IES Abroad has Launched Go Green Initiative at its international Study Abroad Centers

As part of its commitment to a greener planet, IES Abroad, one of the United States largest third party providers of study abroad experiences, has launched a Go Green Initiative at its international study abroad centers and headquarters in Chicago, Illinois.

The initiative not only preserves natural resources and reduces waste, it alsooffers study abroad students the ability to offset their travel carbon footprint.IES Abroad is also introducing environmentally themed programs, courses and field study excursions to its curriculum. Since international travel emits a significant amount of carbon dioxide, IES Abroad urges students to purchase a carbon offset. Through this non-profit collaboration, IES Abroad students can fund project ssuch as wind farms in Texas or reforestation in Nicaragua to balance out theemissions they cannot reduce. A carbon calculator is provided to determine thecarbon footprint for individual air travel and other modes of transportation.

One new program offering for fall 2010, the Freiburg Environmental Studies &Sustainability Program, will take place in the eco-capital of Germany Freiburg.U.S. students will explore topics in environmental studies, forestry, and sustain ability classes will be integrated with German and international students at the Albert Ludwigs Universitaet. Students will live in asustainably designed university residence hall in an eco friendly neighborhood and take part in field study trips to pristine alpine areas.

Other courses at IES Abroad Centers in Barcelona, Spain,Beijing, China, BuenosAires, Argentina and Quito, Ecuador will focus on the environment and sustain ability. The IES Abroad Quito Summer Environmental Studies Program, for example, will allow students to explore the richness of Ecuador`s ecology and discuss a range of issues related to environmental management and conservation.Students take field study trips to the Galápagos Islands and the Amazon rain forest as part of the program.

IES Abroad, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2010, is a global,not for profit organization offering study abroad programs to more than 5,000 US college students each year who participate in 90 programs at more than 30 international locations. IES Abroad offers programs in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, New Zealand and South America.