Is there anything better than a delicious meal? If you're a self-proclaimed foodie, the answer is probably somewhere along the "no" spectrum.

When you think about social media and your students, I'm guessing most of you probably lean towards the negative. Social media has caught a lot of flack in the media lately for the harm that it's doing to teens. There's no denying that students are using social media in the classroom and that it can be linked to distraction, misinformation (fake news anyone?) and at the extreme, bullying and harassment.

However, social media can also be a really positive tool in the classroom and an effective way of getting your students to become more educated about the world and to begin enacting change in their communities. Since social media isn't going to go away, we might as well start teaching students to use it for good!

How can you use social media for social good? Here's 5 ways that you can get students thinking about how they can use social media in a different way! 

Ecuador has come to be known as the “mini South America”, a fitting name due to its extremely diverse and vibrant geography. Ecuador has everything an eager traveler could as for: the mountain ranges in the Andes, the highlands, the Amazon, and the beautiful beaches on the coast. There is never a shortage of things to do or places to see. The abundance of activities and sights to see in Ecuador's capital city can sometimes feel overwhelming, so we’ve put together a guide to the best excursions in Quito. 

Taking students abroad is a lot of work. You have to become the temporary parents and guardians of hormone crazed teenagers in a foreign country, and essentially  keep them alive and happy for the duration of the trip. After adding in pressure from school boards and parents as well as all the fundraising you have to do, I don't blame any of you for being hesitant to take on the responsibility.

‘When you travel away from a place where you have spent many years of your life, you leave behind a negative space, an empty contour of the person who left. When you return from your travels, you expect- and are expected- to occupy that same space again, but it never quite fits you, because you’ve changed. It’s not only uncomfortable for you but mildly disconcerting to those who know you well.’

Kampala is the bustling capital city of Uganda, situated on Lake Victoria and spread out across rolling green hillsides. From the chaotic city centre, bursting with people, noise and movement, to the lush garden suburbs in the hills, Kampala has a diversity of activities and sites to offer. 

Having run the Semester in Development program in Uganda for the past four years, here are our recommendations for the top 10 things to do in Kampala.

Kampala is a lively city offering great food, dance-inducing live music, and an explosion of cultural events and festivals. But for the times you just need to escape the city, the rest of Uganda will not disappoint. With plenty of incredible options to satisfy your craving for nature and adventure, the ‘Pearl of Africa’ has a lot to offer. Here are some fun weekend adventures in Uganda to escape the city!

As a student of international development, it's safe to say your career will take you to developing cities all over the world. So, we thought it would be worthy to explore the top 10 places international development students should go. (Though aspiring students and development professionals will also find this list handy as well.)

Please note this list has some personal biases. It’s also important to note that any travel should be thoroughly examined and carefully assessed prior to departure. While travelling and exploring the global south can be extremely enriching, especially for those considering a career in development, it is not without it's risks.