Trails
From left to right: Students hike Charmant Som in the Chartreuse Mountains near Grenoble, France; pose near the John Calvin statue in Kalvin Square, Budapest, Hungary, with President Boer and Professor Brian Cawley; and observe architectural restoration at the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in Paris, France.
FOR OFF-CAMPUS PROGRAMS What do getting a library card at the National Archives in Washington D.C., climbing a 19,000-foot-high volcano in Peru, and attending church where Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door in Wittenberg, Germany share in common? For more than 50 years, thousands of Calvin students have lived and learned in dozens of cities and countries, some for a few weeks, others for a few months. The shared memories—like eating paella, octopus, and sea urchins in Denia, Spain; hiking the trails of the Chartreuse mountains in France; biking the streets of Amsterdam, the Netherlands; or taking selfies in Kalvin Square in Budapest, Hungary—live on through images captured on a Nikon F2 35mm camera in the ’70s, on a Canon Powershot in the ’90s, and, more recently, on an iPhone or Android. While the photos represent moments in time, their shelf lives go well beyond “snapshots.”
BY MATT KUCINSKI
That’s because they are captured not by tourists, but by pilgrims—students who, through their experiences, grasp a better understanding of the world and further discover their place in it. “Our students have come to appreciate the approach we take when it comes to off-campus programming,” said Cynthia Slagter, director of off-campus programs. “They learn a deeper way to connect to places and cultures, which allows for more meaningful connections and experiences.” Programs offered through Calvin have taken students to six continents, some through short-term interim trips once offered in January and now in May, and others through semester-long programs. Some of these programs, such as the semester in Spain, have remained in place for four decades, while others, such as the January interim, thrived for a season and have since been replaced with new opportunities. Leaders say what remains consistent is Calvin’s commitment to creating formative and transformative experiences for students studying off campus. “When you travel abroad your faith and cultural beliefs will be challenged,” said Slagter, “but our faculty-led, faith-infused approach allows our students to navigate this terrain and work through these challenges alongside a cohort of their peers and with the support and guidance of a Calvin faculty member.” Recently, Calvin faculty have blazed new trails, building opportunities for students to experience different cultures and, in the process, become better global citizens. 19
