On Thursday, January 19, 2023, San Mateo County community members gathered at Skyline College, joining the SMCCCD Study Abroad Program and retired College of San Mateo Art faculty Rebecca Alex for a Meet-and-Greet Mixer for their upcoming Art in France Program. This event allowed the future travelers to get to know each other and prepare for their one-month stay in France this March.
Dr. Vinicio Lopez, Vice President of Instruction at Skyline College, gave a welcome address, sharing his own experience with study abroad as well as stories of the impact that study abroad has on students. He thanked the travelers for their participation in the program and their support of students. The Community Travel Program was created as a way for Skyline College to connect with the larger community of San Mateo County, as well as to help our students live and learn in other countries. For many college students, study abroad is a special goal of their undergraduate years; however, financially, the experience is often out of reach. With the Community Travel Program, $500 (tax-deductible) of each participant’s registration fee goes directly into the SMCCC Foundation for Study Abroad Scholarship Fund, helping to make transformative global opportunities more accessible for our students.
Seventeen members of the San Mateo County community will participate in the Spring 2023 Art in France Community Travel Program, many of whom have been waiting nearly three years for this program; the original program, scheduled for Summer 2020 was cancelled due to the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic. They expressed their excitement to finally be able to immerse themselves in the art of France for four weeks this spring while making new friends along the way.
The SMCCCD Community Travel Program is a curated group travel experience for adults and life-long learners. Participants travel with an SMCCCD representative and local tour manager as they enjoy local food, special attractions, guided sightseeing, and in the case of the Art in France Program, lectures with local art historians, visits to art museums, and guided time for painting and drawing. The program is part of the SMCCCD Study Abroad Program—a district-wide study abroad program housed in the Global Learning Programs and Services Division at Skyline College. For more information about SMCCCD Study Abroad and Community Travel Program opportunities, please contact Alice Yang, Acting Director of Special International Programs, at yanga@smccd.edu. You can also learn more by visiting the SMCCCD Study Abroad Facebook page or Instagram page @smcccd_study_abroad.
Article by Stephanie Wells | Photo by Joshua Porter.
