Introduction: Rapid globalization has led universities to place a priority on building international experiences for students. Substantial gains have been noted from study abroad for students and faculty, including increased global understanding, intercultural sensitivity, content-specific competence, and self-confidence. Intercultural experiences may be invaluable for occupational therapy students and faculty to create a profession that is inclusive of diverse social and cultural realities.

Aim: We will present a successful international student and faculty exchange as an example of one way that occupational therapy programs may meet personal, instructional, and institutional goals related to internationalism.

Methods: We will chronicle barriers encountered, problems solved, and benefits realized from this exchange program over its ten year history.

Results: Changes in professional educational standards, legal requirements, and curricula present continuous challenges to maintaining a successful international exchange program in occupational therapy.

Conclusion: Interpersonal connectedness and mutual commitment have fostered the success of our exchange program.