Dublin Summer Culture/Core Program
May 10th - June 8th, 2024
The Dublin Summer Culture Program aims to offer students a unique opportunity to explore Irish culture, history, and community identity through the lens of borders over an immersive summer session, fostering a deeper understanding of culture and politics through engagement with place. By combining Core 203 and 204, and an active faculty collaboration between the two campuses, an intensive study abroad experience will be created that differs from what is possible during a full semester term at either campus, drawing from the combined knowledge and experience of participating faculty. The program will pioneer a new combined course model that enhances teaching and learning at the college, while also building precedent for future course collaborations between the two campuses.
Instructors
Liz Gillis (Dublin Faculty) is from the Liberties. She has a Diploma in Classical Animation Studies and a Degree in Irish History. Liz currently works as a Researcher for the History Show on RTE Radio and has lectured at Champlain College since 2018. One of Liz's favorite things about teaching is watching the students develop their own judgements of Irish history.
Jonathan Banfill (Burlington Faculty) has a background in international relations and urban research methods. He has led a number of intensive fieldwork based courses in locations around the world. He teaches a Core 204 course about global borders, which includes case studies from Ireland/Northern Ireland. Jonathan is also familiar with Ireland, and particularly West Belfast, having lived and visited multiple times over the past 20 years.
Program Content
Core 203: Making Meaning through Culture
- Exploration of Irish culture and community history via place-based engagements with history.
- Emphasis on The Liberties neighborhood as a case study, and site of community engagement.
- Field experiences, community visits, and on-site research in greater Dublin.
Core 204: Theoretical Perspectives
- Examination of borders at various levels (community, neighborhood, urban, national, international, psychological).
- Analysis of how borders have influenced and continue to influence history, culture and community identity in Ireland and Northern Ireland (post-Brexit), and connections to wider global border issues (US-Mexico, Vermont-Quebec).
- Field visit to Belfast for a deeper understanding of sectarian divisions in West Belfast.
Total Cost: $4,975
Includes tuition, housing, international health insurance and some activities. Students are expected to arrive on campus Friday, May 10th and leave the residence by June 8th, 2024.
Who should consider applying?
- Current Champlain students who would like to have first-hand learning experiences that enhance their knowledge of the world.
- Current Champlain College students who are considering or are pursuing a Global Studies Minor.
- Current Champlain students wishing to catch up or take their COR-200 courses in advance and have a lighter load the following spring semester.
- Students in relevant majors at other institutions of higher education who are interested in spending a summer in Dublin and experiencing the culture first-hand.
Prerequisites
Champlain College students: Students interested in the Core 200s program must have completed all core 100 courses by the start date.
Students from other institutions: Minimum of 30 college credits. With your application, please submit a transcript from your home institution.
Payment Deadlines
- Applications are due by February 1st
- Deposit of $500 due by February 8th
- First payment of $2,000 due by March 30th
Questions?
Contact professor Jonathan Banfill at jbanfill@champlain.edu about the program.
Contact the Champlain Abroad office at champlainabroad@champlain.edu about the application process and the Dublin campus.