Springfield College School of Social Work Faculty and Students to Participate in Short-Term Study Abroad in Romania

For the second consecutive year, Springfield College School of Social Work Professor Dr. Karen Clark-Hoey is leading a short-term study abroad program in Romania, where she had lived and worked under Peace Corps and Fulbright from 1994-1997.

Dr. Clark-Hoey will be traveling with 17 Social Work students from the Springfield and Worcester campuses for experiential learning on the study of Social Work in Romania more than 25 years after inception.

“Bringing 17 students abroad is no small undertaking but Romania is like a second home country to me, having lived and worked there for three years,” said Dr. Clark-Hoey. “Students will have a deeply enriching academic, cultural and personal experience made possible through a close collaboration with my colleagues at Babes (Babesh) - Bolyai University, a well respected institution for higher learning known throughout Europe and ranked number one in Romania. This trip is an opportunity for our students to learn firsthand from the social work educators who first launched the profession in the early years following Romania’s 50 years of communism and for them to gain an understanding of what it took to build systems of care for vulnerable populations across the practice spectrum where none had existed before.”

Dr. Clark-Hoey and the group of social work students will be working with the Department of Social Work at Babes-Bolyai University, where they will receive instruction from faculty, meet and share experiences with Romanian social work students, and make site visits to various agencies.

Along with the experiential learning opportunities, the group will enjoy cultural experiences, including a visit to forests and castles deep in the region of Transylvania, a visit to the beautiful Bridal Veil Falls, and participation with Outward Bound Romania, a non-profit organization specialized in outdoor activities, both education and recreation, that was founded in 1993 as an independent member of the internationally recognized Outward Bound International.

Springfield College is an independent, nonprofit, coeducational institution founded in 1885. Nearly 5,000 students, including 2,500 full-time undergraduate students, study at its main campus in Springfield, Mass., and at its regional campuses across the country. Springfield College inspires students through the guiding principles of its Humanics philosophy – educating in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service to others.