NEW REALITY SHOW BLOG AIMS TO PROMOTE INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
ONLINE AUDIENCE BECOMES SUPPORTING CAST
CHESTER, PA, February 8, 2005 -
Three college students have landed their own educational reality show called BlogAbroad.com. As they study abroad in Rome, Chile, and Senegal during their Spring semesters they will have a potential audience of hundreds of thousands of reality show fanatics tracking their experiences. The difference between their show and other reality shows like The Real World is that theirs is not filmed. It is posted over the Internet via an interactive web log, or blog.
Philip Assetto, a 21-year-old Junior at Penn State University, Jacquelynn Kleist, a 20-year-old Junior at St. Norbert College, and Emma Clippinger, a 19-year-old Freshman at Brown University, are using cutting-edge blogging technology to entertain people while informing them of the realities of studying abroad. All their stories are posted on a website called www.BlogAbroad.com. People are able to read these posts as well as see pictures and videos. They are able to respond to them and ask questions or make comments, and get answers in return. For the first time ever, the audience can interact with the stars of the show. The audience actually becomes the supporting cast.
"This is a new breakthrough for the reality show genre," says Mark Shay, president and CEO of StudyAbroad.com, the company behind BlogAbroad.com. "The audience has an influence over the show like never before. Plus, while being highly entertaining, it is a terrific educational tool. It is a way to show what it is like to study abroad first hand. It is a living, breathing study abroad handbook."
Assetto, Kleist, and Clippinger were chosen from among nearly a hundred students studying abroad who auditioned for the part. Three judges chose them based on a 300 word written audition as well as answers to a few of their questions. New episodes are posted at least three times a week. All of the episodes are available for viewing 24 hours a day.
"I am so excited to have been chosen," Assetto said. "I love traveling and know I am going to have a great experience. But more importantly, I want to be able to encourage others to study abroad and get a global perspective. BlogAbroad.com is the perfect way to do that."
Kleist added, "I am looking forward to the challenge of studying abroad in Chile. I know I will need to make some adjustments, but that is part of the fun. I will have to learn the customs, become more familiar with the language, and just adapt my entire way of life. I also think that sharing experiences is crucial, and I want to inspire other people to experience a similar journey."
"Blog" was the number one searched word of 2004, according to Merriam-Webster. It is a new technology that allows users to stay connected to each other via interactive journals, even when they are oceans away from each other. Blogging has been growing in popularity since it first made waves during the 2004 Presidential election.
StudyAbroad.com
StudyAbroad.com is the Internet's leading source of information on educational opportunities for students to study in other countries. It is a comprehensive directory of study abroad and intensive language programs organized by subject and destination. StudyAbroad.com also offers Destination Portal Pages, a handbook serving as a guide to traveling abroad, and financial aid information. StudyAbroad.com is a service of Educational Directories Unlimited, Inc. (EDU), a leading Internet company serving higher education. Based in suburban Philadelphia, EDU's steady growth since its inception in 1989 has led to its inclusion in the Philadelphia 100, Inc. Magazine/ICIC Inner City 100, and Inc. 500 lists of fast growing businesses.