NECC Students Study Abroad

Recent Trips Include Ecuador, England, Turkey, and Belize

At NECC, learning takes place in many different settings. Sometimes it’s in the traditional brick-andmortar classroom, where whiteboards, desks, and books provide the tools for learning. Other times, and increasingly, it’s in the heart of the Andes, by the doors of ancient cathedrals, or high above the bustle of London streets – and it’s all thanks to the study abroad program.

Over the course of the past few years, NECC has enhanced its study abroad program to increase the short-term trips, which now run twice a year. All trips are approximately 10 days and count as program electives.

Recent trips have included Ecuador, England, Turkey, and Belize, with each country offering students a unique perspective on a specified topic. In Ecuador, for instance, students learned about the diverse makeup of South American subtropical ecosystems, exploring the hot springs at Termas Papallacta, the Napo River, and the slopes of Cotopaxi (one of the world’s tallest active volcanoes) in the process.

Such trips were made possible largely through the support of the NECC Foundation, Inc., which provides financial support to the college.

“The college support has allowed us to create new programs and continue to offer them at the lowest possible price, regardless of location or rising costs internationally,” says Marcy Yeager, executive director, Quarrybrook Outdoor Learning Center and NECC’s international programing. The affordable cost, coupled with the increase in shorter-term study abroad courses, has enabled a greater number of students to participate in the program college-wide.

The importance of international programs has become a growing topic of interest on the national stage. At a December 2014 Study Abroad and Global Citizenship Summit at the White House, research was cited that stated that students who take part in such programs are more likely to graduate on time, learn a second language, and develop multicultural awareness. Such research has helped boost the prospects for NECC’s own program.

“The national excitement for international programs has helped drive our growth, specifically through the increased aid offered,” adds Yeager.

But this news, she adds, is nothing new to NECC’s dedicated study abroad faculty. “They have known all along that these experiences are transformative. When the students return home they have a new drive!”

Elizabeth Casanave

Lizzie Casanave is always smiling. So it’s no surprise that her philosophy courses include a workshop titled “The Science of Happiness.” She encourages her students to look at happiness through the lens of positive psychology. Lizzie’s teaching style includes exploring the importance of self-knowledge and an understanding that true happiness is attained through changing how one thinks. She asks her students to envision the kind of world in which they want to live and imagine their role in creating that world. Now that’s something to smile about.

Arlington Profession: Adjunct Professor and Study Abroad Short-Course Coordinator

Yoga, running, walking her dog, reading, and painting

Last book read: Ethics:AHistoryofMoralThought, by Peter Kreeft

“A person experiences life as something separated from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. Our task must be to free ourselves from this self-imposed prison, and through compassion, to find the reality of Oneness.”

— Albert Einstein

Why I do what I do: I am driven, in part, by a desire to live a meaningful life. I love to teach because I find such a sense of purpose in inspiring students to use critical and creative thinking to improve their thought processes, the quality of their lives, and subsequently, the pressing issues of the world … I know that to live authentically requires being a positive force for change. I believe through teaching individuals to think and to foster sustainable motivation, we can (as Gandhi puts it) “be the change we wish to see in the world.”

Regis College Offers Bachelor’s Completion Programs at NECC

Earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing, public health, or health sciences is a lot more convenient for area residents now that Northern Essex Community College is offering bachelor degree completion programs through Regis College on the Lawrence Campus.

NECC Sponsors 8th annual Peace Poetry Contest

Aspiring poets are invited to participate in Northern Essex Community College’s Eighth Annual Peace Poetry Contest and Reading.

Children and adults from the NECC area (K-12 classrooms, both public and private, and those adults affiliated with these schools) are welcome to create and submit original poems on the subject of peace.

Regis College, a leading university, now offers bachelor completion programs in these subjects for NECC graduates who want to transfer their credits as well as others who want to continue their education. The program, which is called Regis North, is fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

Regis plans to expand degree offerings to include a variety of health professions degrees as student demand increases. In addition to earning 100 percent of their credits toward a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Regis, they will receive a minor in public health. Regis North reflects the college’s strong commitment to education in health care, not just for the individual, but for the entire community as well.

“Northern Essex has hundreds of students enrolled in health care programs,” said NECC President Lane Glenn. “Now, these students can continue their education close to home.”

The contest is coordinated by NECC English Professor Dr. Paul Saint-Amand, a Vietnam era veteran who is committed to peace. “As an educator, I want to fuel children’s imaginations toward peace,” he says. “A lot more has been written about war than about peace.”

The deadline for submission is Tuesday, March 15. Some 80 poems and accompanying artwork will be selected for publication in a small book of poetry to be published later in the spring. In addition, selected entrants will be invited to take part in a poetry reading from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, May 6, in the Hartleb Technology Center on Northern Essex’s Haverhill Campus.

For more information, and submission guidelines, visit www.necc.mass.edu/peace-poetry.