ECPI University's Study Abroad Program Travels to Peru

It’s one thing to read a book or watch a video, it’s quite another to experience a new culture in person. That’s why ECPI University’s Study Abroad program continues to offer students the opportunity to broaden their horizons and experience the world from a different perspective.

This year, students and friends of ECPI University will embark on an exciting trip to Peru. Led by Chef Wade O’Neill of the ECPI University’s College of Culinary Arts, Culinary Institute of Virginia, they will enjoy a stimulating itinerary that will introduce them to the food, culture, and history of a country steeped in customs and tradition.

Why Study Abroad?

For those who may have never considered a study aboard program before, they provide many educational benefits. First, they can help promote skills and experiences that a classroom setting cannot. Students encounter situations that are wholly unfamiliar and can learn to adapt and respond in new ways.

While abroad, students meet natives of the culture studied. They can share experiences with others in their cadre, compare experiences, and apply new perspectives to classroom content. In comparison with citizens of most other countries, Americans tend to be uninformed about the world beyond the nation's boundaries. Students who study abroad return home with an informed and much less biased perspective toward other cultures and peoples.

Students who study abroad also experience personal growth. When asked about the impact of study abroad experiences, students report that studying abroad serves as a catalyst for increased maturity, self-confidence, enables them to tolerate ambiguity, and has a lasting impact on their worldview.

Ultimately, studying abroad pushes students to get out of their comfort zone to experience another culture, language, environment, and education system. It teaches students to appreciate differences and diversity firsthand, and enables them to recognize — and then dismiss — stereotypes they may have held about people they had never met.

Learning how to interact with people from other countries and cultures equips future leaders in all sectors to address urgent issues — from curing diseases and finding energy solutions, to fighting terrorism and hunger — shared across borders. Every parent, teacher, professor, adviser and employer should support making international experience an essential and affordable component of a well-rounded education.

Open to all Faculty, Staff and Students!

The 2015 trip is scheduled for October 5 – 11 and features an all-inclusive package. One price includes round-trip airfare, hotel, meals, and professionally-led tours. Highlights of the trip will include visits to Machu Picchu, Pisac Indian Markets, the Cathedral of Lima, and Ollantaytambo Fortress. Questions? Feel free to contact Chef O’Neill directly at 757-272-8883 or woneill@chefva.com or you can register today by clicking this button:

For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.