“Once a year, go somewhere you have never been before.“
–Dalai Lama
This summer, students from across UNC Greensboro’s five schools put that wisdom to use and saw the world through a variety of study abroad programs, receiving academic credit while having experiences they’ll remember for a lifetime, thanks to their faculty program directors, the International Programs Center, and their own adventurous spirits. Read their words and view the snapshots from those experiences below.
Literary London
Students explored the literature and history of London, from Chaucer and Shakespeare to Virginia Woolf and T.S. Eliot, to the global experiences of contemporary immigrants. They looked for connections between places, the world of events and ideas, and the global imagination. Over four weeks students earned six credit hours while attending lectures, hearing readings by London’s most famous authors, and visiting historic sites. Learn more about the Literary London Program.
“Going abroad for this summer was one of the most impactful experiences of my life. As a teacher education student, my semesters are pretty packed, so it was amazing that I found an experience in my program that I could complete over the summer. In London, I saw tons of things that helped shape my understanding of my field of study, English secondary education. I saw a few Shakespeare plays at the Globe Theatre, visited Charles Dickens’ house and Foundling Museum, and studied historical sites related to British Literature. Our group also got to meet and interact with people from all across the world while staying in a hostel in a London neighborhood.”
Hannah Ward, 2024, English
UNCG Global Nursing in Spain
Global nursing in Spain gave rising senior nursing students the opportunity to use their knowledge and skills in a new, international setting. The program looked at healthcare practices in Spain and compared them to those of the United States, including availability, ideas, values, and beliefs of communities toward healthcare. The students identified healthcare concerns in a global context to how care and access affects different populations. Learn more about the Global Nursing in Spain program.
UNCG in Rome
Students in UNCG in Rome strolled through 3,000 years of history to understand the most important historical, religious, and modern places, events, and people that have shaped the urban fabric of one of Europe’s most important cities. The four-week program consisted of lectures from faculty and guest speakers, discussion groups, and even scavenger hunts. Learn more about the UNCG in Rome program.
“Traveling with students abroad is always rewarding. It’s a privilege to watch our students develop their confidence and to watch them exercise more independence and take more risks. It’s a special opportunity for instructors since we usually only see our students grow and develop in the classroom. Studying abroad collapses that distance between student and instructor, and we gain as much as the students do. Studying abroad in a location like Rome really challenges students to be comfortable with uncertainty and to practice improvisation. To me, it’s a beautiful part of the study abroad experience: we all need that practice in adjusting our expectations and stretching to meet the challenges that are beyond our control.”
Dr. Rebecca Muich, Assistant Dean, Lloyd International Honors College
Theatre Intensive in London
School of Theatre faculty Dominick Amendum, Erin Spear, & Mya Brown led students on a 12-day trip to London England to study acting, dance, singing, and Shakespeare. The group attended workshops, plays, and musicals at several famous theatres. During this program, students received schooling with theater professionals in London while experiencing different kinds of performances and events. The idea was to help students find comfort in a major international market and learn the different expectations for performers in the U.K. Learn more about the Theatre intensive in London program.
Caesarea Archaeological Field School
Students lived near the site of Caesarea Maritima, on the northern coast of Israel, to engage in the daily tasks of excavation. They worked under the supervision of doctoral students in archaeology from other universities. Over the course of four weeks in the field, the students learned the fundamentals of how to record excavations on site, evacuate using the right tools, draw and measure daily site plans, recognize and sort artifacts, and more. The course included 40 hours a week of excavation and material culture processing as well as a lecture on the archaeology and history of the surrounding region in the classical through modern periods. Learn more about the Caesarea Archaeological Field School program.
“Working, playing, learning, and living together with the people on a dig, professor or volunteer creates incredibly strong bonds. By the end of the expedition, everyone felt like family, and the idea of leaving one another was enough to make most of us cry. We all learned a lot from the experience, not only about the archaeological process and its methods but also about the site we were in; We were not only digging the past: we were surrounded and immersed in it. Having incredible people like Dr. Eger, Dr. Smith, and all the other staff members, to guide us and teach us throughout this process made it all the more special.”
Luiz Francisco Guizzo Gutierrez Osorio, ’22, History
Global Health and Disaster preparedness in the Caribbean
Global Health and Disaster preparedness in the Caribbean focused on service-learning experiences for graduate and undergraduate students. Stationed in the natural disaster-prone islands of St. Kitts and Nevis, the program allowed students to collaborate with the Ministry of Health, Nevis Disaster Management Department (NDMN), and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in St. Kitts. Learn more about the Global Health and Disaster preparedness in the Caribbean program.
UNCG in Spain
The Summer Program in Spain was a five-week program focused on giving students a linguistic and cultural immersion experience. As a blend of rigorous academic study and cultural activity, this program allowed students to benefit from meaningful real-life communication. Students lived with native speakers at home and during school, they engaged in classroom discussion, cultural visits, field trips, and local events to develop their fluency. Learn more about the UNCG in Spain program.
“A must-have experience for those who are willing to take it seriously! Don’t just do it to say you went to Spain – do it to learn everything about the culture, the uniqueness of the language, the food, the history, and even those weird second toilets in the bathroom. There was never a moment when I was uninspired by the world around me. Every scene was a piece of art waiting to be painted, every conversation was the culmination of the woven sounds of an aged language, and every moment was worth living. The only regret I might have was not going out to do more!”
Elizabeth Herbert, 2024, Sociology
Learn about the International Programs Center
Learn about study abroad options, international students and scholars, and the Fulbright program.
Story and interviews by Dana Broadus, University Communications
with assistance from Susan Kirby-Smith and Craig Biles, University Communications
Photography courtesy of program directors and participants
