In November 2005, The United States Senate resolved to designate 2006 as ‘The Year of Study Abroad.’ (S. RES. 308) In doing so, the Senate encouraged secondary schools, institutions of higher learning, businesses and government programs to promote and expand study abroad opportunities. Likewise, the Senate encourages the people of the United States to support initiatives to promote and expand study abroad opportunities.

The Senate listed many reasons for making this resolution, including:

• Study abroad programs help people from the U.S. to be more informed about the world and to develop cultural awareness;
• Studying abroad exposes students from the U.S. to valuable global knowledge and cultural understanding and forms an integral part of their education;
• Studying abroad influences subsequent educational experiences, decisions to expand or change academic majors, and decisions to attend graduate school;
• Some of the core values and skills of higher education are enhanced by participation in study abroad programs;
• Study abroad programs not only open doors to foreign language learning, but also empower students to better understand themselves and others through a comparison of cultural values and ways of life;
• Study abroad programs can provide specialized training and practical experiences not available at institutions in the U.S.

To read the full U.S. Senate resolution, go to the Library of Congress. Use the search function for “Year of Study Abroad.”

For more information on the "Year of Study Abroad," see the website: www.yearofstudyabroad.org.