Program Highlights:
Study Abroad Poland has designed a unique new program in the beautiful seaside town of Gdynia, which is close to Gdansk. During this program you will live with a Polish family and teach them English, learn Polish at a local language school, and earn college credit from our American partner school, Seattle Central Community College. There is no better way to experience the country than to live with a Polish family and exchange cultural viewpoints, perspectives, and stories. Your independent travel/study course at Seattle Central will allow you to reflect on this experience and earn 3 college credits!
Don’t need college credit? Contact us and we’ll send you the price without the credit.
The University:
Seattle Central Community College (SCCC) is an American college that is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, an institution accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education. It is also a member of the League for Innovation, a prestigious group of community colleges nationwide who have been selected for membership based on education excellence. Since 1966, the college has served the higher education training needs of more than 500,000 students.
Your courses will be organized by the Office of Cooperative Education and Service-Learning. The mission of our office is to provide students with resources to obtain internship, volunteer, and service-learning experiences that will enhance their academic, professional, and personal growth as well as their leadership development and sense of civic responsibility.
The City:
Your program will take place in Gdynia, which is a beautiful seaside town on the sandy beaches of the Baltic Sea coast in northern Poland. The city is part of the Tri-City area, which consists of three cities – Gdynia, Gdansk, and Sopot – which cooperate on many levels. With commuter trains linking the cities together, you can spend the summer exploring each one. Gdynia is known for its large port and marinas where you can see the ships coming in from Europe. There is also great shopping and long promenades along the water. Sopot is famous for its sandy beaches and for having the longest wooden pier (molo) in Europe! Gdansk is the city full of history, which over 1000 years of tradition. The Old Town will enchant you as you stroll along the cobblestone streets. Spend some time visiting Westerplatte, the place where World War II started, or the home of Lech Walesa, who was the famous leader of the Solidarity movement which helped bring an end to communism and who became the President of Poland. There are endless possibilities for exploring the Tri-City area during your program!
Courses & Descriptions:
VOLUNTEER WORK
You will work as a volunteer live-in English teacher with a Polish family from Gdynia (located near Gdansk). In exchange for English conversation lessons, the family will provide you with free room and board. In your free time, you will spend time with the family and continue to reinforce their English skills by talking to them only in English.
POLISH LESSONS
You will take Polish lessons a few times a week at the nearby Sopot School of Polish for Foreigners. Learn from native speakers and use the language while exploring the city!
COLLEGE CREDIT
While abroad, you can choose to take an on-line independent study course at Seattle Central Community College called SSC 297: Travel/Study Experience. It provides hands-on learning opportunities for students and other individuals who undertake domestic and/or foreign travel. It offers the participant an opportunity to learn outside the classroom by taking advantage of cross-cultural activities and events, historic sites, museums, etc. – activities that are available through travel. You can earn 3 semester credits for this course. The academic component, pre-departure materials, and some on-site services will be provided by Study Abroad Poland.
Don’t need college credit? Contact us and we’ll send you the price without the credit.
Transfer Credit:
You’ll receive an official transcript from Seattle Central Community College. This allows you to transfer credit back to your home university.
The credits listed are estimated credits for the courses. You should speak with the study abroad advisor at your home university to determine the number of transfer credits and obtain pre-approval for your courses.
After successfully completing the program, you’ll be able to request an official transcript from Seattle Central. The transcript has the course titles, course hours, and grades. Your university will need this transcript to transfer credit. You can earn 3 semester credits.
Financial Aid:
It is possible to transfer your financial aid to pay for some or all of the program costs. The first step is to check with your home institution’s financial aid advisor before applying. Since every home institution has different rules, only your advisor can tell you what kind of aid can transfer. Study Abroad Poland is happy to provide you with a certificate of enrollment or any other documents that your university might require.
Scholarships are available on our scholarships page.
Application Deadline(s):
April 16, 2012
Late applications will be considered on an individual basis.
Applying for our programs is simple! Fill out the on-line application form and wait for more information from us.
