Students at Augusta Technical College often learn about the global marketplace, but soon they will be able to experience it.

Through a new cultural exchange program, students will spend six months in Brazil with most of their expenses paid in an experience that Thomas Lyles, one of the organizers, hopes will change their lives.

"The world is getting smaller," said Mr. Lyles, the head of the college's welding and joining department.

Traveling abroad gives a better understanding of the marketplace and the economy, he said. And more cultures are coming to this country.

"I think it's one of those things that is absolutely necessary," he said of exposure to another culture.

Augusta Tech was selected to participate in the exchange because of its work in the arts, said Mr. Lyles, an artist known for his metal sculptures. The college is becoming known for its arts, and each year a few students enroll in his classes specifically for that reason.

The exchange program is meant to introduce students to the art, literature and music of another culture, said Mr. Lyles said, who recently returned from Brazil.

"I just came back with a tremendous amount of notes and ideas," he said. "It just rejuvenates you like nothing can."

He hopes the program will inspire students too.

Augusta Tech President Terry Elam said it's important for students to be aware of other cultures in the world and not judge them.

That will come in handy when conducting business and bridging cultural gaps, he said.

A $210,000 grant will fund the program for Augusta Tech, Alabama's Gadsden State Community College and the University of Montevallo with two Brazilian universities for the next four years.

The college previously had an exchange with the Canary Islands, Mr. Elam said.