O’Neill SchoolBloomington

Make the most of summer 2022 by studying abroad. We have programs – and scholarships – for both graduate and undergraduate students.

Here, Prof. Allison Schnable and Prof Kirsten Grønbjerg share the benefits of studying abroad with a spotlight on Denmark. Interested? Applications are due January 21.

What makes the Denmark program special?

SCHNABLE: The location is amazing. Denmark is regularly named the happiest country in the world. Our program immerses students in the capital city of Copenhagen, and through our study of nonprofit and public organizations, students learn why people in Denmark are able to thrive.
GRØNBJERG: It’s the only study abroad course on nonprofit organizations and the only one located in Scandinavia and in a country with a well-developed social welfare system and where nonprofits play a very different role than in the US.

Why should students study abroad?

GRØNBJERG: We are living in a global world where exposure to and familiarity with other societies is increasingly important, particularly societies with different economic, political, and cultural systems than the U.S.
SCHNABLE: We’re living in a time of tremendous change and upheaval. Studying abroad helps us think creatively about different ways to solve the problems our societies face.

What is one fun fact about both of you?

GRØNBJERG: Not sure how “fun” this is, but I was born and raised in Denmark, but had never spent more than a couple of days in Copenhagen until I began to teach this course.
SCHNABLE: I was the lead singer of a cover band. Alas, this fact has nothing to do with Denmark.

What type of students should apply to study abroad in Denmark?

GRØNBJERG: Students with an interest in nonprofit organizations, civic engagement, welfare states, and understanding different approaches to foreign and domestic policies; those interested in the EU and especially Scandinavia.
SCHNABLE: Our program has a great history with students of all stages—from those who have just finished their freshman year to mid-career graduate students. Anyone with an intellectual curiosity about the nonprofit and public sector will get a great deal from this program.

What is your favorite part of running international programs?

GRØNBJERG: I particularly enjoy trying to explain why and how Denmark is different from the U.S. – and what that means for civic engagement and the nonprofit sector. And introducing our students to Danish food, culture, recreational activities and politics.
SCHNABLE: It’s a joy to see students discover the amazing city of Copenhagen. And I feel energized by that city too, and the exchange of ideas that comes with meeting Danish nonprofit leaders and politicians.

Stories are important to O’Neill student Anna Dubois.

First, there are the stories she tells others –

Childhood stories about backpacking with her family through the Hoosier National Forest and how her love of nature drew her to study environmental management. Stories about learning to garden and spin alpaca wool while interning on a sustainable farm.

Then, there are the stories that others tell her.

Through her work with both the Indiana Leadership Program and IU Student Government, Dubois has learned about the importance of listening to her peers. “That’s what representative government is all about!” she said.

Dubois has been active in student government since her freshman year and currently serves as the IU liaison to the Association of Big 10 Students, a collection of student government representatives from universities across the conference. Her most meaningful accomplishment, though, has been launching the Green Bandana Project – an initiative that encouraged students to tie green bandanas on their backpacks to signify allyship with peers facing mental health challenges.

“Everyone has their own life, their own stories. An effective leader will get to know the stories of the people they’re leading and figure out how people want to be led,” said Dubois.

Through O’Neill’s Indiana Leadership Program, which helps students develop professional skills through partnerships with local public or nonprofit organizations, Dubois is getting additional leadership experience as an intern in the Mayor’s Office of the City of Bloomington.

“The Indiana Leadership Program stood out to me because they’re so invested in giving back,” said Dubois. “I’ve gotten so much out of the Bloomington community. I wanted to return the favor.”

Dubois has been impressed by the egalitarian culture of the mayor’s office. “I was really taken aback by how supportive everyone is. I feel like my voice is heard.”

Although she feels professionally empowered in her role, she’s constantly reminded that the nature of the work of municipal government is to listen to stories from members of the community they serve. “I’ve had to learn how to stay totally focused on the constituents,” she said.

Finally, there are the stories she hopes to tell in the future.

Dubois is not yet sure where her future career will lead, but she wants to use the leadership skills she’s developed at O’Neill to inspire positive change.

As a research assistant in Prof. Shahzeen Attari’s laboratory, Dubois has been researching the way we tell stories about climate change. “A lot of environmental management focuses on doom and gloom. So, we’ve been examining climate storytelling and asking how we can inspire a more utopian, rather than dystopian, vision of the planet’s future to positively influence people’s behavior. It’s a game changer.”

Dubois hopes her work will make a difference on a large scale – but she also knows that change often happens at the individual level, one story at a time.

In her own words, “Leadership is most effective when it empowers others.”

Make the most of summer 2022 by studying abroad. We have programs – and scholarships – for both graduate and undergraduate students.

Here, Prof. Daniel Grundmann shares the benefits of studying abroad with a spotlight on Barbados. Interested? Apply by January 21st!

What makes the Barbados program special?

GRUNDMANN: The Barbados program takes place on the University of West Indies campus in class together with students from Barbados and throughout the Caribbean. It provides an opportunity for students to experience a culture significantly different from our own, yet in an English-speaking country. While Barbados is a small island developing nation, it has a relatively high Human Development Index (0.8) as defined by the United Nations. Barbadians have a rich cultural history that borrows largely from both its English colonial past and from the Afro-Caribbean cultural heritage that represents approximately ninety-six percent of the population.

Students will learn, through a comparative approach, about global human resource management (GHRM) from numerous GHRM practitioners. In addition to classroom time, we make workplace site visits on the island speaking with GHRM practitioners in organizations operating in many countries throughout the world. We also videoconference directly with GHRM practitioners working on several continents. Past participants have included the top HR executive from the world’s largest law firm speaking with the class from Warsaw, Poland; the former US State Department HR leader and current Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean states; a Barbadian Senator and the president of the Barbados Workers Union; the HR Director of Mount Gay Rum; and the marketing director for the Japan HR Society, among many others.

Additionally, we go on various cultural excursions and visit beautiful island locations. In sum, the Barbados program gives students a chance to see and experience life lived somewhat differently, have a fantastic time, learn a bit about themselves, and learn a great deal about global HRM from a variety of impressive experts in Barbados and throughout the world. Oh … and the beaches are pretty nice, as well.

Why should students study abroad?

GRUNDMANN: When I have asked friends, colleagues, or casual acquaintances, be they in their thirties or in their fifties, what some of the most memorable and impactful events of their lives have been, studying overseas always makes the list for those who have participated. In fact, I have yet to meet someone who regretted the experience. We have many opportunities competing for our resources including internships, on-campus classes, and various other life events, but there are few times in one’s life when they can spend an extended amount of time immersed in a culture foreign to their own.

Overseas study provides academic and personal growth that is unique and profoundly valuable. It is an opportunity to experience cultural immersion that, for most of us, will never come again. While some might be apprehensive of such an adventure, I encourage all students to take a chance on themselves and make it happen. As someone far wiser than me once said, “If you’re not living on the edge, you’re probably taking up too much space.” Study overseas! You will not regret it.

What is one fun fact about you?

GRUNDMANN: For about 10 years my voice was on the official headset audio tour at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and President John F. Kennedy’s grave in Arlington National Cemetery.

What type of students should apply to study abroad in Barbados?

GRUNDMANN: The program is best suited for students who are curious and open to combining new adventures, valuable educational content, and a bit of fun for a memorable growth experience—both intellectually and personally. No prior knowledge of human resource management course content is required.

What is your favorite part of running international programs?

GRUNDMANN: My favorite part of running this international program is observing the IU and UWI students from start to finish – watching their growth and learning from their perspectives.

Make the most of summer 2022 by studying abroad. We have programs – and scholarships– for both graduate and undergraduate students.

Here, Prof. Daniel Preston, shares the benefits of studying abroad with a spotlight on Portugal. Interested? Apply by January 21st!

What makes the Portugal program special?

PRESTON: Sustainable development is the centerpiece to how the world addresses its most pressing problems, and there is no better place to study the topic than Lisbon, Portugal. Theory and practice come together where students can learn from leading experts and practitioners in the classroom and engage with sustainable development tangibly through site visits and excursions.

Why should students study abroad?

PRESTON: Study abroad rounds out your university education to prepare you to be successful in an interconnected world and better understand the world as a global citizen.

What is one fun fact about you?

PRESTON: I used to be able to kick a 55-yard field goal; I’m still happy to challenge anyone to a punt, pass and kick competition.

What type of students should apply to study abroad in Portugal?

PRESTON: I am looking for students who have a strong academic commitment and care about the future of our planet.

What is your favorite part of running international programs?

PRESTON: I especially enjoy hearing from former students who were transformed for the better by their experience abroad.

“I care about law and public policy. I care about representative government and about how governments allocate funds to meet the needs of their constituents. But the thing I care about most? Helping people figure out what they like to do and how they should go about achieving it.”

For Evan Carnes, BSPA’21, the path to achieving his own professional goals has not always been clear. As a first-generation college student, he arrived on campus unsure of what to expect from his college experience – or from himself. To explore, he poured himself into extra-curriculars: editing with the student newspaper, hosting a radio show, and even appearing in some short films. He learned about O’Neill’s Washington Leadership Program (WLP) as a freshman in the Civic Leaders Center, but he wasn’t sure he would be able to fit an entire semester interning and taking classes in Washington, DC, into his academic plan.

After working it out with his advisors, Carnes realized that WLP was not just possible, but important. “To be exposed at that level on the ground, while still in undergrad—I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to networking and working in or near the government.”

Carnes landed an internship on Capitol Hill with Rep. Ami Bera (CA-7). He spent his days researching current legislation and foreign affairs issues and observing representative government in action.

His WLP classroom experience turned out to be just as important as his internship. With other students in his cohort, Carnes got to have intimate conversations with senior level officials from places like the Department of Energy and the Government Accountability Office.

“Most people think of government as this big, foreboding figure. But really, it’s just composed of other Americans – a representative body carrying out the wishes of many, many people.”

Carnes leaned into the networking aspect of his Washington experience and set up informational interviews with as many people as possible. “Many people can thank the mentors in their lives for helping them achieve the position they’ve reached. So, they’ll pay it forward if you’re interested and working toward the same things.”

By the end of the program, Carnes had already lined up his next internship. He left WLP with a better understanding of how the U.S. government operates and fresh inspiration for his future career, as well as a new sense of self.

“I can point to the program as a specific time where I gained confidence speaking in professional circles. I gained experience that made me feel competent. I learned that if you work really hard and try your best in your related coursework, it will be ok for you. I did not have a lot of mentors in my life to tell me that. This was really the first time that I felt capable.”

For now, Carnes is back in Bloomington, pursuing the O’Neill School’s #1 ranked MPA concentration in public financial administration. He credits WLP with hands-on experience doing what he likes to do – and a path forward to achieving it.

Make the most of summer 2022 by studying abroad. We have programs – and scholarships – for both graduate and undergraduate students.

Here, Jonah Otto, faculty from the University of Augsburg, shares the benefits of studying abroad with a spotlight on Bavaria & Lombardia as well as Bavaria & Berlin — two separate programs that can be paired together. Interested? Applications open December 1.

What makes the Bavaria+ program so special?

OTTO: The Bavaria+ program is truly unique in that students get to take in so many different cultures and experiences in a single program. Not only do students get to engage with the culture of the host sites (Bavaria/Germany, Lombardia/Italy, Berlin/Germany), but they also get the opportunity to build relationships with university students from German and Italian institutions through the intercultural team format of the program’s group projects.

Why should students study abroad?

OTTO: It is nearly impossible to fully understand and appreciate yourself, where you come from, what you study, and other aspects of who you are and who you want to be, unless you can take a step outside of yourself and your narrative to fully embrace another perspective. Studying abroad is one of the best ways to do just that.

What is your favorite part of running international programs?

OTTO: When I was a student, international programs and studying abroad completely changed my point of view and my understanding of my place in the world and what I wanted for my personal, professional and academic growth. Working to provide students with that same opportunity for exploration and growth is easily my favorite part of running international programs.

What is something surprising students may encounter on this program?

OTTO: One thing that catches some people by surprise is that studying abroad can be hard! Pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and embracing the stress of new and uncertain situations that come with working across cultures in international settings is not easy. But the development that you gain throughout the process is more than worth it and gives you an experience that can be transformational; one that you will never forget.

What is one fun fact about you?

OTTO: I played more soccer in the US than I play in Europe, and I play more basketball in Europe than I played in the US. Go figure.