Southern Miss Study Abroad is hosting a teaching abroad program where students who need teaching experience can complete half of it abroad.
The students finish the first half of their teaching experience in the United States and finish the second half in a different country.
The University of Southern Mississippi joined the Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching during the fall of 2020. COST is a collaboration of 18 U.S. colleges and universities that provides teacher candidates the opportunity to fulfill their student teaching requirements in international settings. Established in 1972, the program is currently headquartered at Grand Valley State University.
“It opens a plethora of opportunities for our student teachers,” said Jessica Bunales, assistant director of the Office of Study Abroad. “We have had students from all sorts of teaching majors apply to and be a part of the experience.
The students teach in learning institutions that partner with COST. Many students also live with host families in the countries they’re in to immerse themselves in the full cultural experience. The host families are set up by a COST coordinator. While the students primarily teach in English, they are also exposed to the language of the host country.
The students travel alone and meet up with their coordinator in the host country. They can also meet students from other universities that are a part of COST in the host schools.
COST works directly with students to help them with the program. COST has professional relationships with people working at each site to help students adjust to their teaching experience.
Dr. Donielle Stephens, the director of Educational Field Experiences, commented on the advantage of the program.
“Through participation in the COST program, student teachers are able to experience the many similarities and differences of education in another country,” Stephens said. “These experiences allow our students to not only broaden their views on how they see education, but also themselves, impacting the lives of countless students in their future classrooms.”
Bunales also commented on the advantage of the program.
“Our students are able to go into these international schools and meet international people,” Bunales said. “We had a student teacher who was placed in New Zealand, who connected her US class with her class in New Zealand; the impact is incredible.”
Many students in the past have also reported positive experiences with the program. Bunales mentioned a student who formed a close connection with her host family and ended up inviting them to her wedding,
There are three students participating in the program this semester who will be going to Germany, Greece and Australia. The program has also sent people to Costa Rica, Ireland, New Zealand and many other countries before.
The program is conducted in both the fall and spring. To learn more about the program, interested students can contact Bunales or Stephens.
