Fine Arts & Culture in London: A Field Study with St. Mary’s School

Engaging with our youngest students—our middle schoolers—and sharing adventures with them is a real privilege. Some have traveled previously, but for many, it’s their first international trip, and we are honored to play a role in their experience of the world beyond U.S. borders.

Alongside their course leaders, Kari Greenfield, Rob Warren, and Maureen Baca, our UK Program Leader Jules Sanderson recently hosted an enthusiastic group of middle school students from St. Mary’s School for an action-packed week in London.

“I feel like we pretty much covered every possible London activity,” Jules said. “We also did a fair bit of walking around the city and the students got so good at taking the Tube; I was very impressed! 

Experiencing a London airport alone leaves an impression. It’s an introduction to and immediate immersion into a global city home to 287 ethnic groups and nationalities, where more than 300 languages are spoken and 49.5% of the population is bilingual. Even the distinctions between English spoken in the U.S. and the U.K. are apparent from the beginning.  

Exploring London

The group settled into a hotel near Marble Arch and Hyde Park.

Over six days, their trip covered six main themes:  

LANDMARKS: One of their first activities was a bus tour that gave the students an overview of central London and introduced them to some of the city’s famous landmarks. One of these was the London Eye, which they were able to ride on another day. They also had an opportunity to stroll through Hyde Park and St. James’s Park to see Buckingham Palace up close.

MARKETS: There’s nowhere better to experience the liveliness and multiculturalism of London than in its many markets. The students were able to visit two vastly different examples: Borough Market and Camden Market.  

Borough Market—a busy covered food market in London Bridge—is one to visit with an appetite. Vendors sell everything from fresh veggies to fish to prepared dishes from around the globe. Set inside a green wrought iron Victorian structure, it’s a sensory experience: tables heaped with a rainbow of fruits; scents galore: organic earthy wild mushrooms, bubbling raclette cheese, freshly-baked bread, coconut and mango rice; sounds of cooking, laughter, different languages; and glimpses of The Shard and Southwark Cathedral as you near the edges. Its history stretches back 1,000 years.

Camden Market, in North London, began in 1974 and could be described as eclectic, or quirky. Many of the buildings along the high street leading to the market have 3-D sculptural façades: an airplane, giant shoes, a dragon, a scorpion jut out from buildings above small independent shopfronts. The market is a compilation of several areas stretching out in all directions, including along the canal and inside of old horse stables. Camden was famous in the 1960s for its legendary music scene—especially punk and rock bands like The Clash and The Sex Pistols. It was a center of counterculture and the alternative fashion that came along with it. Though the market has changed over the years to include food, tourist tat, and more mainstream fashion, this was once a popular place for mods, bohemians, punks, and rockers to shop. A touch of that vibe still lingers on.  

STORYTELLING: Watching a West End musical (“Back to the Future: The Musical”) and a play gave the students some insight into the world of theater in London.

They also tried their hands at an acting class hosted at world-renowned Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on the south bank of the River Thames. The original Globe Theater was one street back, built in 1599 and destroyed in a 1613 fire. This was where Shakespeare wrote some of his most well-known works: Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Othello, and Hamlet, to name a few. The original Globe was replaced the following year but then turned into tenement buildings in the 1640s. The current version in its riverside location was completed in 1997 following the same building techniques and the same wood as the original and even includes its signature water-reed thatched roof (the only thatched-roof building in London). It’s now a cultural landmark as well as an active theater. The central yard is open-air and performances go ahead in rain, shine, and snow.

Another highlight in the arena of storytelling was a 7-hour-long excursion to the outskirts of the city to visit the Harry Potter Studios to explore behind the scenes in the studios where all eight films were produced and discover the secrets of some of the special effects. Students saw iconic props, costumes and sets, including Hogwarts Great Hall, the Forbidden Forest, the original Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 ¾, Gringotts Wizarding Bank, and Diagon Alley. 

SPORTS: Sports fans were thrilled with tours of both the Wimbledon grounds and Chelsea Football Club stadium.

In Wimbledon, they were able to see the grounds used by some of the world’s top tennis players and the facilities used by the broadcasters who cover the world-famous tennis championships. In the museum, there are famous trophies, fabrics of tennis fashion from the Victorian era, and some interactive areas.

In Fulham, the group was able to see the playing field of Chelsea Football Club, one of the most successful soccer teams in the world. They visited the dressing rooms, press room, the player’s tunnel, pitchside, and more while learning about the team’s 118-year history.   

HISTORY: On the theme of history, the students took a Yeoman Warder tour of the Tower of London. Through the gruesome and gory—imprisonments, executions, and torture—to some of the more uplifting stories, they learned about the tower’s 1,000-year history.

Another day, the group traveled to the city’s outskirts for a visit to Windsor where they explored the town and toured the castle, which started construction under William the Conqueror in 1070. It’s the longest-occupied palace in Europe, has more than 1,000 rooms, and a 2.65-mile long driveway!

LEISURE: To relax, students had a great time playing a life-sized Monopoly game. They enjoyed playing interactive soccer games at TOCA Social. They also had some time to visit the fashion mecca that is Oxford Street, shop and learn a bit about London’s fashion industry.

FOOD: Of course, they also had some memorable food experiences related to the local culture, like the delicious delights of Borough Market, dinners in bustling Covent Garden, a comforting Sunday roast, high tea, and a dinner cruise on the Thames, to name a few.

Having enjoyed the week with our St. Mary’s students, Jules noted that, “Lifesize Monopoly, the roast dinner, Camden Market, Harry Potter studios, Chelsea FC stadium, and the acting class at The Globe were real highlights.”

Thank you, St. Mary’s!

We welcome these students to join us again on a First Year Experience or even a semester abroad when they reach university.

Benefits of educational travel

Educational travel of any length and at any age has so many benefits, from helping students develop different perspectives, cultural competence, empathy, and an understanding of global issues to more personal skills like self-confidence, resilience, flexibility, adaptability, independence, and curiosity.

Taking your classroom beyond its four walls can improve student engagement and motivation, and real-world experiences can enrich your curriculum, reinforce lessons, and foster a deeper understanding of academic subjects. Beyond academics, group travel can strengthen friendships and create life-long memories!   

If you’re interested in organizing a custom UK trip for your own group of middle schoolers, reach out to start a conversation.

Celebrating Earth Day: Recognizing The Impact of Travel on the Environment

We’re grateful to have attended two impactful sessions at The Forum on Education Abroad about climate change, carbon emissions, and sustainability in study abroad. Topics of environmental concern are often the elephant in the room when it comes to travel, so opportunities to share information openly and have conversations like these are crucial to inspire change.

The first session, presented by Carlo Fabros from Student Universe and Melissa Lee from The Green Project was titled, “We Admit We Emit.” The second session was location-specific, but also with far-reaching lessons: “Tackling the Big Questions of Sustainability and Study Abroad: Perspectives from Ireland” with presenters Sara Dart from Education in Ireland, Karl Dowling from Big Pond Education, Katherine Martin and Jack O’Connor from the University of Limerick, and Enda Carroll from University College Dublin.

Our Program Operations Manager, Maddie Reeves, shared her takeaways with the rest of the team. “We will never be able to say that the field of study abroad is completely innocent in contributing to climate change,” she said. “However, there are ways of offsetting and EDUCATING students (and ourselves) on how to make more climate-conscious decisions when traveling and studying abroad.”

Here are a couple of the topics these conference sessions brought to the forefront of our minds and a few of the questions we are contemplating seriously as a team:  

• How can we think creatively about carbon offsetting payments when students are already scraping pennies to study abroad? How can our pre-departure and in-country programming lift up this issue and help students understand its gravity while also helping them to reflect and take actionable steps to mitigate their own carbon footprints?

• How can we be more sustainable in each of our different locations, and how can we contribute to carbon offsetting in specific program locations to better connect the students to the effort and experience? Related to this, during the conference presentations, we expanded our knowledge of Carbon Colonialism – where rich countries essentially export their climate breakdown to developing countries. This is a topic on which we will dive deeper and continue to educate ourselves.

• How can we engage students abroad with the local community early on? Doing so can help with immersion, but also the environment. It encourages students to put down roots, get involved in campus groups, and volunteer locally which may inspire them to explore more regionally by train or bus rather than taking a plane to a new country every weekend.

Knowledge is power. We are committed to learning. We are committed to educating. We are committed to playing our role in constructing opportunities for greater sustainability in study abroad.

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As a small start, here are some thoughts we – ourselves, the faculty who are leading programs, and our students – can keep in mind:

10 Ways We can Travel More Sustainably, and Encourage Students to do the Same

1. OFFSET YOUR CARBON EMISSIONS. Calculate your carbon emissions from international flights through a tool like ICAO. To the extent that you can afford to, use this information to fund a carbon offsetting project in your host destination for local impact or buy carbon offsets through a website like Cool Effect.

2. TRAVEL LIGHTLY. Walk or cycle whenever possible; take public transportation when not. If you decide to take a weekend trip or travel onward during a break week, consider whether taking a bus or a train instead of flying could be part of your adventure.

3. RE-USE. A few easy examples: Bring your reusable water bottle and coffee cup when you leave your accommodation. Take your cloth bag when you go shopping. Use your towels more than once.

4. THOUGHTFULNESS MATTERS. Take shorter showers, turn off lights and electronics, and consider hanging up clothes to air dry rather than using a dryer (which may be the norm where you’re headed anyway!). Think twice before printing anything. You can consider some of the products you use too. For example, can you switch to bar soap/shampoo to lessen plastic use? Take your own headphones to use on the plane. Leave no trace as you travel.

5. CHOOSE LOCAL, SEASONAL FOODS. Think about where your food comes from and make conscious choices. Head to the market for fresh, local, seasonal produce rather than buying from chain supermarkets. Choose restaurants that make a point of choosing seasonal and regional products for their dishes.  

6. SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE LOCAL BUSINESSES. Be mindful of where you shop when you’re abroad. Wherever possible, support craftspeople you can buy from directly for souvenirs and locally-owned businesses—especially those who value and practice sustainability in their work.  

7. VOLUNTEER. Take a day or two (or more if you’re abroad longer term) to get involved in a local initiative that supports the environment such as a beach clean-up, tree planting, working in a community garden, or taking part in a local conservation project.

8. PRACTICE SLOW TRAVEL. Really get to know your host location intimately instead of ticking countries off of a bucket list. Explore (and live) locally as much as possible! Find places to walk and hike. Le Vie di Dante, which follows the footsteps of the poet, won the Lonely Planet “Best in Travel 2021” sustainability category for Florence, but examples like these can be found in many places.

9. EDUCATE YOURSELF. Learn more about climate change in general, but more specifically about the actions your host country or city is taking to improve their commitment to the environment. Continuing with Florence as an example, this could mean learning about climate-friendly projects in development using REACT-EU funding that will help push the city toward the sustainability targets set out for Europe.

10. RECYCLE OR DONATE. At the end of your trip, there may be items you don’t wish to bring home. To help reduce waste and make things more affordable for incoming groups, you may be able to leave behind items like utensils, dishes, blankets, bags, school supplies, seasonal clothes, etc. Be sure to dispose of any other items sustainably by recycling or donating to a local charity.

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“While we recognize that study abroad inherently has a large carbon footprint due to the need for air travel in most cases, I walked away from the Forum Conference confident that there are many things that we can do in this field to help mitigate our impact on the environment and raise awareness about making more sustainable choices abroad among faculty and student travelers,” Maddie said. “Getting to hear from so many passionate colleagues about their individual and institutional efforts in combating climate change gave me a lot of hope and inspiration. I cannot wait to continue to evaluate and implement sustainable initiatives within programming here at EdOdyssey!”

Follow us on LinkedIn for updates as we continue this journey…

Italian Immersion: Atlanta Classical Academy

We believe in better student travel. Student immersion programs should be authentic, educational, and value-packed experiences—not generic bus tours. What does this look like in practice? 

Our recent week-long immersion Italy immersion trip for students from Atlanta Classical Academy and their leaders Emily and Matt Flynn is a great example.

Discovering Rome: Ancient History & a Hiking Excursion

After working with us to build a seamless itinerary aligned with their academic goals and learning objectives, the ACA group arrived in Rome. Stefano Parenti, our Senior Program Director in Italy, greeted them. He worked alongside Matt and Emily throughout their time abroad to share his local knowledge and insight with the students and ensure everything went to plan.

“It's always a real pleasure to lead these groups from ACA,” Stefano noted, “because their students are above and beyond in terms of having open minds, curiosity, and maturity. ACA does a great job sharing through their educational experiences their values/virtues, and I have the pleasure to see this attitude (or gift) during our learning trips.”

After an orientation session introducing their program, cultural diversities, the daily itinerary, and a few important safety tips, the group headed outside and up the hill to Pincio for a walk in the park and a stunning panoramic view of the Piazza del Popolo, the majestic dome of San Pietro on the horizon, and the cityscape of Rome stretching out below. They finished their first evening with a traditional Roman dinner.

The next day, they set out for a long walk around Rome’s historical center where they focused on the history, art, and architecture behind the incredible cultural heritage of this global city. They took in the Piazza del Popolo, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Navona Square, Pantheon Square, Santa Maria del Popolo, San Luigi dei Francesi, and much more along the way, before enjoying a Roman-style pizza dinner and heading to bed for a good night of rest before a full day of hiking ahead.

On day three, they packed their water bottles and pulled on their hiking shoes for a day trip to Circeo National Park. In one of Italy’s oldest national parks (founded in 1934), also an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, they participated in a hike with the theme: “On the Trail of the Sorceress Circe.” The name of the mountain that gives the park its name (Mount Circeo) comes from Circe - a main character in Homer’s The Odyssey who gives birth to their son Telegonus. Many stories were told along the hike as the students explored a diverse landscape—from mountains to forests to wetlands to the sand dunes on the beaches. The area is home to wild boars, badgers, bats, foxes, fallow deer, falcons, lizards, 260 waterfowl species, and many other animals including the endangered Hermann’s Tortoise, so there was a lot of wildlife to spot along the way. The group stopped to eat cannelloni with a view over the sea and later enjoyed a traditional “apericena” dinner focusing on local products.

Stefano noted that this hike is one of the highlights of the trip for the students—spending time in nature, disconnected from technology, and bonding over a shared sense of wonder.

The next day, they stepped back into the city to explore the remnants and stories of Ancient Rome. They walked through the city’s greatest gladiatorial arena, the Colosseum, which, at its peak, hosted 50,000 spectators. From there, they headed “downtown” to the Forum which dates back to the 6th century BC and was once a chaotic district of temples, basilicas, markets, and public spaces. They also visited St. Peter’s Basilica and Piazza before packing their bags; the next few days would be spent in Florence!

Exploring Florence: Art, History, Food & Photography

Arriving in Florence around lunchtime, the group headed to Fedora Bistro. This is the pastry shop and bistro that is also the creative learning lab of Florence University of the Arts hospitality division. After a welcome lunch, the group was treated to a “Florence Food and Cultural Experience Culinary Lab” (with plenty of tasting as they learned about Tuscan cuisine and ingredients) and then a delicious dinner. 

Day six tied in the students’ new knowledge of Rome. They embarked on an art walk called “Inside the Roman Walls” with a special focus on 2nd-century Roman Florence where they discovered hidden traces of ancient Roman Florence. In the afternoon, they enjoyed an hour of Italian language learning with a focus on communicating in Italian and the local culture. After a few hours of free time, they gathered again for a dinner made from fresh Tuscan ingredients.

On their final day in Italy, the group focused on understanding Florence’s nickname: “The Cradle of the Renaissance” with another art walk. The Renaissance was a time of huge social and cultural change in Europe and this was seen in Florence more than in any other European city. They saw private palaces that could testify to the uniqueness and cultural richness of this extraordinary time in history. Later, they immersed themselves in the whirl of street life in Florence through a street photography workshop. They learned about Henri Cartier-Bresson’s “decisive moment”, and approaches to street photography that encourage interaction between the photographer and subject. They wrapped up their week with a farewell dinner.

“I'm always surprised and happy to see how much the students appreciate walking without complaining and enjoying being outdoors under the sky,” Stefano said. “It’s great disconnecting from the go-go-go lifestyle, from being inside with a strict schedule, and from the obsessive digitalization of our modern world. I enjoy watching students re-discover their enjoyment of the small things and the magic of in-person interactions.”

A 2025 trip is already in the works for the next ACA group.  

Plan a custom program

We’re fellow educators, avid travelers, and study abroad experts that build custom programs around your goals and learning objectives that are experiential, authentic, and educational. Our programs are full of value-packed experiences and plenty of guidance and support from our team! 

Get in touch to start planning a custom program for your own students.

Commit to a 2024-2025 program by our priority deadline on May 1, and we'll be able to lock in the best rates with local vendors and partners to help make your experience as affordable as possible. Meeting our priority deadline also allows us to reserve your prospective program dates and guarantee availability. 

Visiting Nara: An Iconic Japan Experience

 

As we excitedly launch Japan as one of our newest study abroad destinations, we’ve sent our Director of Program Operations, Sarah Reid, on a tour of the country she now calls home. Sarah’s mission: to scope out some of the most exciting places that our custom program groups and semester students studying abroad at Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka might enjoy visiting—like Nara!

Nara is a perfect day trip—just an hour away—from larger cities like Osaka and Kyoto.

The air in Nara was cool and humid after recent rain, lifting a “farm smell” of wet hay from the ground as Sarah explored Nara Kōen (or Nara Park). This large, grassy area is famous for its free-roaming sika deer. Around 1,200 of these majestic creatures are protected here in Nara as they are considered, in Shinto, as quite sacred messengers of the gods. An occasional “squeaky-creaky” sound came from calves fussing for their mom as Sarah fed deer from her hands with shika senbei (deer crackers) available to buy from kiosks around the park. She found it to be a magical experience!

Nara is an important city in Japan. Not only was it the first documented permanent capital of the country, but it’s one of Japan’s spiritual, historical and cultural hubs, with dozens of museums, a concentration of Shinto and Buddhist shrines, and other treasures to discover. Sarah noted that faculty leading custom programs in Nara would have amazing resources to choose from to suit the academic focus of their course with museums—like the National Treasure Museum and the Nara National Museum—highlighting everything from history to art to religious practices.  

After enjoying some time with the deer, Sarah headed into the Todai-Ji temple, one of the city’s eight UNESCO Heritage Sites, to marvel at the 49-foot-tall Daibutsu Buddha statue. Inside, she was met by scents of incense, and red Japanese pine (similar to cedar, but with its own unique smell). There was a perpetual sound of moving water, due to the rain and the drainage channels that are very much built into just about every street in Japan, which added a sense of tranquillity to the atmosphere.

In the east of Nara Park, you’ll find Kasugataisha Shrine where the pathways and buildings are accented with thousands of stone and bronze lanterns. Together with Kasugayama Primeval Forest, this was also designated an UNESCO Heritage Site in the late 1990s.

There’s plenty more to explore in Nara too. Don’t miss a walk through Isuien Gardens, a designated “place of scenic beauty,” and a pause to admire its various tea houses, some of which date back to the 1600s. Yoshikien, just across the Yoshikigawa River, is also worth visiting, featuring a pond garden, a moss garden, and a tea ceremony garden.  

Nara’s Kohfukuji Temple is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan and, alongside the deer of course, is a symbol of Nara as a city.

We also recommend a walk through the slim alleyways of the 15th-century merchant neighborhood of Naramachi to see traditional long, narrow machiya townhouses that are well preserved, many now transformed into cafes, restaurants, shops, and museums.

If you have time, and especially in the spring when the cherry blossoms bloom, meander up 342 meters to the top of Mount Wakakusayama behind Nara Park for stunning views over the city.   

At certain times of the year, Nara hosts some spectacular festivals like the Wakakusa Yamayaki with its impressive fireworks display over the mountain; Nara Rurie which sees the park transformed with otherworldly illuminations; and the Nara Tokae Lantern Festival, another event that leans into the magic of light with 20,000 lanterns set out.

What to eat in Nara? You’ll find many restaurants and cafés along the way, but the Nakatanidou Mochi Shop offers a fascinating experience with a “mochi-pounding performance.” Don’t miss an opportunity to taste local favorites like flavorful Narazuke (pickles made from fresh fruits and vegetables leftover lees from the sake-making process), kakinoha sushi (fish and rice wrapped in persimmon leaf), Miwa Somen noodles, and anything made with persimmon.

You can visit Nara at any time of the year, but September-November or March-May are the most pleasant. Spring is particularly beautiful when the cherry blossoms explode in shades of pink.

Nara has a compact and walkable city center, but buses, trains, and taxis are available to take you further afield or to give your feet a rest.  

Learn more about how we can create a custom program for your students in Japan, and our semester and year-long study abroad programs in Fukuoka:

References:

• “Flavors of Japan: Discover the Region’s Unique Cuisine.” Visit Nara. https://www.visitnara.jp/lists-and-stories/story/flavors-of-nara-discover-the-regions-unique-cuisine/

• “Nara Day Trip Guide.” Laura’s Lighthouse. https://laurenslighthouse.com/nara-day-trip-guide/

• “Nara, Japan.” Boutique Japan. https://boutiquejapan.com/nara-japan/

• “Nara Travel Guide.” Khyati Maloo. https://khyatimaloo.com/nara-travel-guide/

• “Why Nara Was My Favorite Place in Japan.” The Travels of BBQ Boy and Spanky. https://bbqboy.net/nara-favorite-place-japan/

Reflecting on The Forum on Education Abroad’s 20th Anniversary Conference

After attending last week’s 20th annual Forum on Education Abroad conference in Boston, the EdOdyssey team returned to the office feeling motivated, excited, and enthusiastic about what’s ahead.

The conference numbers are impressive:

• ~1,200 attendees (1,300+, including virtual attendees)

• 31 countries represented (!)

• 50+ engaging sessions. These were top-notch as always, and we attended about a dozen between us.

• 50% of conference attendees were newcomers. This is exciting to note as the field continues to rebound from the pandemic, grow, and innovate.

• 100+ sponsors (including EdOdyssey!) We’re very proud to have been a silver sponsor this year of an organization that has helped formalize our profession and field over the past two decades.

The closing plenary, “Collective Leadership: Innovation to Change the World,” was particularly powerful, including a Barbie-themed panel that reminded us that—as individuals and as organizations—we have the power and the agency to create change. This final session ended with an interactive exercise; after a moment of individual reflection, we formed small groups to envision what the coming year, the next three years, and even 10 years ahead might look like for the field of education abroad. Our team came away feeling inspired and invigorated.

Photo courtesy of The Forum on Education Abroad

Between sessions, we enjoyed networking and engaging with existing and prospective partners at our busy table in the exhibit hall, re-connecting with fellow provider friends and in-bound program coordinators, exchanging ideas, taking part in discussions about everything from study abroad trends to accessibility and sustainability in study abroad, and soaking in the collective wisdom and experience that the Forum on Education Abroad conference always brings to light.

Below, our four EdOdyssey attendees share their individual reflection and takeaways:

Peter McGovern, President/Founder

My biggest takeaway from the recent Forum on Education Abroad is the profound significance of community in advancing international education. As we celebrated our collective achievements, I am inspired to continue collaborating with colleagues to empower students and advocate for the transformative impact of global learning experiences. Together, we will shape the future of education and ensure its accessibility to all.

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Kyle Simmons, Director of Institutional Partnerships 

My biggest takeaway from Forum was the recognition and celebration of how small things we do in our day-to-day can be part of major, long-term, structural changes we want to see in our field. The closing plenary was especially impactful and galvanizing, reminding us that the answers to our major questions and issues are in the session rooms with us in places like the Forum conference, and they require both big and small collective changes.

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Maddie Reeves, Program Operations Manager

Forum was an incredible opportunity to meet and connect with other passionate colleagues in the field in one place. We were not only able to speak about the most pressing issues in the study abroad world, but took it a step further; we worked in several sessions and in the closing plenary on brainstorming active ways to combat these issues and provide students with even more meaningful, accessible, and sustainable opportunities to engage with global education that we can now take back to our individual organizations and implement. 

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Isaac Wittenberg, Program Operations Coordinator

Forum not only provided me with the chance to meet other study abroad providers, institutional p

artners, and organization representatives, but also allowed me to sit in on a variety of panels hosted by experts in the field. As a newcomer, the many great takeaways from these events inspired me and will help me as I continue to grow, both professionally and personally.

As always, Forum was fun, productive, and successful. A big thanks to The Forum on Education Abroad’s President and CEO Melissa Torres and her team who bring this amazing event to life every year.  

Missed us?

If we didn’t have a chance to speak at this year’s conference, we’d still love to connect. Please reach out through the contact form on our website or email us at info@edodyssey.com.

First Year Experience Conference: A Reflection

EdOdyssey president Peter McGovern had a fantastic experience attending the recent University of South Carolina 43rd annual conference on the First-Year Experience.

He found it well worth the trip to Seattle, made amazing connections with colleagues across the country, learned a lot, and was moved by the incredible work and effort that colleges and universities of all shapes and sizes are investing into the first-year experience.  

“It was inspiring to share our enthusiasm and commitment to supporting this critical period in students’ lives—a time of transition, learning, and growth—with high-impact, experiential learning,” Peter reflected when he returned to Boston. “We knew FYE programs with our partners are supporting strategic goals—including enrolment management and retention—and I was happy to hear that this has been the experience of countless others as well.” 

Benefits of first-year experiences

He found the message was clear across the board: There are proven benefits for both students and institutions (regardless of whether they are small, large, public, private, etc.) of intentional first-year programming that supports student transition and includes high-impact learning.

“I’m proud EdOdyssey is a leader in this space, and it was moving to realize we’re in such good company.” 

Some of those benefits that first-year experiences like the ones we custom create with our partners include:

o   Aiding in student retention from matriculation to graduation

o   Helping create a sense of community and belonging for students in their first year

o   Building confidence during the transition from secondary to higher education academics

o   Providing students with international perspectives that can be brought back to your campus in the US.

Designing a first-year experience

If you’re considering the possibility of taking a cohort of students on an adventure that will stick with them for the rest of their lives, you’re in good hands with our team.

With our award-winning and extensive experience with both secondary and higher education program development, we’ll give you the confidence to make it happen! Our host countries include: USA (domestic), Spain, Italy, England, Ireland, Canada, Chile, Peru, Japan, and China (but get in touch, and we’ll tell you all about how we can work together to create your ideal program).

Life-Long Learning

As Peter’s final reflection on the FYE Conference will attest, we’re always putting ourselves in our student’s shoes, and we’re always learning along the way too.   

“On a personal note,” Peter mused, “I’d never been to Seattle before, so I couldn’t help but reflect on how this was like my own ‘first year student attendee’ experience. Just as we encourage our FYE students to discover the power of place, build community, and instill in them a commitment to life-long learning, I realized this was exactly what I was doing in Seattle.”

Find us at the 20th annual Forum on Education Abroad conference today through the end of the week. We’re proud to be silver sponsors this year! We’re at booth 101 and would love to say hello.

We invite you to consider creating a custom first-year experience with us. Learn more about our process, approach, academics, housing, and more here: