By Dori Lloyd
My adventure to Ireland opened a window to the world for me. While I have traveled within the US, going out of the country on a study abroad trip for the first time was a much deeper cultural experience. It helped me to understand just how impactful a trip like this can be for our students.
DDCC’s long term partners from the Institute of Study Abroad Ireland, Dr. Niamh Hamill and Mr. John O’Connell, facilitated my trip. I had heard stories about the excellent care they take of their guests, and boy they did not disappoint! I finally got to see firsthand not only the beauty of the Irish land and people, but how a well-facilitated study abroad is executed.
While the trip included breathtaking views at the Sliabh Liag Cliffs and the adventure of exploring the Donegal Castle, it was also rich with Irish history and culture. Niamh has a knack for using stories to draw you into vivid imagery of Ireland. She cleverly shares Ireland’s tumultuous history and the surprising similarities it has to our own US past. A sobering highlight of my trip was our visit to a museum in Derry (or Londonderry), Northern Ireland where Bloody Sunday took place. At the museum we were greeted by a gentleman who lost his brother to the horrific event.
As we prepare our students for a global economy, consider that you have the opportunity to provide a transformative study abroad experience that is relevant and contextualized for your students. I learned on my trip that our partners in Ireland are excited to cater a study abroad to different areas of study. For instance, criminal justice students could be introduced to Ireland’s approach to rehabilitation or nursing students can learn about how different healthcare is in Ireland.
If you are excited to explore building a study abroad trip for your program students, let’s think creatively together! Ireland is full of engaging history and culture and can be a great catalyst for students to embrace cultural awareness and growth. What better way to build global citizens than to help them explore the globe!
