This D.C. public school program encourages kids to expand their horizons, literally

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Study abroad programs are commonplace within modern university ecosystems. The merits of such experiences for college students are manifold: Exposure to new cultures, eye-opening educational environments, language-building opportunities and access to countless worldview-expanding tools.

While the benefits are clearly evident, these types of experiences have typically been reserved for college-aged kids — and often, just for students from affluent families.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if kids could have such life-changing experiences at an even younger age? Even better, what if these programs were available for children hailing from lower-income families?

That's exactly what a newly launched DCPS Study Abroad program aims to provide. 

The first fully funded program of such ambitious proportions in a public school district, the initiative will provide 400 eighth- and 11th-grade students from the Washington, D.C. area with global experiences in Central America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. 

Nineteen groups are scheduled to visit 13 countries over the course of the summer; each trip is one week long and all expenses are included, including passport and visa fees, airfare, meals, supplies and lodging. The program, which is funded through the D.C. Public Education Fund, raised about $2 million.

All eighth- and 11th-grade DCPS students studying a foreign language are eligible to apply for the program, which centers upon language immersion, global leadership and service learning.

"DCPS Study Abroad helps ensure that our global citizens have access to global experiences, so that travel becomes the expectation rather than the exception for students," the program's website states.

Kaya Henderson, the outgoing D.C. Public Schools Chancellor, told The Washington Post in a recent interview that the program is a lifelong goal come to fruition.

"I’ve been dreaming of this program my whole entire life," she said. 

In the same interview, Henderson explained that her own early travel experiences to Spain and Venezuela in high school and college helped shape the course of her future.

"Those experiences completely changed my life.

"I know what the power of language and study abroad can do for regular little neighborhood kids like me."

I know what the power of language and study abroad can do for regular little neighborhood kids like me," she said. "This is as important as anything they do in a classroom," she added.

The program will likely have multifaceted benefits for families, such as encouraging them to prioritize culturally educational experiences, and even allowing kids to teach their parents a little newfound cultural prowess upon their return home.

To prepare for the program, each student must obtain a passport, participate in "pre-departure training" and develop a post-trip "Making Global Local" project related to their time abroad. These projects are then collectively shared within the school community.

Students and parents interested in pursuing the program can learn more about eligibility in the Apply Now section of the DCPS site.