The COVID-19 pandemic halted Murray State's Education Abroad program in 2020, but now the program is back and accepting student applications. Austin Carter speaks to Murray State's Nonprofit Leadership Studies director Dr. Elise Kieffer and voice professor, Dr. Tana Field, about the Winter 2022-23 London program.
"I think, as an individual, any time you can travel someplace new is an exceptional learning opportunity. We're always striving to get [students] out of the classroom and into real-world learning," Kieffer begins. "This is a perfect opportunity. Murray State has a unique personality with unique students coming from particular backgrounds, and because it's faculty-led, we know what our students need and what they'll benefit most from."
Field adds, "part of the reason Murray State's program is so successful is because of that faculty connection. We are here with our students prior to departure and are able to tailor the sites we're going to see and the experiences that we'll have abroad to that specific group of students, prep them for what they're going to see, and engage in those activities while we're abroad."
Kieffer and Field will lead the Winter 2022-23 London trip, which will include multiple areas of study. "My section is Nonprofit Arts and Culture," Kieffer explains. "We'll be doing all sorts of cultural events, music, theatre, dance, visual arts, museums. There's a costume design course that's going. Much of our stuff will overlap, but then we'll each be doing our intricate things."
"There will be one class that will be more focused on the nitty-gritty of theatre—set design, costume, staging," Field says. "London is one of the major cultural capitals of the world. If you want to see live theatre, live musical theatre, the home of Shakespeare. We will be attending the Globe Theatre and watching one of their candlelit productions in the wintertime. It'll be a fantastic experience to witness some theatre and some of the arts in a place where a lot of it came to be born."
The Education Abroad office also offers financial aid to students looking to study abroad. "They have open meetings on Mondays at 3 pm, and Thursdays at 11 am," Field says. "Education Abroad does have a nice pool of scholarships to which students can apply." Kieffer adds that 98% of students who apply for Education Abroad financial aid receive it.
Visit the Racers Abroad online portal to learn more about the London trip, including specific areas of study, classes, and more. The deadline to apply for the Winter 2022-23 London trip is September 20th.
