The Go-Abroad Fair

A visit to The Go-Abroad Fair is the ideal opportunity to be inspired by a wide range of diverse studies, internships, high school programs and exchanges, (voluntary)work and language courses abroad. 

Engage in conversation with educators from around the world who will gather at the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht during this two-day event. Next to that: get inspired by more than 50 presentations full of practical tips and stories of experience. The most diverse topics are covered at the event. 

Pay a visit to The Go-Abroad Fair if you want to find answers to questions such as: what does an experience abroad provides? What about costs and financing? Or what are the opportunities for an international career through an internship or (volunteer) work during a gap year? 

Beau Evans (Eerde International Boarding School) and Esther Dommerholt (International School Twente) preceded you. On behalf of their international educational institution, they visited The Go-Abroad Fair together with a group of students. They explain why they visit The Go-Abroad Fair and share their experiences.

Esther Dommerholt speaks about The Go-Abroad Fair

Community Coordinator | Career Counsellor | International School Twente

In her role as Community Coordinator, Esther Dommerholt organizes, among other things, activities to build the community of International School Twente. A visit to The Go-Abroad Fair together with the students also fits into this picture. As a study career counselor, it’s her job to help students with their choices and therefore draws their attention to various open days and The Go-Abroad Fair. 

"Borders are less important. As an International School, you have to be able to offer a visit to The Go-Abroad Fair."

Together with two classes, comparable to year 4 and 5 of havo and vwo at a Dutch, regular, high school, she visited The Go-Abroad Fair for several years. Visiting The Go-Abroad Fair positively contributes to the orientation process for the students. 'Some students are already more broadly oriented, others don't know anything yet. However, borders are less important for this group. That’s a difference with students at a Dutch school. The Go-Abroad Fair is of added value for this group. As an International School, you have to be able to offer a visit to The Go-Abroad Fair.’ 

Not only foreign educators are enthusiastic to talk to you at The Go-Abroad Fair. Representatives and stakeholders from the Dutch educational world also present themselves at The Go-Abroad Fair and are happy to inform (future) prospects, their parents, student counselors and other visitors. And that’s a good thing, because: 'The Netherlands is also a popular choice among students of the international school. Overall, the range at The Go-Abroad Fair is broadly international. We combine our visit to The Go-Abroad Fair with the Study Choice Fair across from it.'

Studiekeuzebeurs Midden (Study Choice Fair Middle) and The Go-Abroad Fair take place simultaneously in the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht. With more than 100 Dutch (educational) institutions and companies, Study Choice Fair Middle offers a complete range at mbo, hbo and wo level. During your visit to The Go-Abroad Fair you can easily walk back and forth between the two fairs, with the same entrance ticket. 

Dommerholt sees The Go-Abroad Fair as a big source of inspiration for students. Sometimes she wonders in amazement: 'Why don't all International Schools go to The Go-Abroad Fair?' She experiences that students got very concrete things out of the visit: 'One or two students then suddenly knew they wanted to go to Italy or France.'

Dommerholt is certainly pleased with the imposing size and broad range of The Go-Abroad Fair, but she feels it could be even bigger. 'Then students get even more concrete things out of the visit that can help them further in the choice process.'

Beau Evans speaks about The Go-Abroad Fair

College and Career Counsellor | PE Teacher | Eerde International Boarding School

In November 2022, Beau Evans visited The Go-Abroad Fair together with a group of 20 students. Not for the first time, because as an International School they value a good and positive decision making process for their students. Eerde International Boarding School has many nationalities. The abroad-related element of the fair is therefore an obvious added value for this target group. 'It’s a one stop of exploration for my students about what all the possibilities are. It’s all in one central place. With the more students who go, the better.'

Generally, the group consists of students between 16 and 19 years old. 'We take seniors and juniors to The Go-Abroad Fair, but we also strive to bring younger 9th graders. This allows them to learn about opportunities at an earlier stage and encourages them to think about future choices.' 

"As an International School we encourage our students to go far and wide. The Go-Abroad Fair offers a good mix of different countries, further away and close by."

Students who visit The Go-Abroad Fair can get in contact in an informal and accessible way with students who went on an adventure abroad before. Participants from various countries and information officers from different (educational) institutions do their part to inform visitors of the fair as best as possible. 'For our students it’s also a welcome social event where they can make contacts with students from other schools and hear about their experiences.'

"The study choice progress and everything they have to do can be quite overwhelming"

All efforts before, during and after the fair aim to help students, their parents and student couselors as much as possible during the study choice process. All that’s involved can be quite overwhelming for future students. Evans, in his role as a college counselor, also notices this. 

‘Students who come to me often have no idea yet what's out there and what they want. Some do already have a preference for a particular country or study course. They start panicking sometimes. We force them a bit to think about their future, but with The Go-Abroad Fair, this can be done in a positive and empowering way. A visit to the fair gives them strength and confidence to start thinking about their choices and gives them hope.’