December 17, 2024
Learning in the World turns 10!
LITW helps students develop a global mindsetAndover’s answer to study abroad, Learning in the World (LITW) offers every PA student the opportunity to immerse themselves in a culture unlike their own. The program celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
Approximately 150 students take part in LITW programs each year. The majority of the trips are led by PA faculty and staff during the spring and summer. Students also have access to numerous affiliate programs, such as School Year Abroad.
Andover students have enjoyed off-campus learning opportunities for many years, including the Novosibirsk, Russia exchanges of the 1980s and School Year Abroad. In 2014, the Tang Institute reinvigorated and relaunched the program as LITW, which now is a standalone initiative.
The impact of LITW is undeniable. Jungwoo Park ’19 says his summer 2017 immersion in China enriched his classroom experiences and enabled him to gain a deeper appreciation of another society. “The trip broadened my understanding of China,” he says, “and helped me develop a more nuanced perspective on global cultures and issues.”
While LITW offers programs in some international destinations you might expect—Greece, Spain, and Germany for example—there are also extensive domestic options. A summer 2023 trip to the American South focused on civil rights in the 1960s, and in summer 2025, students will have the opportunity to engage in environmental stewardship in Vermont.
What’s next? LITW Director Mark Cutler hopes that even more students take advantage of this program, and he’d like to see LITW expand to all seven continents. As of yet, no programs have been organized in either Antarctica or Oceania, “But we are optimistic!” Cutler says.
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