EducationUSA Outreach for International Students

International students who are interested in the studying in the U.S. can first go to an EducationUSA center in their home country for advice and information. Upon returning to their home country, they can connect to EducationUSA centers to give outreach presentations to other students from their home country about studying in the U.S. as well as find other opportunities for further study in the U.S.

Here international students will find information to help with outreach at EducationUSA centers:

1. Advisement meeting
2. Go to the EducationUSA center
3. Plan your resentation
4. Give your resentation
5. Evaluation of presentation

Step 1 Advisement Meeting

Start by contacting the International Student Office at your U.S. campus

• The International Student Office on your U.S. campus may have an outreach program for international student outreach and may be able to offer advice on how to conduct outreach at EducationUSA centers.
• Even if the international student office does not have a formal program for outreach at EducationUSA centers, they may be able to offer advice on how to proceed, including attending student events or contacting other offices that may be able to provide guidance and/or resources that can help.
• Ask the study abroad office on campus if it is possible to help them advertise study abroad to U.S. students. You may be able to sharpen your presentation skills by promoting study abroad before giving presentations at EducationUSA centers back home. We suggest always performing outreach in groups in order to ensure your safety at all times.

Go to the EducationUSA Center back home Go Back Top

• The EducationUSA center in your home country may have an outreach program for international students to do outreach and promote U.S. study to prospective students. They can offer advice and help you plan an outreach presentation at their Center.
• Offer to share your study abroad experience or to discuss issues from your home country that are relevant to course work (i.e. World Economics, International Relations, Language classes, etc.).
• Seek out other international students. Additional students will add a great deal to the information and breadth of experiences you will be able to communicate to your audience. Meanwhile, many of these students may have previous experience doing.
• When presenting your ideas to campus organization administrators and staff, highlight how International Student Outreach may best fit into EducationUSA’s goals and mission.
• Be aware of their requirements and preferences. Some students may be interested in certain global regions, religions, heritage or language programs, short term or long term programs, volunteer or aid work, and programs connected to certain social issues or fields of study. Work with your contacts to understand what type of presentation will be best aligned with their interests and what will appeal most to the students you are attempting to reach.

Step 3 Plan your presentation Go Back Top

Consider working in a team

Enlist the help of another international student or a study abroad student in your home country to make outreach presentations with you to students. Small group presentations can increase the value of the presentation and make preparations less daunting. Working with partners also ensures that you are not traveling and presenting alone; we suggest always performing outreach in groups in order to ensure your safety at all times.

Download our Outreach Presentation Plan. This is designed to help you plan your presentation.

Consider using one of our customizable PowerPoint presentations. These PowerPoint presentations available on this website have been created as customizable templates for your own presentations about your international experiences. You may personalize these presentations with your own information or by adding and removing particular slides as you see fit. There is a section of presentations you can use to presenting to students back home about studying in the U.S.

Warm-up activities for PowerPoint presentations. Before beginning the official presentation, warm-up activities can be used to introduce students to the concepts of study abroad and cultural appreciation. The activities are available on this site under Additional Resources.

Think about your audience. As you plan your session, think about who your audience is, how you will accomplish your objectives, and how to keep your audience engaged. For example:

• Who will I be speaking to?
• What do they know about my topic already?
• What will they want to know about my topic?
• What do I want them to know by the end of my talk?

Use objects from home. Objects from another country are indispensable for a quality presentation. At heart, this is a personal reflection and something the audience can see and hold is essential to keeping people interested. The object may include pictures, books, a map, or something the U.S. is known for.

Planning grade specific presentations. For example: Try to balance lecturing with Q & A and group participation. Break things down into 10-15 minute segments. Incorporate VKAT (visual, kinesthetic, auditory and tactile) communication as much as possible in your presentation.

Consult resources. A variety of resources are available on this site under the additional resources link. Here you will find Additional Resources for Teachers which include book lists, classroom activities, websites, etc. targeting elementary, middle, and high school students. You will also notice Additional Resources for Parents and Students, which include book lists, computer games, etc.

Be aware of logistics. In your correspondence with principals and teachers, make note of logistical issues for your presentation including time allowed for your presentation, number of students expected, classroom location, directions, parking availability and access to multimedia resources.

Step 4 Giving your presentation Go Back Top

Involve the audience by asking occasional questions. Hypothetical questions are best as they show the gap between cultures. Try to ask genuine questions to which you do not already know the answer and show interest in any replies. Leave time for the audience to think. Try to avoid answering your own questions or telling members of the audience that their answers are wrong. Audience members should feel a sense of accomplishment after answering questions, knowing that they have contributed to the presentation.

Pause occasionally to ask if audience members have questions for you. You can also pause occasionally to ask if anyone has any questions for you. If a question disrupts the flow of your talk too much, you can say that you will answer it later (but don't forget to do it!). Before you ask for questions, make sure you are ready to pick up your presentation again when the Q & A session has finished.

Use visual aids to make the presentation livelier and help audience members follow your presentation. Many issues are communicated much more clearly with visual aids than through speech alone.

The two most common forms of visual aids are overhead transparencies and computer slide shows (e.g. PowerPoint). Objects that can be displayed or passed around the audience can also be very effective and often help to relax the audience. Some speakers give printed handouts to the audience to follow as they speak. Others prefer to give their handouts at the end of the talk, because they can distract the audience from the presentation.

Step 5 Evaluation of presentation Go Back Top

Seek out opportunities to improve in all areas of your community outreach.

• Seek out opportunities to improve in all areas of your International Student Outreach.
• Review the overall success of the presentation as well as planning issues, collaboration with contacts/ advisors, and planning.
• After your presentation, students should maintain strong communication with advisors and fellow presenters, in working together to create more innovative and more relevant presentations for future students.

We hope you found this information helpful. We welcome your questions, comments, and useful resources you’d like to share! Please contact us at .