Students browsed the Education Abroad Fair Wednesday for programs from different organizations and universities all over the world.

During the fair, the WSU Education Abroad Office began recruiting students for faculty-led programs, including brand new projects in Morocco and Samoa.

About 200 students studied abroad with WSU professors last year, said Laurie A. Quiring, Faculty-led Program Specialist for Education Abroad. More students are expected this year.

The Education Abroad Office has set a goal for one in five students that graduate from WSU to experience the world through a study abroad program, Quiring said.

The College of Education will host a program to create e-books in the Samoan language during a trip to Independent Samoa and American Samoa, said Michael T. Hayes, associate professor for Teaching and Learning.

"The focus will be the intersection of culture and language education," Hayes said.

WSU students will work directly with Samoan students, Hayes said, learning the subcultures of the community.

"The fear of Samoans is they're losing their language," Hayes said.

He said the English language is rapidly replacing the native one.

The preservation program will be a service to Samoan culture, Hayes said, and will help students in the program gain experience for understanding cross-cultural education in America.

On the other side of the world, Robert C. Snyder, philosophy professor and interim director of the Interfaith House, will teach the philosophy and religion of Islam in Fez, Morocco.

"Morocco is a crossroads," Snyder said. "Europeans have vacationed there for a hundred years."

Unlike Tunisia and the surrounding region, Morocco has been unaffected by the Jasmine Revolution, Snyder said.

Not only is Morroco safe, but the French built half the city of Fez, Snyder said, so the combination of modern architecture and tribal areas will provide an experience of sophistication and diversity.

Students will taste the Moroccan cuisine of fresh vegetables, lamb and coucous, Snyder said. They will also witness Roman ruins and wander bazaars and the Sahara.

"Students in this program will be experiencing a very, very different culture," Snyder said.

He said students will have to respect local customs, primarily influenced by the religion of Islam, such as dressing conservatively.

Tolerance and understanding will be equal parts of this program, Snyder said, but students will be surprised by how accepting Moroccans are.

"Whenever you travel, learn a few phrases in the local language," Snyder said. "If you can do that, peoples'faces will smile."