As COVID-19 restrictions around the world continue to soften, Baldwin Wallace University is seeing a sharp increase in the desire of students to go out into the world to learn, work, and study.
The end of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions has led to an increase in students taking part in the study abroad programs at Baldwin Wallace University. Students have been immersed in multicultural learning in several different locales this spring thanks to the work of the BW Center for Global Exploration.
In an article posted on Baldwin Wallace University’s website, associate director of the BW center for Global Exploration Kristen Catrina was quoted on the increase, saying, "We are definitely seeing an increase in study abroad interest and overall participation. Our full-semester independent student numbers for fall are also doubled year to year."
In this past May and this June alone, more than 100 students and faculty members at Baldwin Wallace University have signed on to take part in faculty-led study abroad programs through the school. Those taking part have been given the option to learn in a wide variety of places and subjects.
Dr. Rachelle Hippler (Software Engineering) and Ken Atchinson (Cybersecurity Analyst) are leading the Discovering Mission Guatemala program. The program is part of an ongoing partnership between Baldwin Wallace and the nonprofit Mission Guatemala. For the past three years, students taking part in this program have been working to build software and computer infrastructure for medical clinics in rural Guatemalan villages. This year’s trip was the first onsite work done on the project since the pandemic.
Dr. Danielle Kuntz (Music History and Literature) and Dr. Matthew Feinberg (Spanish) led the Music and Culture in Space and Portugal program. The trip focused on the musical traditions of the Fado and Flamenco, urban planning, and arts management. Students toured Madrid and Lisbon while attending performances and studying local cultural exchanges happening in the present and those that took place in the past.
Professors Tesia Benson and Jeff Hermann led the London Theater program in which students were given a seat at world-class theaters in Bath, Windsor, Stratford-upon-Avon, and London. Students attended museums, backstage theater tours, and private acting classes.
Dr. Julie Newcamp (Sociology) and Dr. Charles Campisi (Sports Management) led the Global Sports Mediterranean trip. The trip was set up to help students develop their appreciation for the relationship between culture in sports in Rome, Florence, Marseille, and Barcelona through exploring sporting clubs, museums, and stadiums.
Keira McDonald (Theater and Dance) and Duane Battle (Communication Studies) led the Words in Action Zambia program. Students partnered with Zambian artists to create a community theater performance.
Baldwin Wallace University is continually developing more study abroad opportunities such as the recent spring break "Sophomore Year Experience in Ireland."
Catrina spoke more about the study abroad programs, saying, "We continue to plan innovative faculty-led programs for the coming academic year. One example is a faculty-led program involving the baseball team. They will take a course in the fall with Dr. Andy Dohanos in communication arts and sciences and will travel to the Dominican Republic in December."
More information about Baldwin Wallace University’s spring study abroad experiences can be found at the school’s Instagram account.
More information about Baldwin Wallace University in general can be found at the school’s website.