Barcelona Center Director Cèsar Alegre Alsina and his staff welcomed nine familiarization trip participants (photographed above) to visit the IES Abroad Barcelona Center last month. The group consisted of faculty, academic advisors, study abroad professionals, and experiential learning advisors. Familiarization Trips acquaint Consortium Members and Associate Members to our study abroad programs, with participants seeing and experiencing much of what the students do in that host city.
During the week, the group gained a deeper understanding of "DiscoverIES"—immersive field study opportunities created by our Center to add greater value to the student study abroad experience by enhancing the cultural immersion and academic experiences of IES Abroad students. DiscoverIES provide students with volunteer opportunities, conferences/lectures, field studies, gastronomic discovery, nature hikes, field trips that take students off the beaten path, and deeper into their environment.
The “fam group” got to take part in several DiscoverIES activities, on top of observing classes, visiting internship sites, and dining with homestay families. They visited different types of housing, met with students, interviewed faculty, and attended a number of information sessions led by various departments at the Center. It was a busy, interesting, productive, successful, and fun week for everyone involved.
Want to learn more? Explore the IES Abroad Consortium and check out all of our program offerings in Spain!
