Page 44 - 2024 June report

MOUNT ALLISON UNIVERSITY REPORT
| Global Skills Opportunity Program
Update on Impact | Presented to the Johnson Scholarship Foundation
Mount Allison University | May 2024
|Thank You — Your Impact, Year 3
Mount Allison University is deeply grateful to the Johnson Scholarship Foundation (JSF) for its support of the Global Skills Opportunity (GSO) Program.
The GSO Program was created through the Government of Canada to make international travel accessible to more students. The extra support provided by the JSF helps
ensure these global learning experiences are available to students with physical and/or learning disabilities.
Thanks to the JSF, a University staff member travels with
each of the field schools, supporting the accessibility needs
of individual students with disabilities and providing a valuable resource for the entire cohort.
This year, there are five GSO field schools, and 18 students registered with Mount Allison’s Meighen Centre for students with disabilities are participating.
“The international field schools are the types of experiences where students with particular accommodation needs traditionally discount themselves right away. And low-income students don’t even think about these opportunities. What you are making possible is life-changing.”
- Darcy Cormier, student wellness social worker, staff support on 2023 Galápagos Islands Field School
| Field Schools Details
Since the GSO Program’s creation in 2022, more than 130 students have been able to participate in a field school and close to a third of those were students registered with the Meighen Centre. Students participating in the courses earn credits toward their Mount Allison degree.
Galápagos Islands Field School in Biology (Animal Physiology – BIOL 3991)
• Two-week course held in May 2023 and May 2024.
• Students study in one of the most biodiverse and complex ecosystems on the planet and learn about the
physiology of animals and conservation management.
• In 2024, two of the 12 students participating were registered with the Meighen Centre.
Utrecht Field School in Psychology (Cross Cultural Perspectives on Sex and Sexuality – PSYC 2991)
• Two-week course held in early May in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
• Students learn about the Netherlands’ comprehensive approach to sex education, which is often seen as a
model for other countries.
• In 2024, five of the 14 students participating were registered with the Meighen Centre.
Kyoto Field School in Religious Studies (Religions of Japan – RELG 3311)
• Two-week course held in early May in 2023 and 2024.
• Students learn about Japanese religions.
• In 2024, three of the eight students participating were registered with the Meighen Centre.
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