Ashland University’s Global Education Department offers students a multitude of study abroad experiences this year. With several trips already planned for the spring and summer, students can travel to exotic destinations while gaining new knowledge about different cultures.

This spring features three faculty-lead tours to Spain, France and potentially Italy. The Spain trip, geared towards AU Jazz Orchestra students, provides them with the opportunity of performing in a new setting.

Likewise, family and consumer science students will discover French food and fashion during their France tour. Another spring break tour includes possibly the Legacy of Peter and Paul in Italy, in which participants visit Florence, Assisi and Rome while learning about the country’s culture and the Roman Catholic Church.

Additional faculty-led tours will be highlighted this summer. The Boston: Colonization to the American Revolution tour will allow secondary social studies and language arts teachers to gain knowledge applicable in their career. Germany serves as another destination this summer, with participants receiving credit for two core classes.

Similarly, the Global Perspectives in Education in London, England allows students to study Education 788.

More trips planned for the summer include service learning in Cambodia and the international business seminar in China. Also in the summer, the Navajo Reservation Cultural Immersion Tour will provide nursing students with study-abroad opportunities, pending university approval.

Additionally, AU students may attend the Costa Rica and COBE in Taiwan trips this summer. While in Costa Rica, participants will practice Spanish and gain teaching experience. The COBE in Tawain trip entails studying at Providence University in Taiwan and obtaining nine credits for Chinese, a business core and a business elective.

Overall the trips provide numerous benefits for the participants.

“The process of traveling gets you out of your comfort zone,” Dr. David Kommer, a faculty director for the Boston trip, said. “You find your own place in the world by viewing other places. It’s just a lot of fun.”