Beyond Immediate Impact: Study Abroad for Global Engagement (SAGE)
The SAGE research project seeks to examine the long-term personal, professional, and global engagement outcomes associated with study abroad experiences that occur during the college years. The researchers define global engagement as the contributions a person makes to the common good by means of civic engagement, knowledge production, social entrepreneurship, and philanthropy.
The SAGE research project is conducted in collaboration with the Forum on Education Abroad
Current project stage
Data collection and analysis.
- Completed collection of quantitative data.
- Qualitative interviews in progress.
- Analysis of quantitative data.
Project background
The University of Minnesota was awarded a three-year U.S. Department of Education Title VI International Research and Studies (IR/S) grant in May 2006 (2006-2009). The title of the study is Beyond Immediate Impact: Study Abroad for Global Engagement (SAGE).
The purpose of this DOE-funded research project is to conduct a retrospective tracer study developed by the co-principal investigators Gerald W. Fry and R. Michael Paige of over 6,000 former study abroad participants from 22 U.S. colleges, universities, and education abroad providers nationwide.
The emphasis of this study is on the ways in which these individuals have become globally engaged during their lives since their studying abroad and the degree to which their contributions can be attributed to their having studied abroad. Global engagement, as conceptualized by SAGE, is expressed civic commitments in domestic and international arenas; knowledge production of print, art, online, and digital media; philanthropy in terms of volunteer time and monetary donations; social entrepreneurship, or organizations whose purpose and/or profits are to benefit the community, and the practice of voluntary simplicity in one’s lifestyle.