CREDIT: JEN DOEDE
Sue McKittrick, Janine Shier and Caitlin Smith pose in front of the France mural, one of four murals part of Fanshawe's "Picture Yourself Here" contest. The contest is one way to get student interested in studying abroad.

Four murals of picturesque locations from across the globe have adorned campus walls as part of a promotional campaign for Fanshawe students to learn about the plethora of options they have, when it comes to studying abroad.

Fanshawe College's “Picture Yourself Here” contest encourages students to take a selfie in front of one of the four murals and post the photo to social media with the hashtag #Fanshaweabroad for a chance to win a GoPro, which they can use in their future travels.

According to Caitlin Smith, the international projects and exchange co-ordinator of the Fanshawe International Centre, the contest will have two winners, with each winner announced at the end of the fall and winter semesters.

According to a 2015 study conducted by the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), only three per cent of Canadian fulltime university students and one per cent of full-time college students choose to study abroad.

CBIE launched a national campaign called Learning Beyond Borders in 2016 to promote such studies.

According to Smith, the initiative has two primary goals. The first is to increase awareness of opportunities and benefits of studying abroad and the second is to increase institutional support for opportunities to study abroad.

Fanshawe joined the initiative earlier this year and created the “Picture Yourself Here” contest to act as the focal point for their campaign to promote learning abroad.

Janine Shier, the international marketing officer at Fanshawe, Sue McKittrick, the communications recruitment and enrolment co-ordinator at Fanshawe and Smith all came together to brainstorm the idea behind the wall decals and contest.

According to Smith, the team chose murals from France, Ireland, Italy and Japan to reflect the variety of opportunities students have when choosing where to study abroad.

Other promotional materials surrounding the initiative this year will feature photos from students who have previously participated in exchange programs and studying abroad.

Smith explained that when it comes to studying abroad, there are various options students can choose from when it comes to picking where to study and for how long.

In addition to the traditional semester exchange programs, Fanshawe also offers one month summer programs, cultural exchanges, field study opportunities and potential co-op opportunities.

“When you include an international experience [into your college experience] you are learning in a different way at our partner institutions,” Smith said. “For example, in France they will study one course all day for two weeks and complete it. You have to completely change how you approach learning and I think that challenges students and also can benefit them in the long run.”

Smith explained that students who choose to participate in a college oriented international experience will likely qualify for some financial assistance.

Students can apply for the International Exchange Opportunity Scholarship, which has a value of $2,500 for one semester abroad.

“[Studying abroad] is your opportunity to do something that will set yourself apart once you are in the job market,” Shier said. “Our college system gives students a lot of great experience and [adding] an international experience sets you apart one extra level.”

Students who are interested in studying abroad can find out more information at fanshawe.ca/studyabroad or at the Fanshawe College International Centre located in room E2025.