Written by Louisa Lambregts, Centre for Organizational Learning

Experiencing Life Abroad Through Rotary International

Jessica Brown was thrilled to find out that she is one of four successful candidates travelling to India on a unique exchange. Through Rotary International's Group Study Exchange (GSE) Program, Brown, part of the Innovation and Special Projects team with Learning and Teaching Services, will be sponsored to spend 4 weeks in the Raigad and Pune regions of India near Mumbai. During that time, she will visit local Rotary clubs and deliver presentations with GSE team members about life in Canada. She will also experience Indian life by staying with host families and participating in a full schedule of vocational and cultural activities.

An exciting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be sure. Though definitely not a vacation, as Kimya Keyhan, member of last year's GSE's team who travelled to the Loire valley in France, pointed out. "We were moving from one host family to the next every one to two days. We delivered presentations or participated events during the day and in the evenings. It was exhausting, but amazing. We were treated so well. Everyone went out of their way to welcome us."

The GSE Program is a cultural and vocational exchange available through the Rotary Foundation, a funding arm of Rotary International that supports various humanitariam projects and international exchange experiences. The program provides travel grants for month-long exchange visits between paired areas in different countries. It provides opportunity for young professionals aged 25 to 40 to experience the host country's ways of life and observe their own vocations practiced abroad. It is a great way to exchange ideas and to develop personal and professional relationships.

Susan Fisher, Coordinator of the two-year Business Accounting program, is the hard-working GSE Coordinator for District 7040 - the Rotary International region that includes Ottawa, northern New York state, Montreal, and Nunavut. For the past three years, she has advertised the GSE opportunity within myAlgonquin. Following a comprehensive application and interview process, individuals from across the District are selected to be part of the GSE team. An Algonquin employee has been selected as a GSE team member for the past three years.

In March, 2008, I travelled as a GSE member to central Sweden which is renowned for IKEA and furniture making. With a background in teaching and instructional technology, I visited universities, vocational colleges, and public schools to meet students, teachers, elearning practitioners, and administrators. Similarly, Kimya met with educators in France in keeping with her current role of helping Algonquin build strategic partnerships with high schools.

Rotary Group Study Exchange Trips

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Part of the exchange includes visits from GSE team members from partner countries. Individuals from Sweden, France, and India have visited Ottawa and spent time at Algonquin College. These visitors had a chance to spend time with representatives involved with the simulation lab and online learning support, as well as Algonquin's Ombudsperson and Executive Dean of the School of Business.

Whether it was over "fika" (coffee break with pastries) in Sweden or glasses of champagne in France, the chance to socialize with colleagues in another country and exchange ideas was memorable and immeasurably valuable. I still remain in touch with team members and contacts from Sweden, and hope to return there someday.

An exhausting agenda and jet-lag awaits Jessica during her GSE experience in India this February. And with this, will come the amazing opportunity to build a lifetime of insights and special friendships.