Mission

The 195 shares the stories of students and recent graduates who are abroad in some of the world’s nearly two hundred and countries. Founded at Northwestern University in 2009, The 195 is a platform for students to provoke conversation and challenge perspectives. Through the visceral power of multimedia and the intimacy of the written word, we aim to bring distant parts of the world closer.

Our Story

The 195 emerged from a late-night conversation between three Northwestern students in January 2009. They believed then, and they still do, that young people traveling abroad can tell fascinating stories.

What does “195” stand for? It was the number of countries in the world when the site launched. Even though that number has changed, it remains a reminder of the countless opportunities for new cultural experiences.

Since our June 2009 launch, The 195 has showcased the stories, photos and videos of more than 100 students traveling in over 40 countries. In June 2010, the site placed first regionally and runner-up nationally in the Society of Professional Journalists’ award for Best Independent Online Student Publication. Today, our team works to strengthen our web presence and export our model to other schools.