About Authentica
We are mission-driven. We are in this field to make the world a better place by advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and educating the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and citizens in critical global issues through place-based learning.
We are committed to ensuring that our students receive a return on their investment in global and higher education through career-focused development—each of our study abroad programs has career-facing elements woven through it, focusing on what will help distinguish our students in a global workforce.
We approach our students as whole humans—not just as students and future professionals. For us, experiential learning includes the physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual, and we seek to engage our students holistically.
We’re not afraid of technology. We embrace the opportunities it offers to optimize advising, student support, and learning. Leveraging technology intelligently and intentionally helps us to provide quality service, keep costs down, and train our students for the future.
We consider ourselves a premier provider. We insist upon excellence in all facets of our work: academics, operations, student services and support, inclusivity, and sustainability. As mission-driven professionals, we are committed to embodying the best in our field.
Last but certainly not least, we believe in partnership. We are committed to delivering on our partners’ needs, priorities, and goals, and believe that our own organizational focus on sustainable development and career development can only enhance them. We partner with our students in their learning and development, and with their parents in our students’ success of their experience.
Valerie D. Slate
Vision
A world enriched by courageous global citizens uniting to tackle our shared challenges.
Mission
To ignite positive change by enriching lives through transformative global education and authentic community partnerships.
Core Purpose
Our core purpose is to enrich lives by empowering individuals to become forces for good through transformative learning journeys that engage and integrate the body, heart, mind and spirit.
Physical
Wellbeing & Resilience
We preserve & promote participant wellness while building their resilience & adaptability to diverse environments and situations.
Emotional
Joy & Connectedness
We ensure that interactions with local communities are meaningful and evoke a sense of kinship. We foster dynamics within the student group that enable participants to serve as teachers to one another, and that create lifelong connections.
Intellectual
Knowledge & Skills
Our programs uphold the highest standards of academic excellence, foster critical thinking, and build skills and mindsets that will serve students launch students on their careers and serve them throughout their lives.
Spiritual
Growth & Impact
Our programs strive to broaden perspectives beyond that of the individual, enabling students to tap into a sense of greater purpose, connection, and growth. Without promising transformation, we believe that the experiences we offer have the ability to transform life trajectories and make the world a better place.
Our Core Values
Excellence
Efficient. Effective. Engaging.
We don’t settle for anything less than excellence. From co-designing to planning and delivering the programs, we believe in giving our best, so that the students can have enriching and meaningful experiences.
Excitement
Energetic. Creative. Positive.
Positive energy is contagious. Our programs are infused with positivity, enthusiasm and creativity so that our participants can grow holistically and create a positive impact on the world.
Care
Caring. Nurturing. Wellbeing.
We care about our students, communities, partners, and team. We care about quality, health, and safety. We care about growth and impact. That’s why we pay meticulous attention to detail and are always at hand before, during, and after the programs.
Teamwork
Respectful. Trustworthy. Cooperative.
We believe in collaborative design. We work alongside the program directors, faculty members, partners, and communities to design and deliver programs that create meaningful growth.
Open
Honest. Sharing. Empathetic.
We embrace honesty and transparency in our thinking, communication, and execution. We give and take feedback without any judgment, so we can take every opportunity to improve and become better than yesterday.
Continuous Learning
Evolving. Growing. Enhancing
Growth never stops and learning never ends. We are constantly learning about the world outside and the world within to enhance the enrichment delivered by our programs.