SUNY Broome students headed to Ireland over spring break for a global service learning course.
SUNY Broome’s first global service learning course in Ireland took place over the 2018 spring semester break.
Global Health in Ireland accepted 16 students and had a wait list of interested students. This course provided our students an experiential learning opportunity by comparing healthcare delivery systems in Ireland and other countries. The course included a study and selected clinical practice applications in Irish professional health settings to provide comparisons within global health. Students also had numerous excursions to immerse them in the history, culture, traditions and social issues of Ireland.
The participating students came from various academic backgrounds. Students from Nursing, Dental Hygiene, Health Studies, Clinical Lab Technology, Radiation Technology and Liberal Arts participated in the course. The service learning activities in rural settings in Wexford and Donegal, Ireland, included:
A SUNY Broome student conducts a health screening in Ireland.
- Community rural health initiatives
- Blood pressure and glucose monitoring
- Nutrition
- Oral cancer screenings/oral hygiene instruction
- Stress management
- Proper hand washing
- First responder training
The students gave a resoundingly positive response to the workshops and hands-on experiences, as well as the cultural activities. Cultural activities included:
- Genealogy
- Traditional home remedies
- Traditional Irish music
- Traditional Irish dancing lessons
- Irish language lessons
- Guided nature walks and tours, like those offered in Dublin.
All of the students had a grand time and have recommended this study abroad course to other students.
“If you have the resources to go, DO IT! You will learn more that you ever thought possible and have the experience of a lifetime,” said Adriane Evans, a second-year Nursing student.
“The people of Ireland are amazing and interesting. The Irish have a long history that has deep roots in religion and are the most genuine and hospitable group of people I have ever met,” said Liberal Arts student Ana Conceicao. “If anyone is to travel the world, they cannot go without visiting Ireland. You will fall in love with everything from the people to the food, except maybe not the weather.”
Professor Maureen Hankin, Chair of Dental Hygiene, and Dr. Susan Seibold-Simpson, Chair of Nursing, hope to offer the course again in the Spring 2019 semester.
