Higher education is just one aspect of American society affected by globalization. Many colleges and universities, including Iowa State University, understand the need and accept the challenge of helping students become global citizens and thus, require an international perspectives course as part of their undergraduate curriculum. The Iowa State University Department of Horticulture has a long history of successfully offering study abroad opportunities. Since 1998, 326 students have participated in a study abroad experience offered by the department. These international experiences range from 12-day trips to semester long immersions in a service learning project associated with a school garden. In each case, students participate in a pre-trip preparation, the immersive experience in-country and a post-trip reflection. This structured approach has proven to be an effective pedagogy for preparing students, maximizing student and faculty investment and evaluating the effectiveness of study abroad offerings.