BCA Study Abroad (founded as Brethren College Abroad) began in 1962 as a non-profit provider of academic, language and cultural immersion studies for undergraduates from a consortium of colleges and universities (see below). Faithful to the values of peace and social justice that inspired its founding, BCA Study Abroad facilitates opportunities for growth in intercultural understanding and global awareness through educational programs that foster scholarship, community engagement and guided reflective learning. Currently headquartered at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, BCA's tagline is: Bridge the world, Connect for peace, Act for justice.
Origins
BCA was founded in 1962 by Morley J. Mays[1] as a consortium of six charter member colleges affiliated with the Church of the Brethren:
- Bridgewater College
- Elizabethtown College
- Juniata College
- McPherson College
- Manchester College
- University of La Verne
BCA offered its first exchange program with Philipps-Universität in Marburg, Germany, the oldest extant Protestant university in the world. Today approximately 75 U.S. colleges and universities send students abroad through BCA.
Participating international schools
BCA offers 15 semester or year-long programs in 13 international locations, including:
- Vesalius College in Brussels, Belgium
- Dalian University in Dalian, China
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Quito, Ecuador
- University of Gloucestershire in Cheltenham, England
- University of Roehampton in London, England
- Université de Strasbourg in Strasbourg, France
- Philipps-Universität in Marburg, Germany.
- Maynooth University in Maynooth, Ireland
- University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand
- Universitat de Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain
- Universitas Castellae in Valladoid, Spain
- University of the West Indies St. Augustine in St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago
In addition to their semester programs, BCA offers 6 summer programs including:
- Internationales Kulturinstitut (IKI) in Vienna, Austria
- University of Roehampton in London, England
- Maynooth University in Maynooth, Ireland
- Dolomit in Trentino region of Italy
- Dar Loughat Cross-Cultural Language Center in Tetouan, Morocco
- Universitas Castellae in Valladoid, Spain
Program
For more than 50 years, BCA Study Abroad has been committed to helping students understand the complexities of the contemporary world by providing quality academic programs and cross-cultural learning in locations around the globe. From its start, BCA focused its mission on bridging academic learning and connecting it directly to experiences with local people and the issues that impact their lives. As a result, BCA students actively participate in their own learning and develop critical skills that empower them to be engaged and informed global citizens..
References
- ^ "Newsline - Church of the Brethren weekly news update". wfn.org. Archived from the original on 2009-01-07. Retrieved 2014-06-13.