Study Abroad Blogs

Elmira College students will be in Australia for thirty days visiting the cities of Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Cairns, and Alice Springs. Included in this course are: a two-night camping trip to Fraser Island, a cruise on the Great Barrier Reef that will include snorkeling opportunities, and a second two-night camping trip in Central Australia. Time will be devoted to field trips to zoos, museums, wilderness areas, and other points of interest; occasional lectures at appropriate sites; and periodic group meetings to discuss students' experiences.

Brazil is composed of a multitude of cultures. It is the cradle of hundreds of separate, indigenous cultural groups as well as being a country shaped by colonialism and slavery. Thus, several questions arise: how do those living in modern Brazil constitute themselves as racial and cultural beings? What impact geography and environment have in shaping identity? Is there an overarching cultural identity? In what ways are regionalism and language important constituents of identity? How does colonial history impact modern society? Ta attempt to answer these questions and others, the course will take students to Brazil, exposing them to Brazilian cultural civilization.

Term III in Paris consists of learning in two different but related areas: language and culture. At the end of the course, students will be allowed to return home, and seniors will return to campus for their graduation activities. Students will attend the Alliance Française for four hours a day, five days a week, taking an immersion course called "General Intensive French," which will allow them to earn the equivalent of a year's work in a language at Elmira College. (The Alliance Française is the best and most well-known French language school in the world, with branches in every major city.) Students may be at any linguistic level (the Alliance separates out five), from complete beginners to advanced learners, and thus could use the credits to fulfill a European culture and civilization distribution requirement, or a more specialized requirement for students concentrating on International Studies or Business; Education, or Foreign Languages. For an additional cost, and in addition to this course, students may sign up for a course or courses that would focus on a skill such as speaking or writing, or a field of interest such as business or law or the health professions. The second part of the course in France is an on-site foray into French culture, from two to three times a week. Students will go to numerous museums, buildings of architectural interest, various artisanal shops (chocolate, pastry and cheese), and important gardens.

This course is a unique off-campus painting course in New York City focusing on career development for Art and Art Education majors. The course examines the general to specific challenges and career opportunities for young artists. The objective of this course is to enable students of intermediate to advanced skill levels to experience an all-encompassing art course equipping them with the necessary conceptual and communicative skills in preparation for a career in the arts. The experience as a whole encourages creative and critical thinking, while offering the students many opportunities to make career connections. Students will meet regularly with artists and other art-related professionals, such as museum and gallery curators and directors, graphic, digital and web designers, fashion designers, film makers, animators, publishers, toy designers, art students, academics, journalists, poets, writers and many others. Students will also regularly visit galleries and museums, attend exhibition openings, receptions, performances, and visit artist’s studios, designer showrooms and production houses.

Spring in Spain is a six (6) credit course that will meet both on the campus of Elmira College and in Segovia, Spain. Orientation and preparation for the trip in Spain will occur at the beginning of the term, and students will return to campus at the end of the term to finalize and present their projects. This is a language and culture immersion course where students will study Spanish culture and civilization during the week and will live with Spanish families during the entire stay in Segovia. During weekday afternoons in Segovia, the group will visit the Cathedral, The Roman Aqueduct, the Alcázar, and Romanesque Churches, among other significant historical and cultural sites within the city. Weekends will include daylong excursions to nearby locations of interest such as the city of Toledo, El Escorial and El Palacio Real. One weekend will be spent in the capital city of Madrid exploring El Prado, the Plaza Mayor, El Parque del Buen Retiro, among other places of cultural and historical importance. One excursion will also include hiking in the hills and peaks of the Guadarrama Mountains. This is a course for students interested in improving their Spanish and interacting with the Spanish people, culture, and landscape.

The trip to the United Kingdom will introduce the students to the historical, political, economic, artistic, literary, cultural, and educational environment of the country, through a multi-dimensional focus on developments between 1783 and the present day. Students will also be exposed to British institutions, such as Parliament, the City of London, Oxford University, major museums, and architectural landmarks.