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Future-Focused Friday: 🗣️Things That Reminded Us to Use Our Voice This Week
Hiya friends,
Notice a coolness in the air? 🍂Yep, the seasons are changing. And whether you're craving some newness or fully over the unpredictability of this year, fall unites us in one major way: a call to take action in our communities.
IES Abroad students use their talents, interests, and voices every day to shape their world abroad—but even if you haven't gone abroad yet (your time is coming!) we still encourage you to use your voice 💬 from your dining room table, your college dorm, or wherever you are—and participate in the 2020 United States Presidential Election! 🗳️️
Sixty days before the election seems like a lot, but everyone who's studied abroad knows how fast two months flies by. For now, just trust us on it!
- This month is a great time to make sure you know how to vote, where to vote, and if you're already registered before voter registration deadlines pass. Considering mail-in voting? Make sure you know what to do to make your vote count.
- In October, take your global citizenship a step further by applying to be a paid poll worker in your city. The United States is facing a record shortage of poll workers this year due to COVID-19, which could result in the loss of many polling places.
- And in the meantime, get to know your candidates and plan out your ballot, because there's way more than just a president on this ticket.
Now that you're on track to make your voice heard 🗣️ ️from the comfort of your home, let's switch gears and start imagining the myriad ways you'll do that abroad! ✈️ From singing to poetry to debate, the sky is the limit for how our students choose to get vocal (sometimes quite literally!) about what matters most to them
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I was catching up with my parents over the phone recently when my mom mentioned global citizenship. It got me thinking: as we age, the parameters of our worlds shift. We grow from perspectives based on our home to our city, to our state, and to our country. Study abroad stretches those parameters even farther: to our new campuses and our new countries, to the ways countries interact with one another. There are cultural differences between people, but even greater than our differences are our similarities (cheesy, but true). Recognizing these differences enables us to also recognize what binds us all as humans: our shared desire for happiness, freedom, autonomy, independence, success, and love. Appreciating this global citizenship creates a new motivation behind our actions. It creates a different understanding of the need for action. Acting can be as simple as a vote.
P.S: Did you know our catalogs are packed with even more student voices? Think quotes, photos, reviews, and more…all alongside the program details and visuals you need to start picturing your own story. Ready to start flipping? Request a catalog mailing delivered right to your door!
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