Maybe 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.The knowledge and cognitive skills that support effective and appropriate interaction in a multitude of cultural contexts. For example:
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 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:
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 clarify career goals while demonstrating the skills necessary to meet professional expectations. For example: