An absolutely incredible semester

Participating in this program was the best decision I’ve made in my college experience. I’m studying Environmental Policy at Duke University, and I had wanted to study abroad since I learned about that option in high school.

IHP Climate Change is an incredible program. We studied some of the most pressing issues the world is facing right now, and heard from people directly affected by them. From guest speakers to site visits, we learned about the struggles and fights of people all around the world, directly from them. We learned the importance of lifting up those voices who are usually suppressed, with readings, discussions, and actually hearing those voices. In many cases we heard both sides of controversial issues. Through class lectures, group discussions, and community building sessions, we became closer as a group and grew as young people in the fight against climate change.

This program really taught me perspective. The academics were really interesting, and I learned a lot about climate change, but the main focus was climate justice. We learned that everything is intersectional, and climate change is both a threat and a threat multiplier. This program truly changed the way I look at the issues facing our world today and how to solve them. The program requires a lot from you in terms of actual scheduled programming, but it was the right format to get the most out of the experience.

We had a lot of time to learn about the countries we were in, spend time with our homestay families, travel, and get to know each other as a group. We really became close as a group, and I now have a whole new set of friends. I learned more from this semester than any other semester of college. It’s a great balance of fun, analyzing, learning, and growth. I miss it a lot, and I’m super grateful that I had the experience to do something like this.