Study abroad course in Aruba challenges students to think globally and act locally

“Evidence shows that high-impact practices like these engage students at a totally different level that sets the stage for their passion, their career and their drive to complete their degrees and go into these fields,” Cheung said.

Students toured facilities like desalination and energy plants, participated in beach cleanups and contributed to data collection for ecological research. Packed with research and community engagement, group members had 12-hour days immersed in once-in-a-lifetime opportunities like conducting sea floor mapping via kayak.

“This really allows students to think globally,” Cheung said. “We talk about these things in class, but to experience them on the ground and then reflect on them — it’s an experience that can’t be matched.”

These ground-level experiences help students understand the broader systems at play in a place like Aruba — where climate, economy and culture are tightly interconnected.

Exploring the science of resiliency

Island nations like Aruba face unique challenges — direct impacts from climate change, limited natural resources and economic dependence on tourism. A major theme of the course is understanding the environmental, economic and cultural dimensions of climate resilience.

“Because they’re facing some of the major challenges around climate change, they also want to highlight that they are resilient,” said Cheung. “This is their home. They’re not going away. How are they being resilient?”

The answer, he said, lies in restoration projects developed by local leaders. Students visited coral reef and mangrove restoration sites, attended lectures on sustainable tourism and conducted seagrass surveys alongside Aruban scientists.

Cheung designed the trip to be experimental and interdisciplinary. Students aren’t just learning about ecosystems, they are contributing to the work to protect them.

One project involved using kayaks fitted with GoPro cameras to map seafloor habitats in mangrove regions. Students paddled transects while collecting time-lapse photos, which will be used to monitor ecological change over time.

“The data is entered into a portal managed by the University of Aruba and an NGO on the island,” Cheung said. “It helps track changes in the sea floor around the island. This is particularly important around popular beach areas and entry points into the water.”

In another exercise, students joined a University of Aruba scientist to conduct seagrass surveys. Despite being crucial nursery habitats and natural water filters, seagrass often goes unnoticed in marine conservation efforts.

“A lot of folks think seagrasses are icky,” he said. “But they help protect coral reefs, so they’re all interdependent.”

This hands-on experience made a lasting impression on Clay-Ehart. “The seagrass survey wasn't technically difficult,” he said, “but the water was choppy, visibility was bad and there were these tiny jellyfish stinging us. It gave me a whole new appreciation for fieldwork.”

Being on an island helped teach students a new lens to shift how they view ecosystems.

“The big three that Arubans are focusing on from a conservation-restoration perspective are mangroves, seagrasses and corals,” Cheung said. “That’s from a land perspective, which we all tend to have. But now think from an island perspective: coral reefs are the first defense against disasters, second being seagrasses and third being mangroves.”

Students learned about two different coral reef restoration projects and a mangrove restoration effort created by the community.

In early 2025, a documentary called Turning the Tide premiered in Aruba, highlighting local efforts to rehabilitate Aruba’s marine habitats through community participation. Students learned about two artificial reef projects featured in the film — one metal and one concrete.

The metal reef is part of the Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System, an initiative led by a partnership between Mars, Inc and the Aruba Conservation Foundation. The system involves planting coral fragments on a network of interconnected “Reef Stars.” Volunteers stacked the spider-shaped frames on the ocean floor, where their rough surfaces helped coral larvae take hold.

“It was really powerful to see restoration projects that were created from within the community, which I think is a lesson we are all aware of. But to see it in practice is amazing,” Cheung said.

A broader worldview

Science is only part of Aruba’s story to tell. The course is intentionally interdisciplinary, also focusing on culture and government.

For Clay-Ehart, one of the most powerful parts of the trip was a walking tour led by Aruban historian Leon Bérenos. “He knew the history of every building we passed,” he said. “He was a great tour giver and very funny.”

The group had the privilege of learning about the island's history from the national archeologist of Aruba and explored the island’s diverse cultural landscape shaped by Caribbean diaspora and various migrating groups tied to local industries.

“There is an amazing complexity in hearing the language of Papiamento. People in Aruba speak four or five languages: English, Dutch, Papiamento, Spanish and Chinese. A lot of different languages,” Cheung said.

A highlight was a behind-the-scenes look at the Aruba Carnival Museum, showcasing the history of the carnival celebration in Aruba, which is different from those in other island countries.

“Although there was a lot of science, there was a lot of other stuff too that was helpful for not just growing as a student but for growing as a person. If you open your mind up and you can see other people’s perspectives, it grows your empathy,” Clay-Ehart said.

Reflections and research

The unique field experience continues into spring term with follow-up Zoom classes and final projects. Students complete a research paper, a personal reflection journal and a short film.

“We had a workshop on how to create movies,” Cheung said. “So part of this course, thanks to a small alumni award, we were able to use camera equipment, gimbals and snorkeling gear. The students could try to capture as much as they could from the experience and then incorporate it into their projects.

Clay-Ehart and his two group partners made a project exploring public health and exercise infrastructure in Aruba.

“They have a lot of exercise equipment that is just free to use next to the street,” he said. “We’re digging into that and seeing how healthy Aruban people are compared to nearby Caribbean islands.”

For him, the trip delivered on more than just academic goals. It bridged the isolation of online learning, offered a new perspective on fieldwork and global ecosystems, and sparked deeper personal reflection.

“I would definitely encourage Ecampus students to do it,” he said.

As Oregon State expands its global learning opportunities, experiences like this show that powerful lessons can happen both in and outside of the classroom. By crossing borders, listening deeply to local stakeholders and volunteering your time, change can happen.