Safety tips put parents of study abroad travelers at ease
If your child is planning to study abroad, recent world events may have you rethinking those plans. Study abroad leaders at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point offer several tips to enhance safety and communication.
Study Abroad Director Eric Yonke is also a parent whose children have completed overseas programs. “This is a moment when your student steps out on his or her own. It’s a privilege to observe and one of the greatest educational gifts we can give as parents.”
His daughter interned in London and discovered she loved the big city. “It gave her tremendous confidence, coming from central Wisconsin,” Yonke said. His son took a three-week service learning trip to Cameroon, Africa, and saw the courage, resilience and toughness of his host country. He came home with greater appreciation for what many Americans take for granted.
Parents have safety conversations with children at several pivotal points in life, Yonke noted: starting junior high, getting a driver’s license, going to college. “Study abroad moves the conversation to a global scale.”
Students who study overseas grow to be more independent, said Mark Tolstedt, communications professor, who has led semester-long and three-week trips to Australia, New Zealand and London. “They learn to be on their own, make friends and experience something outside their comfort zone.”
In spite of recent world events, study abroad is a valuable experience, he said. “This university is very careful with security and safety.”
For concerned parents, a bit of context is helpful. The homicide rate is higher in Milwaukee than Cameroon, said Sam Dinga, of the Academic and Career Advising Center. He has led the winterim trips to Cameroon since 2009.
“We know these areas and how to navigate them and avoid locations of concern,” Dinga said. “I don’t want to die either.”
If a situation occurs that may jeopardize safe travel, a trip would be canceled or rescheduled, Yonke said.
They offer several suggestions to put parents at ease about their child’s study abroad experience.
- Learn about the country where your child plans to travel. Understanding its history, culture and geography can help family members be more comfortable and knowledgeable of the experience.
- Those concerned about Ebola may note that a case has never been reported in Cameroon. Travel between African countries is not easy, so disease does not spread as readily, Dinga said.
- Establish times and frequency of communication before your child leaves. Whether it’s a daily message, weekly call, or a biweekly Skype or Facetime visit, plan for regular contact. And remember the time-zone differences.
- “Remember, no news is no news,” Yonke said. While you may be anxious to hear from your child regularly, not hearing may mean they’re out learning and having fun.
- Be sure your student has arranged for phone service reliable 24 hours a day. “Relying on WiFi is not good enough,” Yonke said. Families and UW-Stevens Point travel leaders are required to know how to reach a student traveler in case of an emergency.
- Recognize it’s OK to have concerns. “As a parent, I’m coping with my own fears – fears of the unknown, fear our child is so far away,” Yonke said. Realize, too, your child will learn and grow, become more confident and independent.
- Realize that what you say and do as a parent affects your child’s experience. If you are anxious and fearful, your child may be worried or spend precious time abroad trying to reassure you.
- Trust the trip leaders. They have carefully planned the itinerary and work with partners in the host country to ensure safety and security.
- Check international media in addition to American news reports. Be aware of world events and political climate of countries, and encourage your student traveler to do the same.
- The U.S. State Department posts travel warnings, which are a good source for current information. The Study Abroad office also registers all its participants with the State Department’s “Safe Traveler Enrollment Program” (STEP). STEP registers all U.S. enrollees with the U.S. consulates and embassies in their host countries.
If anything happens anywhere on the same continent, Yonke tells students to contact family members to let them know you’re OK. An infectious disease, natural disaster or terrorist incident may concern family members, even if it’s hundreds of miles away.
“Please understand that your parents are going to worry about you know matter what,” Yonke said. “It’s our job as parents.” He encourages students to acknowledge that in a positive way and talk about how you will address it.
And for more context, Dinga says. “If you saw the list of diseases you can get in Wisconsin, you may not want to travel to Wisconsin.”
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