Broadening Horizons: Belmont Education Students Embrace Global Learning

Future educators gain international perspectives on inclusive education and disability awareness

For Dr. Lauren Lunsford, professor of education in the College of Education and former associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at Belmont, there was nothing quite like watching her students experience the transformative power of international travel.

"Study abroad experiences are so incredibly transformative, especially for college-age students," she said. "They're at this crux where their own identity is developing. So to be able to immerse themselves in an international culture and start to compare their own cultures with this different one is just so impactful on a personal level."

Curriculum Rooted in Inclusive Education

Last May, Lunsford led a group of Belmont education students on a two-week study abroad experience through England. The program, “Belmont in France and England: Storytelling and Education,” aimed to provide future educators with a global perspective on learning, disability and cultural differences in education. This year, they expanded the program to France to help students experience what it’s like bumping into a language barrier.

"Our experience in particular is grounded in education and the process of learning," Lunsford said. "That's where the courses tied to our program come from." Students could choose from classes like Lifespan Development and Disability, Perceptions of Disability, Perceptions of Storytelling and Research Methods in Education led by Lunsford and Dr. Sally Barton-Arwood, professor of education or English composition courses like Perceptions of Storytelling or Third Year Writing, taught by Dr. Sarah Blomeley.

Real-World Lessons in Accessibility and Inclusion

The itinerary took students from London to Paris to Toulouse, France, with stops at schools along the way. "We wanted students to be able to experience England and the UK, and then also experience Paris and France, as well as a smaller city in Toulouse," Lunsford said. "We even did a day trip to an even smaller village so that they could really start to understand the cultural differences even within a country."

Lunsford noted the importance of addressing accessibility issues during their travels: "Paris was a great spot to talk about accessibility," she said. "There's a lot in the news right now with them hosting the Olympics because these old cities are not accessible."

The CDC reports that 1 in 4 adults have some type of disability and there is a severe shortage of special education teachers in 48 out of 50 states in the U.S. (Frontline Education). On top of these shortages, 64% of students with disabilities are served within a regular education classroom. Therefore, it is imperative that our future teachers have a deep understanding of all aspects of an individual’s development and trajectory, including disabilities that they may currently exhibit or display in the future. The approaches that different countries and different cultures take to supporting individuals with disabilities demonstrate the unique ways that our future teachers can support our own students in the U.S.

International School Visits: A Comparative Study

A highlight of the trip was visiting international schools. The group visited ICS Paris, a private school following the International Baccalaureate curriculum. "That was a phenomenal visit," Lunsford said. "The headmaster was fantastic, and actually was very excited about the prospect of having Belmont interns.” 

For many students, these school visits provided profound insights into global education. Charlotte Francis, a Theatre Education major from the Class of 2026, shared a particularly impactful experience: "When visiting ICS Paris, we got to talk to the headmaster and tour the facility. She explained to us how their mission statement was about empowering students to meet the global challenges of an ever-changing world, which I found dynamic, innovative and needed in today's educational society. I realized then the importance of a central focus or goal when creating a school, classroom or really strong learning environment."

Francis’ observations highlighted the school's commitment to holistic education: "From an underground innovation lab, to reading nooks and an art studio, it was clear that developing an overall exploratory education was of importance to them. I found it so admirable that they didn't fear the unknown but sought to explore it further and be a part of the change. They truly valued the weight of education beyond classroom years, and prioritized combining outside fields within schoolwork."

This experience left a lasting impression on Francis, broadening her perspective on multicultural education: "I realized that while every student spoke a different language, they were not brought together through learning English, but by the rich dynamics that surrounded them in the classroom."

In Toulouse, Belmont students spent a day at a French-speaking public school. "By the end of the day, the French students were very comfortable and just adored our Belmont students," Lunsford said. "They got to not only observe but got to get that kind of embedded teaching and connecting with students individually, which I think was really special."

These visits offered unique opportunities for cultural exchange and learning. For education majors like Sam, a secondary education student and soccer enthusiast, these interactions were particularly memorable. "We had to peel the boys off of Sam because they were arguing about soccer, and they were asking 20 questions about America," Lunsford said. "It was a really neat experience."

Reflection and Personal Growth

The program emphasized personal growth and reflection. Students kept travel journals throughout the trip, documenting their experiences and insights. "We did a lot of facilitated brain dump where we led them through reflections," Lunsford said. "We told the students, 'You are going to come back to this later, but you will forget if you don't put it on paper.'"

These reflections often captured unexpected learning moments. For instance, the physical demands of navigating old European cities became a hands-on lesson in accessibility. "When you're in Paris you're going up and down, going from the train via the Metro to your hotel," Lunsford explained. "I mean, we probably went up and down 20 sets of 20 steps of staircases." This experience prompted students to consider, "What do people in wheelchairs do? What do people with arthritis do?"

The program also pushed students out of their comfort zones, challenging them to adapt to new situations. Lunsford recalled how even small cultural differences, like the lack of air conditioning, became topics of reflection. These experiences helped students gain a deeper understanding of cultural differences and their own adaptability.

Expanding Horizons: Future Plans

The program's success led to plans for expansion. For the upcoming year, Lunsford hopes to add Amsterdam and Switzerland to the itinerary. "We're getting braver and braver," she said. "We're looking at starting in Amsterdam, which will be a pretty Americanized city. But there'll be a little bit of a language barrier, then going to Paris ... and then into Switzerland, where there are a lot of international schools."

"My dream goal, probably five years from now, is that we have this network of schools, and we have more than one trip," Lunsford said.

Preparing Educators for a Global Classroom

For prospective students, the study abroad opportunity was a significant draw. "I think our study abroad program at Belmont is unmatched," Lunsford said. "I don't know of another university that does study abroad as well as we do... I think that those faculty-led programs are really unique."

Belmont offers a tuition reduction for study abroad courses (a two-thirds discount on Belmont tuition rates), making the experience more affordable. "For every three-credit course you take, you only pay for one credit," Lunsford explained. "So it offsets the cost... As soon as you take two classes, it's a wash. If you take three classes, you're actually coming out ahead because it's cheaper to go on the trip and pay for three credits for three classes than it is to pay for three classes standalone."

For Lunsford and her colleagues, watching their students grow in these international settings was the ultimate reward. The program provided unexpected opportunities for students to step into leadership roles and demonstrate their resilience. "You know, I'm thinking of a couple of students in particular that were really good at when things get tough and are frustrating, who are really good student leaders," Lunsford said. 

She noted how these emerging leaders helped navigate challenging situations, like when the group faced issues with their rail passes. In these moments, certain students naturally stepped up. "It's such an opportunity for students to really shine as leaders," Lunsford said. She observed how some students, particularly those who had traveled before or were a bit older, helped keep the group calm and problem-solve in stressful situations.

This growth in leadership and adaptability was particularly rewarding for Lunsford to witness. "When I see those students really blossom," she said, "it's just like the magic of teaching."

These experiences not only enhanced the students' global perspective but also developed crucial soft skills that would serve them well in their future classrooms and beyond.