by Lara Garanzuay, Communications Specialist

With about 157 million people in the United States being fully vaccinated, and the number steadily increasing, people are beginning to see the light of a post-COVID world. We have begun planning a few faculty-led study abroad trips later this year and the beginning of next year. While some destinations are safe to travel to again, others remain a challenge. For faculty and study abroad advisors once again developing travel programs, the resources listed below can be helpful when evaluating risk and selecting destinations:

Resources for Planning a Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program after COVID-19

1. Get the latest travel advisories for any country in the world from the CDC and the US Dept. of State.

   • Most of the countries in the world currently have a level 3 (reconsider travel) or level 4 (do not travel) advisory due to COVID-19. We expect this to change in the near future as vaccination rates increase.

   • El Salvador is the only country in Latin America that currently has a level 2 advisory (exercise increased caution).

2. For a view of the future, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluations is a great tool to see projections of COVID-19 around the world as well as specific regions and countries.

   • Global infections are projected to decrease significantly starting in August. We recommend delaying decisions about Spring 2022 programs until September or October if possible.

3. Read blogs and announcements on how universities and study abroad providers are ensuring safety and success to their participants.

   • Professor Michelle Groover, from Georgia Southern University, shared on her LinkedIn page 8 tips for professors leading a study abroad program. She originally shared this information and more on the blog, The Professor is Out.

As the world has navigated through the unknowns of 2020 and now 2021, the way we live our lives has drastically changed. Learn From Travel and our partners remain updated on regional hazards and trends through a trusted network of local contacts as well as the CDC, World Health Organization, and destination country governments. Utilizing multiple resources provides a balanced and varied perspective to provide our team and students an accurate picture of global safety status at any given time.

At Learn From Travel, we are hopeful that the future of all study abroad programs is bright. We continue to focus on the culturally immersive programs we offer students, faculty and staff, and partners. Our mission is to provide life changing experiences to students while contributing economically to host communities. Our operations are laser-focused on providing the highest quality service specifically for faculty-led programs, both virtual and travel-based.

If you are wanting to take students on their own cultural experience abroad, contact us or check out our website for more details on the programs we offer.