CAPA: The Global Education Network

Why choose CAPA: The Global Education Network?

Studying abroad with CAPA means learning in the classroom, then supporting that structured academic foundation by going beyond and experiencing the diverse global city firsthand. You’ll do this through field studies and cultural events as well as on your own. Through coursework, internship opportunities, and My Global City cultural activities, you will participate in challenges that excite and inspire you.

CAPA has one of the longest histories as a study abroad internship provider, and works with more than 3,000 organizations across its global city locations. Interning with CAPA means you’ll have an incredible professional development opportunity right at your fingertips.

CAPA offers both in-country and online study abroad programs and remote global internships. Challenge yourself and go abroad (or online) with us. We have a good feeling that you’ll find a second home and an experience you’ll never forget.

Website

info.capa.org

Founded

1972

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Reviews

As we are in the middle of a pandemic, it has been increasingly difficult to find an internship or study abroad program from the safety of your own home. Initially, I was going to study abroad in person in Dublin. While my trip was canceled, I could instead participate in CAPA abroad's first completely virtual internship experience. Not only does the program pair you with the best match for your major: You take a course as well to improve upon interview, resume, cover letter skills, and more. I was able to intern for HerBusiness in Australia and learned much of what it takes to write for a business that helps other entrepreneurs grow.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?

I would give myself more time to try the My Global Cities events.

I was lucky enough to go to Florence with the CAPA Florence program in the spring of 2020. I went there for a semester taking various classes ranging from watercolor to anthropology. The quality of academics offered by CAPA is beyond impressive, my instructors were extremely knowledgable and came from diverse backgrounds which made each class different in its own unique way. The quality of academics when going abroad with CAPA should definitely be something that no one should be worried about as they provide the students with the best resources possible.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Be flexible and open to anything. This is a new experience that will present many new challenges, and the best memories.

Not only did I learn a great deal about my host country, but I also learned how to navigate global remote education, online intercultural communication, and an online work environment. All of these are important in the age of coronavirus, and I also had a wonderful international experience with CAPA's My Global Cities program. My supervisor and internship site was absolutely wonderful and perfectly targeted to my major and my future career path. I was very impressed with the way that CAPA was able to integrate international experiences with online work.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?

I was part of a team that organized a Diverse Histories webinar for British history teachers. This was something that I was really passionate about, and I didn't want to mess it up. Even though I was given a lot of ambiguity, I trusted the process and my own education, and it turned out fantastic!

I went into the CAPA program feeling very confused and overall unsure of what I wanted to do for my summer. My plans had been completely changed due to COVID, and I was struggling to find a way to make my summer feel worthwhile. My home university recommended that I participate in CAPA's Online global internship program, so I applied. I was almost immediately introduced to a network of staff members throughout the United States and other countries as well who made the experience completely worth the while for me. My internship match was phenomenal, and the staff members helped me iron out any confusion I had with my internship pairings.

CAPA also required that interns attend a weekly global internship course, and I found it to be incredibly beneficial as it allowed me to connect with other interns around the country who were going through similar experiences as myself. Overall I felt that the course eliminated any feelings of alienation that I would have otherwise felt from staying inside and staring at a screen all day.

This program not only allowed me to gain crucial work experience in relation to international marketing, but it also connected me to a vast network of staff members who work all around the world. I cannot recommend this program enough.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?

I would be sure to ask more questions right from the start. It took me a while to realize and take advantage of the amount of resources that CAPA provided me with, so I would have used them much sooner if I could redo this experience

I was a bit apprehensive about signing up for a remote international internship experience. I was a worried about the cultural exchange and networking opportunities I would be able to complete from home. I am so happy that I decided on this program.

My CAPA advisor was a great resource when it came to the application process and any question or concern I had. I was matched with an internship site that matched with my personal and professional interests. During the program I was able to network with people from my internship site and other CAPA students. There are remote events everyday where you can learn more about the CAPA cities around the world, some of my favorite events were virtual museum tours and live cooking classes.

My favorite aspects of this program are that it is affordable and that it can be done while taking other classes or having a part time job.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Make sure that you plan ahead and choose all of the events and goals you want to complete during your internship. It goes by really quickly and if you are not organized you might miss an event or opportunity.

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

Learning Mandarin has been a lifelong goal of mine that I only recently began to seriously work on. I am half Taiwanese, but growing up Mandarin was not spoken in the house, since my father is not fluent in it. This never bothered me as a child, but as I grew older, I realized how detached I was from that half of my heritage, and I was unhappy with the passivity I had assumed up until then.

I am proud to be half Taiwanese, and wanted to learn more about what that meant, both to myself and on the grander scale. I began with studying Mandarin, but this was only scratching the surface. I knew that studying abroad, immersing myself in the culture, venturing out of my comfort zone, was the way to learn about Chinese culture, and ultimately learn about myself. With this in mind, I knew I wanted to participate in a study abroad program in China or Taiwan.

After that, it fell to logistics. My school offered a handful of programs to my desired region so I weighed different programs based on price, location, and course offerings. I was intrigued by the prospects the booming metropolis of Shanghai would offer me, especially since I had not grown up in a big city. It offered a wildly exciting experience, with countless things to do and see. I was also inspired by the opportunity for internships that CAPA offered. I enjoy hands-on work, being an engineering major, and saw an internship as the perfect way to learn a new topic while avoiding a dry lecture hall. Finally, the CAPA program offering through ASU was incredibly cost-effective, with spectacular inclusions. In fact, the CAPA tuition fee was less expensive than the out of state tuition I would have had to pay ASU in the first place!

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

My favorite aspect of the study abroad program I was on, CAPA, was the adaptable independence the program provided. They were there to hold your hand a bit if needed, but you were still able to grow and explore, not limited by any program restrictions. There was an on-site office in China which was a great resource to navigate certain situations that were difficult for me, not being fluent in Mandarin. They were there to help with mailing things home, recommending the best restaurants, and even helping students go to the doctor's office if needed.

Prior to departure, CAPA was clear with discussing what I needed to do. I was responsible for booking my own plane tickets and arranging my own Visa, but CAPA was clear with the requirements for both, and recommended Visa courier services since I was not close to an embassy.

Once I arrived in China, housing and class registration had already been set up for me (having selected my top course choices prior to arrival). CAPA also offered an internship which was set up prior to arrival and began a couple of weeks into the program. I was responsible for my own meals.

CAPA offered a series of guided excursions while we were there. This was a great opportunity because they were to places I would have wanted to go to anyways, but they took care of all the logistics for me! I, of course, planned and went on my own trips while I was there as well, but I really appreciated those excursions because we went as a collective group of CAPA kids, and I therefore really bonded with that crew, and that was the most rewarding aspect of my study abroad experience.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

My one piece of advice is to really remember why you went abroad! Presumably to expand your knowledge of a new culture and ultimately step out of your comfort zone and experience different things. So, with that in mind, go out, explore, ignore your fear and simply jump!

Even if you're tired, or other people are busy and you'd have to go out alone, I guarantee you you will never regret going out, seeing something new! I spent a couple too many days in my dorm room wasting time, waiting for other people to get out of class, spending lazy nights in. I regret that for sure. Now, of course, don't overwhelm yourself, but I'm telling you: the best times I had were adventuring and exploring! Even if I did it alone!

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

The coolest thing about my study abroad experience was all the variety I experienced! No day was typical: they were all unique and exciting. I tried to go somewhere new every week! New restaurants, new parks, new destinations! Of course, there was some routine with classes. I had classes and an internship which I would go to every week. But I luckily had a lot of free time in my schedule, so I had plenty of time to explore places during the week and plan larger-scale attractions during weekends.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear going into my study abroad was the language barrier that would be present. I went to China for language acquisition, but I was not close to fluent. Because of that, I was intimidated if I would be able to navigate the city alone.

There were plenty of times I got lost and had to ask for directions, but everyone was very helpful and I gained a lot of bravery, being less and less scared to ask for help from locals. In the end ,that did numbers for my language skills as well, so it was really a win-win. I became braver, ready to do whatever I wanted no matter my inexperience, and learned valuable vocabulary along the way.

What was your favorite thing to do in your host country?

One of my favorite things that I did in Shanghai was going to a new park every week. I had my Wednesday mornings free and it somehow worked out that everyone else in my study abroad group was in class. I admit my first couple weeks in Shanghai I wasted those Wednesday mornings. I was intimidated to go out and explore by myself, not knowing the language that well, and really not wanting to do things alone. But then I decided to just man up and not get in my own way. What good was going to a new country if I was gonna sit in my normal boring dorm room all day?

Something spectacular about Shanghai is the crazy juxtaposition the city is composed of. It is, of course, a booming metropolis, with tall buildings cutting out a gorgeous skyline. But mixed in are pockets of peace, gardens, and parks everywhere. I'm from a smaller city in Oregon, so of course, I am awestruck by the spectacle of the skyscrapers, but sometimes I just missed me a tree, you know? And luckily Shanghai was perfect for that, truly the best of both worlds.

So I made it a point to visit a new park every Wednesday morning. I would go alone, walk around the peacefulness, maybe hit up a new restaurant afterward. And Shanghai being so big, I was able to see a new park or garden basically every week for 3 months and I still hadn't covered all of them. I am so glad I overcame my own dumb reservations and went out and explored. Those solo adventures were amazing, and I found some hidden gems, some of my favorite places in Shanghai that I never would have discovered otherwise. And furthermore, my independence and confidence skyrocketed, which I know will prove important in my future, no matter where it leads.

Daniel Cavanagh

2013 Alum

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Danelle Boone

Program

CAPA Shanghai: Study & Intern Abroad

Danelle Boone holds a Master of Science Degree in Counseling from California State University, Northridge and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from California State University, Chico. Danelle has studied abroad in both Spain and Mexico, and sailed around the world with Semester at Sea. Prior to joining the staff at CAPA International Education, Danelle previously held roles as a Global Seminars Coordinator at UC San Diego, Assistant Director of the Career Development Center at CSU Long Beach, Career Counselor at UCLA, and faculty member at Santa Monica College. Danelle is passionate about the field of international education and considers living, working and studying abroad among the best experiences of her life. Some of her favourite travel destinations thus far have been Barcelona, Berlin, Istanbul, Kyoto and Sydney. Danelle works from a home office in San Diego, CA.

Did you study or intern abroad? If so, where and what inspired you to go?

Danelle: I studied abroad initially on a short term program in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and then on a longer program in Barcelona, Spain. My grandparents were from Spain, and I had studied Spanish in high school and just fell in love with the language. I have several extended family members in the south of Spain and was inspired to travel there and improve my language ability so that I could attempt to hold meaningful conversations with them. I am still working on that last part.

What aspect of working at CAPA inspires you the most?

Danelle: I love working with students! I am inspired by their goals, dreams and their sense of adventure. I studied abroad a bit later than most, and now really enjoy working with students who never thought they’d have the chance to study abroad, or might have thought it was too late. I studied abroad after completing my Bachelors Degree, and then again after my Masters Degree, and then worked abroad for a semester after that. It’s never too late.

How do you see the field of international education changing over the next 10 years?

Danelle: It has already changed so much! Studying abroad was historically something that it seemed only the children of wealthy parents could afford to do. But with scholarships and with a more diverse array of programs from which to choose, it is becoming more of a reality for non-traditional students. This is really where my passion lies. I want to see education abroad become more accessible to all students, and I’ve been fortunate enough to work with organizations that believe in and support this mission.

If you had to choose one, what destination would you recommend to prospective students?

Danelle: This depends entirely on the student. Do they want to learn a language? - Maybe Buenos Aires, Istanbul, Florence or Beijing. Do they want to do an internship? - Perhaps London, Dublin or Sydney. What do they want to study? Each of our locations has unique academic offerings, and each city has its own combination of character, culture and history. It is impossible to choose the one location that I would recommend. If I had to choose for myself, I would be drawn to Buenos Aires so that I could continue to learn and practice more Español, and because although I have been to Europe, Asia, Australia and North Africa, I still have yet to make my way to South America.

What is one piece of advice you would offer someone considering going abroad?

Danelle: Go for longer than you think you can. Yes, it is intimidating at first. But after a few weeks abroad, you’ll wish you’d signed on for a full semester or even a year.

Anything else you would like to share?

Danelle: Make connections with people you meet, wherever you go. Rather than spending all of your time with other American students, go to local cafes, pubs or community events and meet people who are native to the city or country in which you are studying. Taking photos of all the monuments and landscapes is great, but your best memories will come from the people you meet along the way.