Expat Teens Talk: January 2013

Wednesday 30 January 2013

eDUNIA review of Expat Teens Talk workshop

Expat Teen Talk workshop benefits both parents and professionals

Posted 12/11/2012 10:24AM

UWCSEA’s Centre for International Education hosted an exciting and relevant weekend workshop in September with Diana Smit and Dr Lisa Pittman, authors of Expat Teens Talk. Diana and Lisa ran the sessions along with other guest presenters including some of the biggest names in the field of ‘expatriate children’ or ‘Third Culture Kids (TCK).’ Some of the presenters joined the workshop via Skype while others flew in to Singapore join in the discussion.

Each of the sessions delivered researched thoughts and recommendations on this hot topic, accompanied by fervent discussion between the participants and presenters. The workshops covered a variety of areas relevant to TCK including sessions on When Expat Kids Transition for College/University: What are the unique challenges and how to cope with them; Going From One International Assignment to the Next International Assignment; The challenges that teens are faced with when growing up as Expats; Why do some kids thrive while others struggle?; How does being a TCK and part of an internationally mobile community either help or hinder a child’s or teen’s development?; What are the effects of a globally nomadic childhood? Can these students become true cultural bridges?; Supporting Individual and Cultural Identity for Teens in Transition; A personal account from an expatriate mother whose teenage daughter developed severe depression and bulimia; Why the Growing Cultural Complexity of Students in the Classroom Matters to Educators.

While the majority of participants were from a counselling background, those who attended from other subject areas as well as parents claimed to have benefitted from the workshop. Participants enjoyed having access to so many experts with different takes on the subject as well as such a rich variety of resources.

Two UWCSEA East parents share their perspective on the sessions below:

“I initially thought that I would only attend a session or two but ended up staying for the whole day. The sessions were informative however I've read a couple of books about TCKs & I'm one myself so the information wasn't new to me - it did serve as positive affirmation of the life we've chosen. The technology used was great in the sense of being able to have speakers from across the world but … it's also nice to have a physical presenter when you are attending physically… I'm happy I had the opportunity to attend, I think it's great that this was offered to UWCSEA parents.” -- Lydia Abbey, parent

“As a parent of two teenagers, it was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the challenges that lie ahead after graduating from school. It was amazing to have a Skype connection and discussion with such a wide range of presenters. I found the sessions very informative and helpful for third culture parents and their kids. Thanks to Diana Smit and her team to offer this very interesting workshop about third culture kids to UWCSEA parents.” Aleid Rijks, parent

Friday 18 January 2013

How Being an Expat Teen Can Be Confusing and Exhilarating

Once again, we have the privilege of introducing to you a guest blogger. Please help us welcome Jason Miner with his thoughts about the life of an Expat Teen. As with all other guest posts, we ask that you keep in mind that the views of the guest blogger do not represent those of the authors of Expat Teens Talk.
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How Being an Expat Teen Can Be Confusing and Exhilarating

Living the life of an expat teen can be adventurous and enlightening. In some aspects, the expat teen will have insights into humanity that not many have experienced themselves. As each culture is explored from one location to another, the teen begins to develop an appreciation for many walks of life. An expat teen has the advantage of educational systems abroad and it could provide a further explanation into how each culture propagates itself and what aspects of life are held in higher standards than others. Although the teen will have a unique perspective of world matters and economies, the experiences they have to surrender could be equally as important to them.

1. Friends
Pro: While being an expat teen, you have the opportunity to make friends the entire world over from all aspects of life. You could learn a great deal of how other cultures advance and the knowledge gained from your friend could be worth a great deal.
Con: When it comes time to move on to the next location, your friends stay behind. If the bond developed between the teens is strong, it can be quite painful.

2. Romantic Relationships
Pro: As with making friends above, you can develop relationships with a variety of people in a myriad of locations. Using social media websites could keep you in contact with them.
Con: As many teens involve themselves on a romantic level with the opposite sex, this could become tiring when leaving a girlfriend or boyfriend behind. Long distance relationships have a way of dissolving and could cause frustration in the expat teen.

3. Ever Changing Scenery
Pro: There are thousands of adults who would give anything to be able to travel the world. This planet has much to offer and those who live abroad are the embodiment of those who wish to could go.
Con: It's hard for a teen to move from location to location without the ability to form roots anywhere. Constant change could grind down on a teen to the point of personal isolation.

4. Education
Pro: Thanks to advancements in technology, educational needs are quite easy to accommodate. Online study courses and schools can be taken with you wherever you go, providing you have some kind of Internet ability in the location. Educational staff are on hand to provide the best experience possible for the expat teen.
Con: One of the most memorable moments in a teens life is the experience he or she gains from attending a high school throughout their education. Sometimes, the lack of stability throughout an education could lead to frustrations in a teenager. Moving from school to school doesn't bode that well in the United States for teens. However, the knowledge and experience gained could be worth the trade.

Expatriation doesn't have to be viewed as a detrimental experience. Although it could be lonely as the expat teen moves from one locale to the other, the insights and teachings he or she will learn in the experience could give them a global perspective that could be greatly beneficial in public offices and even customer support. With experienced staff on hand, the expat teen is in good hands and any troubles that could arise are met with compassion and understanding. If only the rest of the world could be so lucky.

Author Bio:

Jason Miner plays a vital role for www.blogcarnival.com/. He is an expert in writing topics of different categories. He is helping the carnival team to grow & working on making this an even better place for bloggers.

Monday 14 January 2013

The Global Nomad's Guide to University Transition. WEBINARS

On behalf of our great colleague Tina Quick, we would like to inform you of her upcoming webinars. We strongly encourage all of you to share this opportunity with friends and family who are preparing to transition to college/university or with those who are struggling with transitional issues having already started college/university.

Greetings,

You are receiving this email either because you work with or support expatriate students. I wanted to tell you about the following opportunity. Please feel free to share it with your students, staff and/or parents:

USA Girl Scouts Overseas is hosting this free webinar by Tina Quick, author of "The Global Nomad's Guide to University Transition." It will cover TCKs, the expanding language of cross-cultural kids (CCKs): their struggles, strengths and attributes and discuss ways of supporting our global children. The second section of the webinar will cover the transition issues that TCKs experience when going to college. It is also highly applicable to families repatriating with adolescents.

Please click on the link below to register for the webinar of your choice:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/777141954 -- January 17th 6:00 am E.S.T./11:00 am U.T.C.

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/155788746 -- January 17th 10:00 am E.S.T./3:00 pm U.T.C.

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/345924970 -- January 17th 2:00 pm E.S.T./7:00 pm U.T.C.