Each year, Bryn Mawr sponsors a range of global education programs that also include opportunities for service and language immersion. These experiences instill a deeper understanding of and appreciation for cultures and peoples around the world, as well as providing chances for our students to continue to experience a diversity of opinions, experiences and backgrounds, which is an important part of our commitment to building diversity. Most of all, global education provides an opportunity for students to get to know themselves and understand their place in this world in a way that can only be achieved by stepping outside of their comfort zones.

Last year, Bryn Mawr girls traveled to Peru, France, Canada, Cuba, England, the Czech Republic and South Africa. Below, some of the participants share the impact their travels had on them.

For more information about upcoming trips, visit www.brynmawrschool.org/globaleduation.
My most memorable experience was meeting all of the local people, because they were so kind and respectful to us, even when they didn't know us well. I would recommend this program to other students because it is a great way to learn about Cuban culture, something that we don't learn a lot about in school, in the most interactive way possible. Going to Cuba was definitely an experience I will never forget.

-    Georgia Dettman ’18, Cuba

The most striking part of my trip was experiencing how different the Czech Republic was. They speak a different language, they use public transportation 90% of the time, and the culture is very different. It was like I was in a whole new world. I also went on a 100-mile hike, which was very intense, but also enabled me to see all of the Czech Republic, not just what tourists see. Hosting an exchange student for several weeks was really new to me, but I liked it. Sometimes it was hard, but it was all worth it. Now I have a friend from all the way across the world that I can talk to!
 
-          Mayalen Brock ’18, Czech Republic

This trip was an experience I wouldn't trade for the world. The country itself is beautiful in so many ways – it’s a hidden paradise. The people are kind-hearted and welcoming, there is music and culture everywhere you go, and the cars are fabulous. Through this trip I got to see the true Cuba, not just the one tainted by American stereotypes. I wish everyone was able to visit.
 
-          Gray Purcell ’20, Cuba
It was new for me to travel to a country with a completely different government, and hearing the varied opinions within Cuba on it revealed just how complex every community is. Seeing the cultural differences was so fascinating to me, especially because I am intrigued by human behaviors and interactions. Throughout the trip, I absolutely loved the focus on art. I am very passionate about art myself, so seeing how much they value art – not just as a hobby, but as a profession – was a contrast from the United States that I really appreciated. This trip was honestly a life changing experience and one of the most incredible things I've ever done. Although we try to learn and read and ask questions to better understand others, there is nothing like global travel to widen your horizons and open your mind to new perspectives.

-    Margaret King ’18, Cuba

The most memorable thing about my experience abroad was going to school in Lyon and essentially becoming a French student for a day. I was amazed by how much the students were interested in American culture. I felt I was an ambassador for both Bryn Mawr and America by explaining both the lifestyle of American students and Americans in general. That day I was able to visit the preschool, primary school, and middle school. In a sense, both the French students and I were gaining something from each other, because while I was learning about the French education system, they were also learning about the life of an American student. This exchange trip has truly helped me to understand a new culture in a way that a casual family vacation could not have done. I became completed immersed in the French culture and their way of living. I also became aware of the differences and similarities between the French and American cultures, such as the French dining habits and customs. It was a truly eye opening experience, and traveling with some of my friends from Bryn Mawr made the experience even more exciting.
 
-          Sereena Knight ’20, France

Visiting Cuba helped me gain a much better understanding of my life in America and under capitalism. It helped me to see lives and philosophies that are very different from my own and understand their values and their faults. I spent much of the trip thinking about my life as an American, in part because of Cuba and America's interconnected histories and also because of the ways that their communist government/ideology is opposite to our capitalist one, and I think that I could only have had that experience in Cuba because of its history.
 
-          Grace O’Connor ’18, Cuba
Located in Baltimore, Maryland, The Bryn Mawr School is a private all-girls pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school with a coed preschool for ages 2 months through 5 years. Bryn Mawr provides students with exceptional educational opportunities on a beautiful 26-acre campus within the city limits. Inquisitive girls, excellent teaching, strong student-teacher relationships and a clear mission sustain our vibrant school community where girls always come first.