Report summary: Learning from the world to improve health and wellbeing

Report name

Learning from the World to Improve Health and Wellbeing: A Roadmap for Planning International Learning Exchanges

Who wrote this report?

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the United States’ largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health.

Have you ever looked abroad to find creative solutions to problems in your own community?

Visiting another country, either literally or virtually, can transform the way we see our own nation and neighbourhoods. Seeing how change is accomplished in other places sparks inspiration and surfaces practical ideas for policies and programmes we can try at home.

This is something the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is putting into practice – actively learning from abroad to improve health and wellbeing in the United States. In the process, it has found that international learning exchanges are one of the best ways to engage with peers abroad and uncover valuable lessons to bring home to the communities it works with.

Using lessons from its own experiences with international learning exchanges, it has developed an interactive roadmap to guide other changemakers in hosting their own virtual or in-person exchanges. The roadmap lays out six simple steps with practical ideas, worksheets, and tips from how to select travel companions and build an itinerary, to how to home in on learning goals and foster meaningful connections and experiences.

Best quote

Successful learning exchanges are those that are grounded in values of equity, inclusion, and reciprocity. They are a chance to learn together, bringing value to both the participants and the community you are visiting.

Key takeaways:

• International learning exchanges are one of the best ways to learn from and with communities around the world.
• Investing time in thoughtful planning of your exchange will ensure participants are better equipped to immerse themselves in diverse cultures and open their minds to new approaches, mindsets, and possibilities to bring back home.
• In an international exchange, learning flows both ways – transforming the way both travellers and locals see challenges in their communities and sparking new ideas for how to overcome them.
• While it’s important to have learning goals in mind, it’s equally important to keep an open mind. No matter what you intend to learn through the exchange, you will likely come away with an “aha” moment or perspective shift you weren’t expecting.

What’s in this report?

This interactive guide takes you step-by-step through the planning of an international exchange, providing inspiration and guidance on setting your goals, identifying your travellers, planning your itinerary, creating connections, fostering learning, and evaluating the exchange. It provides practical tips, real-world case studies, and interactive worksheets to make planning your exchange easy.

Why should you read this report?

International learning exchanges are one of the best ways to learn with communities around the world, and experience the insights they harbour. If you’re curious about what it takes to organise an international learning exchange or are looking for tips as you design your own exchange, this guide breaks it down into six simple steps with easy-to-follow advice and real-world examples.

Who is this report for?

This roadmap draws upon lessons from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to guide community leaders, public servants, policymakers, NGOs, philanthropy, and other social change agents in organising a learning exchange abroad, either virtually or in person. It’s designed to provide inspiration and guidance at any stage of the planning process—whether you have already chosen a learning destination or are simply curious about what it takes to organise an exchange.

🔗 Find the full resource here. 🔗

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