Getting Started

“While I was a senior in college, I talked to the community service office to find out about different fellowship opportunities post-graduation.  The ones that interested me were the ones that allowed for an experiential (rather than academic) design.  The Echoing Green Fellowship was a perfect fit because it allowed me to design my experience and then to live it.”
Heather Harker, a deaf woman who spent eighteen months teaching deaf children in Malaysia, and traveled throughout Thailand and Singapore.

Finding a Program

For college students and professors, the university study abroad or community service office is a great resource for information about international opportunities.  High school students may want to begin by asking teachers and school counselors about programs offered by individual teachers or language clubs that organize short-term summer programs.  Other sources of information include:  religious institutions, the local Rotary club (www.rotary.org) or Sister Cities International organization (www.sister-cities.org), magazines and publications, and others.  For example, Matthew Clark found out about opportunities to volunteer abroad with The Mobility Project in an issue of Sports N’ Spokes magazine.  There are also a number of websites designed to help you sift through the hundreds of international programs available, and to identify programs that most interest you.  For example:

• The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) has an online database of international exchange programs for students and professionals, including programs located throughout the Muslim World and the United States.  NCDE’s Muslim World Initiative webpage also features an extensive list of local, regional and international disability organizations, by country, and includes links to scholarship and financial aid resources for Americans and citizens of predominantly Muslim countries.
• Go Abroad.com, www.goabroad.com, has listings of high school programs in the U.S. and worldwide.
• International Volunteer Programs Association, www.volunteerinternational.org, has a database of volunteer opportunities in the U.S. and worldwide.

Information about programs funded by the U.S. Department of State, such as the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program for high school students coming to the United States, the Fulbright Academic Exchange Program for students, teachers and scholoars, the Gilman International Scholarship Program, the Hubert H. Humphrey Program for professionals from the developing world, the Linking Individuals, Knowledge and Culture (LINC) youth leadership program for U.S. high school students, and many others, can be found at http://exchanges.state.gov/.

For information on exchange organizations that offer programs in the United States and in predominantly Muslim countries, and related websites, please see the Finding an Opportunity article.

Choosing a Program

For U.S. students and professionals, once you have identified one or more programs that interest you, find out more about the program location, activities, dates and cost.  Questions to ask may include:

• How long has the exchange organization, or program leader, been coordinating programs in the Muslim World?
• How accessible is the program site and country as a whole?  What kind of meals and lodging are available to participants?
• What languages are spoken in the country?  What languages will I have an opportunity to study during the program?
• Are there local or regional disability organizations in the community?
• What are the scheduled activities in the country and are they accessible?
• Are scholarships available for a specific country or for students with disabilities?

If you would like to speak to someone who has gone on a particular program, ask for the names and contact information of program alumni who can tell you about their experiences.

The Application Process

“Don’t wait to be recruited – just apply.  Have an open mind and a few ideas about how you might deal with the differences you might find in another country.  You may have one of the most enjoyable and educational experiences of your life!”
Sarah Presley, Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco who has a visual impairment.

During the application process, you are not required to disclose your disability, and you may choose not to mention your disability needs until after you have been accepted into a program.  However, if you do want to know about disability access before you apply and/or pay application fees, consider asking:

• What experience does your organization have with students with disabilities?
• Do the overseas partners or university staff have experience providing accommodations and/or placing students with disabilities?
• Can you provide specific information related to your disability needs?

If the organization doesn’t have previous experience, they might not have accurate information on possible accommodations, or on accessibility in the program location.  If this is the case, contact the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange for free information on how to plan for and find disability-related services overseas.  NCDE staff can also work with your parents, program leaders and you so that barriers are removed and you can enjoy your cultural experience in the Muslim World to the fullest!

Foreign Languages

Foreign language requirements vary among programs, though most high school and undergraduate programs for U.S. students do not require foreign language proficiency.  Indeed, many programs are designed to offer students and adults an opportunity to learn a foreign language in an immersion environment.  Keep in mind that a great many languages are spoken throughout the Muslim World, including Arabic, Turkish, Farsi, Urdu, Pashtu, Malay, Indonesian and Tagalog, to name but a few.  English is also an important foreign language throughout the region.

On the other hand, many programs for high school and college students in the United States require knowledge of English.  Students may be asked to obtain written verification of English language skills from teachers or advisers, or to submit scores from an internationally recognized English language assessment test, such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).  The selection process is different in each country and program.  As long as you have intermediate English skills, don’t let program requirements discourage you from applying to study abroad.  Some high school exchange programs, for example, provide opportunities for otherwise qualified students with disabilities to improve their English skills in order to qualify.

_{Photo Caption: Learing the a foreign language, including the local sign language, can be one of the most rewarding experiences of an international exchange.}

For more information on language requirements for programs in the United States, and English language assessment tests, the Educational Advising Center in your country may be a great resource.  The U.S. Department of State provides support to a network of Educational Advising/Information Centers around the world. These centers advise prospective international students on higher education and study opportunities in the United States. To find an Educational Advising Center in your country, please visit www.educationusa.state.gov/centers/.

Another resource for students and professionals from the Middle East and North Africa is America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc. (AMIDEAST).  AMIDEAST provides English language skills training, educational advising, and testing services to hundreds of thousands of people from the Middle East and North Africa each year, and administers educational exchange programs.  AMIDEAST has a network of field offices in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, West Bank/Gaza, and Yemen.  For more information, visit www.amideast.org.

Remember, once in the United States, your English will quickly improve!