PrintMaybe not all five of the Growth Areas are applicable to your study abroad experience. However, you should be able to identify two areas you suspect you will encounter more intensely during your time with TGP. As you progress through your journaling exercises, keep these Growth Areas in mind and reflect on how you are changing and developing in relation to these ideas. Be aware of the Growth Areas as you move through the program, meet new people, and encounter new things. This evolution may be a major focus of the final poster/infographic you will produce at the conclusion of the program.
The Growth Areas outlined below were identified by a University Committee that reviewed engaged scholarship activities and tried to capture the types of learning and personal growth often seen when students participate in out-of-class experiences. Coincidentally, these five growth areas are often cited as desirable traits for employers, and the types of competencies we hope you will exhibit as a Penn State graduate.Five Growth Areas
Multicultural Awareness
The knowledge and cognitive skills that support effective and appropriate interaction in a multitude of cultural contexts. For example:
- An awareness of, and respect for, human differences and application of diverse perspectives to complex subjects.
Civic Responsibility
The duty to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and the development of necessary knowledge, skills, values, and motivation to make a difference. For example:
- The ability to identify and describe personal civic identity and demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively, effectively, and creatively within community contexts and structures to achieve a civic aim.
Ethical Reasoning
The assessment of one’s ethical values and the social context of problems and the ability to recognize ethical issues in a variety of settings. For example:
- Develop a sense of integrity and clarify professional, educational, and/or personal values, and apply knowledge and abilities to address professional and/or societal problems in ethical ways.
Systems Thinking
The cognitive process to understand how a system’s constituent parts influence each other, and how the system behaves over time and within the context of larger systems. For example:
- The ability to analyze and synthesize ideas, apply theories, and evaluate information to answer questions or solve problems.
Professional Development
The ability to clarify career goals while demonstrating the skills necessary to meet professional expectations. For example:
- Ensure skills are aligned with the expectations of desired profession and/or today’s global workplace, and the ability to clarify career goals.