long flight!

My study abroad opportunity in Rome was amazing. I was able to immerse myself in a new culture, broaden horizons, and gain valuable educational and personal experience.

Students from the Hairstyling diploma program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Prince Albert campus spent a week in the United Kingdom in March practicing their trade and exploring the local culture. This global learning experience was funded by the Global Skills Opportunity Fund (GSO) which aims to empower post-secondary institutions to increase the participation of Canadians in international learning opportunities — especially Indigenous students, students with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds who have traditionally faced barriers to participation.

The SDG impact challenge is a collaboration between CEE, the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) and Impact Alliance. The event was sponsored by Waterloo’s Powering Change program, funded by Global Skills Opportunity and the Queen Elizabeth Scholars as part of a commitment to community-sharing and motivating students to seek experiences abroad to widen their global perspectives.

Six Medicine Hat College (MHC) students from a variety of backgrounds packed their bags over reading week to find a new understanding of culture.

Business student Erin MacKay is gaining invaluable international work experience in her program — experience that’s helping lay the foundations of a future career as a sustainability consultant. Erin is in her third year of the Business Administration-International Business program, and she’s among the first group of George Brown College students taking part in a virtual work-integrated learning experience with companies and organizations outside Canada. It’s a pilot program targeting students who, in pre-COVID times, might not have been able to participate in an international work placement due to financial barriers or other challenges.