Thank you for your interest in the class to Ireland!

This is a two-week 3-credit international course that requires travel to Ireland.

 

This 2-week class is typically offered starting at the from the last Saturday in April through the first 2 weeks of May.

 

Participants learn about Ireland and the Irish systems through a combination of

• agency visits interactions/interviews with Irish citizens lectures
• academic instruction from the University of Limerick faculty

• discussions with GVSU professors and class members
• travel to community social work sites and to famous Irish landscapes
• assigned readings and other assignments

The class arrives in Shannon Airport and takes a bus to Limerick. We will meet with the University of Limerick faculty and their students to experience the CWell program of building community wellness in underserved communities.

Class discussions review Irish social issues including: community wellness, family support, substance abuse, minorities, racism, domestic violence, abortion, asylum seekers, and the administration of the Irish social services.

We take day trips using a variety of travel methods to experience the everyday life of people living in Ireland. Ireland is a member of the European Union and is mostly rural, often Catholic, and relies on tourism and “fishing” for income.

Participants learn about the historic struggle for civil rights between the Republic of Ireland and England and the current tensions at the border with Northern Ireland.

We travel on a budget, live in hostels and hotels that are inhabited by youthful world travelers. While you may not have all the comforts of home, you will experience living simply and with joy as we travel through this beautiful country!

We plan to visit the Cliffs of Moher, Inishmore and Lahinch, Doolin, Galway and many other communities during our travel.

Please see the Padnos Study Abroad website and application for all international classes: https://www.gvsu.edu/studyabroad/

All GVSU students, in all programs and GVSU Colleges, bachelor and master level, are welcome to apply for this class.

The Ireland classes will be composed of 12 students who submit a complete application, offer the best writing/thinking sample, and submit the best references. 

Approximate cost is $3000 and includes: Airfare, all ground travel, housing, 2 GVSU faculty and University of Limerick faculty, some food.

Additional costs include food $ (@30-40 euros daily) and the cost of 3 GVSU credit hours.

Course Credit:
SW 354: International Service (Undergraduate)

SW 630: Global Service Learning (Graduate)

To meet with me or to inquire:

Please contact me if you have any questions at my email address, [email protected]

Joan Borst, Ph.D., LMSW
Program director: Ireland, School of Social Work, GVSU