Congratulations to La Trobe University (Melbourne, Australia) for placing first in NAFSA's video contest!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfQToaN7pJ8]
With stunning visuals and interviews with a variety of students and faculty, La Trobe University's winning entry highlights a multinational partnership working to improve urban planning in Sri Lanka. The video shows Australian and Sri Lankan students surveying locals and collaborating to determine what recommendations they can offer the local governments about future development.
Semester at Sea earned second place for its video featuring students studying abroad in Belize who were given the unique challenge of enacting social change with a budget of $100. Students are shown engaging with locals and devising plans that make an immediate impact in the community.
Miami University in Ohio placed third for its heart-warming video about a study abroad trip to Ghana to help construct teachers' quarters in the village of Abrafo Odumase. A long-running program offers students the opportunity to learn from and work with the villagers and sustain a valuable partnership over several years.
The three videos were featured during NAFSA's Annual Business Meeting, where representatives from the winning institutions received awards honoring their achievement. See "Celebrating International Education Through Video" to watch videos from the six finalists.