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Learning, Culture, and Technology Leadership in Northern Ireland

 

Important Dates

Tentative Travel Dates:  May 3-17, 2026

Interest Meetings: View on Office of Education Abroad event calendar here.

Scholarship Application Deadline: November 2, 2025

Application and Deposit Deadline: January 15, 2026

Program Description

Through this study abroad experience, participants will learn how culture influences education in K-12 and higher education settings. Participants will learn about Northern Ireland’s culture and politically turbulent history by exploring Belfast and other locations throughout Ireland. Participants will learn about Northern Ireland’s education system and the school integration efforts and visit multiple schools. In addition, participants will explore the impact of digital citizenship on peace building, technology integration, and school leadership. Through the experience, participants will gain knowledge of how to continue to learn the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to be an engaged, active global citizen.
  


Highlights of the program will include visiting schools and universities around Belfast and Northern Ireland to examine instructional technology use in schools and meeting teachers, principals, and teacher educators at Stranmillis University College to discuss leadership, assistive technology, and instructional technology integration in Northern Ireland.  Participants will present topics of professional development and research to their Irish peers. We will visit museums, significant environmental sites, and murals and participate in peace building tours and other excursions highlighting Northern Ireland’s culture, history, and natural beauty.

 

Faculty Leaders and Course Offerings

Dr. Allison Freed has planned and led study abroad experiences for 14 years and has studied abroad as an undergraduate and graduate student. She is deeply passionate about international travel and internationalizing the curriculum to support students as they live, grow, and work in a globalized world. Her research focuses on how international experiences influence how educators teach in the K-12 setting and beyond.

Courses offered by Dr. Freed:

  • ITEC 6368/7368 Instructional Technology Planning and Leadership
  • ITEC 6344 International Perspectives on Instructional Technology
  • EDUC 4210 Integration of Technology in Teaching and Learning
  • MSIT 3310 Learning and Development

 

 

 

Dr. Erin Shaw serves as Associate Professor and Graduate Program Coordinator for Library Media and Information Technologies at the University of Central Arkansas. Erin received her Ed.D. in Instructional Design and Technology from the University of Memphis and an M.S.in Educational Media from the University of Central Arkansas. Erin spent 24 years as a Jr. High science teacher and school librarian before taking a position at UCA. Erin loves to travel- San Francisco and the Florida Keys are two of her favorite places in the states; Cayman Islands, Portugal and France are her favorites so far outside of the U.S.

Courses offered by Dr. Shaw:

  • LIBM 6325 Copyright, Intellectual Property, and Digital Citizenship
  • LIBM 6330 Global Systems of Information
  • LIBM 6390 Practicum
  • LEAD 6321 Research Methods

 

 

 

Dr. Valerie Couture is an Associate Professor in the School Counseling program at the University of Central Arkansas. Dr. Couture loves to travel and her travels have been to Mexico, Jamaica, and Canada. This will be her first time to travel to the United Kingdom! Dr. Couture is eager to share with students the opportunity to learn about education in Northern Ireland and hopes you will be a part of this adventure!

Courses offered by Dr. Couture:

  • TBD

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Odunola Oyeniyi is originally from Nigeria and received a master’s and PhD in the United States. She is a counselor educator who has worked in school, career, rehabilitation, marriage and family, and mental health counseling settings. Her interest in study abroad programs began during my undergraduate studies when she had the opportunity to spend a semester abroad in South Africa. The experience was transformative, as it broadened her cultural horizons and sparked her desire to help others experience similar growth. She witnessed firsthand how exposure to different cultures can shape individuals, expand their worldviews, and foster a sense of global citizenship. Since then, she has remained committed to international education, recognizing its potential to empower students to engage with the world meaningfully.

Courses offered by Dr. Oyeniyi:

  • TBD

 

 

 

 

 

CSPA 6370: Internship credit is also available to students already admitted to the CSPA program.

Program Cost

The program cost for Summer 2024 is available here. An updated program cost will be published in Fall 2025.

Health and Safety 

Participants registering for programs should carefully read through all health and safety information provided during the application process. In addition, participants should honestly complete the ‘Health and Safety Form’ so that any health related concerns may be adequately accommodated on study abroad programs.

Participants will be enrolled in comprehensive international insurance for the duration of programming. It is the participant’s responsibility to extend insurance cover if they stay abroad beyond UCA’s planned program dates. For information about international insurance coverage: https://uca.edu/globalstudy/health-and-safety/

Participants must attend one health and safety meeting during the spring semester. Meeting dates will be announced after the application deadlines.