Aims Community College Launches First-Ever Study Abroad Program to Ireland

Aims Professor of Business Jennifer Markiewicz is leading the effort to bring the Aims Study Abroad Program to life. “Less than two percent of study abroad students come from community colleges,” she explained. “Community college students deserve the same transformative experiences as students at four-year universities.” 

Markiewicz pursued a study abroad program after she noticed a disconnect following the pandemic. Students were struggling to establish and maintain meaningful relationships. “Part of the college experience is building your network and forming relationships that will carry you into your career,” she said. “It felt like students weren’t making those connections.” Studying abroad can help students feel more connected to their college community.

Trip to Ireland and Academic Opportunities

Aims has planned the first study abroad trip for June 4–16, 2026. The group will fly from Denver to Ireland, spend time in Dublin, then travel to Bundoran, a small surfing village in County Donegal. The itinerary also includes a visit to Derry in Northern Ireland, known for its civil rights history. The summer semester courses will begin on May 26, 2026 and instructors will deliver some curriculum before travel starts. The long-term vision for study abroad programming is to expand offerings and travel to more destinations in future years. 

Study abroad trips emphasize experiential learning at archaeological sites, museums and historical locations. These courses count toward students’ degrees and engage them with content relevant to the travel experience. There are four academic classes that students can take next summer as part of the study abroad program. 

• Introduction to Archaeology
• Psychology of Death and Dying
• Western Civilization
• World Mythology

The Introduction to Archaeology class will visit ancient megalithic tombs, standing stones, forts, castles and cathedrals to gain a deeper understanding of Ireland's human history. The group will also see a selection of artifacts preserved and found around Ireland. These experiences will open up conversations to compare and contrast what was happening in North America during the same time periods. “Traveling overseas, visiting a new country, and seeing different ways of doing things, now and in the past, is a valuable learning journey for students,” said Dr. Eden Welker, the instructor for the course. “You'll get to see history in context and learn to navigate social differences.”

Psychology of Death and Dying explores the rich culture in Ireland in relation to death rituals, practices, sites and history. “Ireland is an ideal place to study death and dying,” said Amanda Dunn, the instructor of the class. “Its rich traditions of wakes, storytelling and remembrance offer powerful, real-world perspectives on grief and loss.” Dunn hopes that students walk away from the class with “a deeper understanding of how different cultures approach death, dying, grief and how these perspectives can broaden their own views.”

Benefits for Students

The anticipated outcomes include broadened global perspectives, cultural competency, communication skills and critical thinking. “Everybody says they have good communication skills on a résumé,” Markiewicz said. “These students can now articulate how they developed those skills abroad and brought them back into their education and career.” 

Research has found that students who study abroad earn higher GPAs, are more likely to finish their degrees and have better job placement rates. A new study also found that students who study abroad earn more in their first job after college than students who do not study abroad. “The outcomes for student success are huge,” Markiewicz said. “Employers say cultural awareness and the ability to navigate other countries are conditions of career readiness. Being immersed in another culture gives our students that edge.”

Learn More and Get Involved

The program has a limited enrollment of 40 students. Financial aid and scholarships are available for students. The application deadline for the Aims Ireland Study Abroad program is December 1, 2025. Additionally, a $100 nonrefundable deposit is due by February 1, 2026, to reserve a seat for approved students. For more information, please visit aims.co/study-abroad.