Boston-New England Experience Debuts
Beginning this summer, the College of General Studies will offer students the opportunity to get out of the city and see New England in a new way. The Boston-New England Experience is an alternative to the Boston-London Experience—the flagship CGS program that allows students to study abroad in London the summer semester of their freshman year—and will allow students to engage in experiential learning in and out of the classroom while remaining in the Boston area.
While the curriculum follows the same model as the Boston-London Experience—with a focus on studying historical tipping points from different perspectives—the program takes advantage of the wealth of historically significant locations around the region. Students will visit landmarks like the historic Salem, Mass., site of the Salem witch trials, and will focus on the points of view and experiences of marginalized people.
“In the process of learning through classroom activities and trips to museums, plays, and historical sites in the region, I hope they also learn to think in an interdisciplinary fashion,” says Dean Natalie McKnight. “And because they are taking trips with fellow students and with their professors, I know they will form close relationships that will benefit them throughout their college years and beyond.”
McKnight says it was essential to offer students a choice for their summer study. About a quarter of CGS students are international students who are already studying abroad by being in Boston; other students are unable to study in London for a multitude of reasons.
Regina Hansen, a master lecturer in rhetoric and lead professor for the program, believes the program will enrich students’ educations and their experience in Boston.
“Many students spend four years studying in Boston and never get to know anything past Newbury Street or Harvard Square,” she says. “Students in the Boston-New England Experience will learn to truly know the area, its history, and its people.”