The Study Abroad Office will be hosting its annual Study Abroad Fair next Wednesday at Memorial Union.

The event will provide University of Wisconsin students with the opportunity to browse through the university's diverse selection of study abroad programs.

UW's Division of International Studies offers more than 150 different study abroad programs and has an average of 1,600 students traveling abroad each year.

Each study abroad program will be represented at the event, along with a student or faculty member who has participated in the program or has been to the site.

Mary Spitzmueller, a UW senior majoring in psychology, spent last fall in Granada, Spain, and said she enjoyed the small classes available through the program.

"It was a completely different learning environment from the U.S.," Spitzmueller said. "It was interesting to have been able to see the two extremes."

The group Spitzmueller traveled with consisted of 10 UW students and 20 from Illinois. The all-Spanish classes accommodated the students who were primarily speaking Spanish as a second language.

The Study Abroad event will provide information on cost, a program overview, information about program preparation, as well as past participants' personal photographs, slideshows and informational posters, according to Study Abroad Advisor Tammy Gibbs.

Simultaneously, Study Abroad 101 sessions will be held in the adjoining Langdon Room. A raffle will also be held at the fair, sponsored by both the study abroad office and STA travel that will be giving away travel vouchers.

In addition, the Study Abroad Office will be releasing six new programs next summer, according to Gibbs.

Gibbs said current programs offered by the department are lacking a science-area focus, and the new programs will work to address the matter.

"These new programs will involve opportunities that are more hands-on and geared toward the sciences," Gibbs said.

Students have opportunities ranging from learning the secrets of Feng Shui and Western environmental design in Beijing, China, to working on archeological digs in San Ignacio, Belize.

UW sophomore Lydia Sorensen participated in a summer program in Rovinj, Croatia. The program consisted of morning classes and weekly field trips around Croatia, such as visiting sites where popular vampire legends began.

"The experience was amazing, and Croatia was a convenient base for traveling around Europe," Sorensen said.

UW senior Bryn Sayles said that she had a great experience last year in London, where she took various day trips that were included in the costs of the program to get a taste of the culture.

"Even though we were only there for a semester, we really got a good sense of the city and of England, which have been difficult in that time period if traveling alone," Sayles said.

The Study Abroad Fair will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. in Memorial Union's Great Hall.