CulturaGo is seeking to enhance the experiences study abroad students have by offering a range of preparatory online cultural awareness courses.
The online programs are designed to prepare students for the “unique cultural environment” in their chosen study destination and by doing so, opening paths for them to “have a deeper and more meaningful experiences” overseas.
Additionally, they aim to “increase access to study and work abroad experiences by addressing the fear associated with traveling to a foreign environment”, according to CEO & co-founder, Stewart Brown.
The first range of courses on the platform is for those preparing to study, intern, or teach English abroad in South Korea, launching in May 2021.
“One of the main issues we’ve identified is the importance of sufficient awareness building at the pre-departure phase,” Brown explained.
“It doesn’t matter how incredible ‘welcome orientations’ are on the ground, if a student arrives with little to no knowledge of their destination’s local people and cultural customs and etiquette and/or is traveling abroad for the first time (which is often the case), they will be too overwhelmed to benefit from their welcome orientations.”
CulturaGo is planning to launch its Japanese course in August, with programs specialised for Spain, Italy, France, and China scheduled over the next three to nine months.
“Traveling abroad can be a daunting experience for many”
Programs are tailored to engage with the younger Gen Z audience in mind, Brown – who previously co-founded paid teaching placement provider TravelBud – added.
“Traveling abroad can be a daunting experience for many,” he continued.
“Studying and working abroad offers so much potential to learn and grow but inadequate cultural preparation can significantly limit this.
“We have designed online courses to equip students with the cultural insight needed to arrive in their destination with more confidence, assimilate and manage culture shock more easily and engage meaningfully and respectfully with local communities.”
Among the other topics featured on the multimedia platform are: the different regions of the country; understanding the unique perspective of the local people; and experiencing the country like a local.
