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Intentional consideration of a program’s objectives, goals, and outcomes is important, and so are the nuts and bolts—needs and interests of participants, where you might go, for how long, etc.—and these will inform your goals and outcomes. The Forum on Education Abroad’s Standards of Good Practice should provide the foundation of any education abroad initiatives.

When considering programming in countries of the Global South and/or involving marginalized, excluded, or oppressed host communities, mutuality and decoloniality are of particularly critical importance. This is a huge responsibility, but don’t let that deter you…you can do it, and we want to help!

Reach out to us as early as possible. It’s hard to be intentional about programs when everyone’s in a rush, especially if you are committed to mutuality between your participants and a host community.

The Forum on Education Abroad has many other resources that can help. In addition to the Standards of Good Practice, the Forum on Education Abroad has a number of Guidelines. Among those particularly helpful for thinking about intentional programming are:

• Guidelines for Community Engagement, Service-Learning, and Volunteer Experiences Abroad

• Guidelines for Good Business Partnerships in Education Abroad partnerships.

• Guidelines for Advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals through Education Abroad

Determining Costs

The idea that programming in “low-middle income countries” is inexpensive holds true only to a very limited extent. The expertise, goods, and services that make for safe, quality programming have significant costs and must be fairly compensated.

Direct costs for program components—meals, lodging, in-country transportation, entry fees, donations, honoraria for lecturers and other specialists, activity fees, cell phones and phone credit for students etc.—comprise the bulk of costs. Amideast does not book airfare to and from the host country and therefore such costs are never included among Amideast program costs.

Labor is another significant cost, and a lot goes into it. In addition to contributing to the development of and preparations for your program, staff will work intensively with you on the ground, and at least one staff member will accompany you on every activity and excursion. There are also staff you will never see but without whom your program would never happen—those who make sure the bills get paid, who write and review the budgets and contracts, who vet the vendors, etc. Amideast employees are compensated according to the market and in accordance with labor laws in their local contexts.

Amideast does not apply mark ups when determining its program fees.

Ready to start the conversation? Email us at edabroad@amideast.org.