International study programs are considered to be eye opening experiences that let people from other countries experience new cultures and methods of instruction both in terms of education and interpersonal communication. The need in our world today is to be able to reach beyond our local environment to people across the seas and shed light on the mysteries we perceive deep within ourselves and others. We look across our oceans and say to ourselves, “I wonder what those people are really like over there?” International study programs give us the capability to work with people from other cultures and decide for ourselves what we think without excessive media manipulation. The best experience is first-hand experience. International communication is an extremely important component in the survival of us as people and with it we will be able to tear down the walls of discrimination and mystery and understand that essentially we are all the same. Nurturing the spirit of community with respect for all people of the world will help create peace and harmony on our planet. This is why programs such as the Beijing Connection are an important step forward in this direction. The video in this article is a compilation of images put together showing video students enjoying their experience here in Southern California.