Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

CAPA partners with Diversity Abroad to provide resources for students including destination guides that offer country-specific resources, including tips for Black/African-American students, Latinx students, Asian American students, LGBTQ+ students, students with disabilities, religious students, and women:

• Diversity Abroad Australia Destination Guide
• Diversity Abroad Ireland Destination Guide
• Diversity Abroad Italy Destination Guide
• Diversity Abroad Spain Destination Guide

While students prepare to study abroad, exploring their own identities within the setting of a global city is an important part of the experience.

During the pre-departure process, we provide students with resources to help them understand their own identity and beliefs, and to prepare them for differing cultural norms and viewpoints in their host country. 

The Diversity Committee manages our organization’s commitment to diversity. Made up of members from various departments across all of our program locations, its overarching purpose is to ensure that CAPA’s emphasis on, and commitment to, diversity is woven into all facets of the organization, from marketing and recruiting to human resources. The committee meets on a regular basis to build and implement initiatives and projects across the organization and is responsible for:

• Exploring the topic of diversity within the field of international education as it pertains to departmental focus.

• Analyzing best practices for inclusive marketing communications and outreach.

• Developing materials to support and engage students in considering their identities as they prepare to go abroad.

• Establishing a supportive environment in which students can reflect upon their own identities within the context of the global city once abroad.

CAPA’s Diversity Advocates Scholarship Program (DAP) supports undergraduate students focused on social justice, access, inclusion, or diversity who wish to continue this focus abroad. Advocates receive a grant in the amount of $1,000 on a semester length program with CAPA to pursue diversity projects or research during their learning abroad experience.

DAP Scholars will collaborate with others and build upon their professional and personal development. They will also have the opportunity to engage in discussion groups and will be provided with tools to help them continue their advocacy efforts post-program. Lastly, DAP scholars will implement a project informed by their understanding of diversity in a local context, which will serve as their “capstone project” while abroad.

To be eligible, applicants must be committed and engaged with a track record of successful advocacy for diversity within their communities. They must effectively demonstrate an understanding of and obligation to influencing their own community from their experience abroad.

Advocates are awarded a grant in the amount of $1,000 for semester programs only.

Hear from past DAP scholars in their CAPA World blog posts:

• Uma Balaji, University of Pittsburgh: "Reflecting on My South-Asian Identity After a Semester in London"

• Maria Do, Augustana College: "Why I Love the Multicultural Side of Sydney"

• Danielle Tahan, University of Delaware: "Diversity & Social Change: A Cross-cultural Comparison of London & Copenhagen"

The application deadline for Fall 2021 is June 1, 2021. Learn more and apply here. 

• Will Baldwin, University of Minnesota Twin Cities: "Mental Health Abroad: What to Do When the Initial Excitement Wears Off"
• Minh Ta, Augustana College: "A Semester in Sydney - Expectations vs. Reality"
• Ellie LaFountain, Ursinus College: "How I Made the Decision to Spend a Semester Abroad as a Student Athlete"
• James Nightengale, Clark University: "From G-A-Y to Heaven: A Beginner’s Guide to London’s Queer Underbelly"
• Emma Aulenback, University of Massachusetts, Amherst: "Q & A: Studying Abroad as a Person of Color and First-Generation Student"
• Hania Powell, Rollins College: "Dublin Pride, the LGBTQ Community & Studying Abroad in Ireland"
• Abby Crain, Missouri Baptist University: "On Reaching a Dream: My Love for Another Culture"
• Cole Taylor, Lasell College: "Maine to Ireland: Long Distance Love"

To help individuals looking to take intentional action to better understand and combat systemic

racism in America, CAPA’s Diversity Committee has compiled a list of educational resources. READ AND DOWNLOAD

Here is a list of resources for taking action in combatting anti-Asian violence and racism: 

• Hollaback! and Asian Americans Advancing Justice have organized free bystander intervention training. 

• The National Asian Pacific American bar Association (NAPABA)

Donate:

• Support the AAPI Community Fund
• UK: End the Virus of Racism
• UK: Britain’s East and South East Asian Network 

• Asian, Pacific Island, and South Asian American (APISAA) Therapist Directory