Eva Mossberg, Onsite Program Coordinator
Originally from Stockholm, Sweden, Eva has always had a taste of adventure. Her love for the ocean and an insatiable thirst for travel, combined with a very unique opportunity sent her traveling at age nineteen. With a plan of sailing to the Caribbean and back in one year, she waved Stockholm goodbye in June 1991 from the deck of a 44’ sloop. She never returned but instead spent time in the West Indies, and lived in Portugal before coming to the U.S. to visit a friend for three months. That was in 1993 and lucky for us, she’s still here! Every waking moment that Eva is not working, she can be found in the outdoors, skiing, hiking, cycling, running, kayaking, swimming…
What’s an OPC?
As part of your customized faculty-led program abroad, you will be led and supported by a CISabroad On-Site Program Coordinator (OPC). OPCs are experienced and well trained staff members, there to ensure the schedule goes according to plan. Each OPC attends an extensive training program that involves a range of modules – risk management, emergency response, safety, logistics’, cultural awareness, communication, culture shock, budgeting, social media, La Vida Local and customer service.
The primary role of the OPC is to facilitate the in-country implementation of the assigned customized program, by providing safety / emergency response and logistical support. During the program, the OPC is responsible for managing the day-to-day logistics of the assigned customized program and providing in-country support to both the faculty and students. Using personal travel experience, professional work experience (and where possible language knowledge), the OPC will help create a program environment that is safe and culturally engaging. The CISabroad OPC may or may not be an in country local. The majority of CISabroad OPCs are expats from the US, who have travelled, lived, volunteered, or worked abroad in the program destination.
The OPC is not a registered tour guide nor expected to provide tours of sites visited during the program. If the program is one that requires specific guided tours of various sites, these will be provided separately. The OPC provides a general neighborhood walking tour to help the group identify the nearest bank/ATM, pharmacy, laundry-mat, grocery store and other similar conveniences.
The OPC’s role allows Faculty to focus on the academic objectives and the students to make the most of their time overseas!