A Bet on Language Acquisition Through International Education and Global Mobility
10 years have passed since Meddeas first started betting on international education and global mobility. The mission is to improve the language and life skills of both students and teachers. The result of those 10 years reflects today in the success of our exchange programs despite a pandemic. In 2020, the team, mainly based in Spain and the U.S, mobilized over 500 recent graduates from 14 different nationalities to participate in an exceptional work experience.
How We Sustained a Global Mobility Program Through The Pandemic
The outbreak of COVID-19 changed almost entirely the global mobility landscape in 2020. It forced institutions across the world to reinvent themselves and adapt, not only to the new travel and social distancing measures, but also to the new education scene.
Sustaining our global mobility programs involved decision-making with absolute uncertainty, willingness to take risks, and expecting normalcy to come back sooner than later. Recruitment efforts moved entirely online, and social media (especially the rise of TikTok) turned out to be the best ally to keep the interest alive. In-house marketing became essential to respond to the pervasive changes. Every strategic decision made before the pandemic was key to respond assertively to the new concerns of our target market. Also, building a community around our programs was crucial in retaining talent for the fall programs.
Program coordinators had to step up their game and increase their support efforts both for our school clients and our participants. A coordinator took the sole responsibility to update the team on mobility restrictions. Going on a case-to-case basis was the best strategy to repatriate the participants who were stuck during the outbreak. And also to guide those who were inclined towards an international experience amid a global health crisis.
One Step at a Time: Building a Comprehensive International Exchange Program
Back in 2011, Meddeas was founded, and it started with the Language Assistant Programs in Spain for private and charter schools. The program was designed and continues, to help schools in their bilingual and educational projects through the recruitment of qualified native speakers that adapt to the institutions’ core values.
With the schools at the core of the company’s operation, a demanding selection process was devised, one that has continued to adapt and evolve. Over 150 recent graduates went through the process and the first 21 participants joined different schools across Spain in the fall of 2012.
In 2018 after the Meddeas Language Assistant Programs were consolidated, ConversaSpain was born. The program was created exclusively to serve public schools across Spain, which has duplicated the number of participants each year.
In 2019 the company branched to the U.S intending to address the needs of schools whose educational project was focused on second language acquisition.
For the past decade, Meddeas has focused on delivering an excellent service to clients and diversifying our services. The goal is to reach as many institutions and individuals who seek to improve their language and employability skills. And to be ready for the new interconnected world we live in.
The Future of Language Education and Global Mobility
It is still uncertain how the education scene will be like in the coming years. But if one thing is certain: global mobility keeps growing. And we also continue to grow into an interconnected world, that requires individuals and institutions to be interculturally competent.
At Meddeas, we continue to bet on programs and services that enable a space for institutions and individuals to become globally competent. We hold onto in-person experiences that facilitate learning through human connection and understanding. And, at the same time, we catch up with the digital platforms, developing products and services that reach the global market.
