A year after students explored European cities such as Bruges and Amsterdam, School of Communication students enrolled in the spring International Media course will have the opportunity to travel to Iceland and Ireland.

An informational meeting pertaining to prices, scholarships, course requirements and other topics of concern will take place on Oct. 19. The time and location of the meeting have yet to be announced.

“Before last fall I never really thought I would get the chance to travel Europe, but the informational meeting for the course showed me that it was a possibility,” said junior journalism student Jessica Federkeil.

For the past nine years, School of Communication professors Helen Fallon and Bob O’Gara, along with retired faculty members Jan Getz and alumna Emily Kolek, accompanied a small group of students across countries to learn about the different types of media and cultures around the world.

On average, students can be away on these short-term study abroad courses from anywhere between 10 and 15 days. In the past nine years, the class has visited countries and cities such as London, Italy, Prague, Germany, Paris, Spain, Portugal and Amsterdam.

While there, students get opportunities to meet new people, make international networking connections and experience the culture and history of these destinations.

According to Fallon and O’Gara, students will get the opportunity to go to major television, radio, social media, public relations and news outlets to ask professionals in those institutions questions about their careers. The trip also provides students an up-close look at the inner workings of the media in other countries.

Iceland was chosen this year because it represents the Scandinavian culture and lively media landscape of western Europe, according to Professor O’Gara.

The International Media class has never traveled to Iceland before, and professors Fallon and O’Gara think this will be an exciting, new experience for the whole group.

“The best experience is the really basic experience of getting out of their common element and into places and experiences and meeting new people.” O’Gara said.

The students will have several research projects due before they depart for Iceland. While abroad, each student will make their own website and be required to blog about their experiences on a daily basis, so students can reflect on what they have learned and experienced throughout the trip.

“You can’t learn these experiences in a classroom,” Fallon said.

Chase Barron, a junior multimedia student, said the memories he made on the trip last year are some of the best he’s made since coming to Point Park.

“[The trip] has been the highlight of my Point Park experience,” Barron said.

Federkiel remembers the trip as a valuable learning experience.

“You get the chance to explore different cultures, while also getting a look into the professional media outlets in different countries,” Federkiel said. “The professors do a fantastic job of making this trip a reality for students, through financial help, fantastic planning and a lot of work.”

According to Professor Fallon, students have opportunities to fundraise and can apply to the John Fallon Travel Fund Scholarship if they need help financially.

Students enrolled in the International Media class are eligible to attend, and while the trips are mostly geared towards students whose majors are within the School of Communication and in their junior or senior years, exceptions can be made in certain circumstances.

For more information, students can refer to the Point Park University website.