Sipping coffee in Paris. Skiing in the Himalayas. Jetting off to London to see the Globe Theater. Giving a helping hand in Peru.
Everyone has their own reasons and desires to travel abroad and Park University students have the ability to study abroad with the Global Education and Study Abroad department.
Students that study abroad say that doing so actually makes them a better student. That traveling and studying opens up their eyes and makes the world seem different.
“It’s important for students at Park to go on a study abroad program because it gives them the chance to experience a new culture and places that they may not experience in their own country,” said Michelle Travers, senior interior design major.
Travers went on the Scottish Architect and City Planning trip to both Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland, this past summer where she and three other students experienced cuisine, outdoors, life and of course the buildings of Scotland.
“I didn’t have a specific favorite part being in Scotland,” Travers said, “I was just glad to travel to a different country for the first time and take in all the sites and experience new food and lifestyles.”
Dawn Hyatt, Global Education and Study Abroad Program assistant, said students have a deeper insight into culture than other tourists.
“One important goal is that study abroad students must be able to integrate with local communities as much as possible when abroad,” she said. “Home stay visits are recommended for students when possible as one way to accomplish this goal. The itineraries for our short-term study abroad programs are designed with this goal in mind as well. Activities are planned that are rich in culture and often hosted by local guides.”
For the fall break in October, some students are going to be studying in Germany and Poland.
The course Hope and Horror: Psychology and Literature of the Holocaust is a LE300 class and is a graduation requirement. The course is led by Dr. Brian Cowley, unfortunately it’s too late to sign up for that program. However, the course and program usually repeats every one and one-half to two years.
Senior Angelica Hodgdon is about to take part in the short-term study abroad trip.
“The title of the course also seemed incredibly interesting, and as a dual education and literature major I think that this experience will be something wonderful to share with my students while teaching a unit on the Holocaust,” she said.
Another alternative for fall break is a Costa Rica trip. Scheduled for Oct. 12-19, the deadline to apply has already passed, however, there are still a few spots left. In Costa Rica, the volunteers spend five days focusing with youth and improving local schools and the environment.
During spring break, a trip to Guatemala is planned to help the local families with health care, water sanitation, and hygiene programs.
There is another short-term study abroad trip to Grasmere, England, that is schedule for June 15-27, 2014, with the application due March 1, 2014. The program is for the course EN304: Exploration in Language and Literature. On the trip students will walk the trails and read the works that made Grasmere famous.
The Global Education and Study Abroad office will be hosting a Study Abroad Fair on Wednesday, Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Milsap Foyer, which is the upstairs entrance to the McAfee Library. There will be special guests along with the coordinators to answer any question about studying abroad as well as food and giveaways during the fair.
The Global Education and Study Abroad office also helps organize individual programs to many destinations around the world. To find more information go to www.park.edu/inteled or under “G” for Global Education and Study Abroad in the Quick Links on
