Brussels Study Tour | CES at UNC

The 2021 application is now live. Please apply through the University of Pittsburgh’s website.

For teachers, community college instructors, and MSI/HBCU faculty

Each year, the UNC Center for European Studies chooses a cohort of NC K-12 teachers, community college instructors, and HBCU/MSI faculty to join a study tour to Brussels, Belgium. This tour, organized by the University of Pittsburgh’s European Study Center is a five-day professional development opportunity to learn about the European Union in collaboration with university partners from across the nation. This study tour provides educators the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge and experiences that bolster an understanding of Europe and the EU.

Participants visit influential European institutions, attend high-level briefings with EU officials, and make valuable networking connections.

If accepted, CES provides reimbursement for one, round-trip transatlantic flight. Group hotel arrangements for the duration of the tour and all programmatic costs are covered as well. Meals, incidentals, and any additional travel costs remain the responsibility of the participant. The University of Pittsburgh requires a non-refundable administrative fee of $275 per applicant if you are selected by the tour.

Participants are asked to create a lesson plan or course module, reflecting new content learned from the tour.

To get an impression of the Study Tour, please look at a sample itinerary from the 2018 tour. View lesson plans created by past participants. More information specific to each type of awardee can be found below.

Tour Objectives

Educator impact – This trip will tangibly contribute to the educators’ professional and personal development.
Student impact – The information learned and connections made on this trip will be integrated into the classroom.
Community impact – The resources, information, and connections will reach the participant’s education community, including their colleagues and school systems.

A picture of the 2018 Brussels Study Tour group.

TESTIMONIALS

“I’ve taught international relations for many years, but I’ve never felt as close to my teaching material as I did on the Brussels Study Tour. This experience will be invaluable to me as I step back into my classroom this fall..” – 2019 Participant

“Participating in the trip was transformative for my teaching about the EU.” – 2018 Participant

“Overall, I had a fantastic time and learned a tremendous amount about the EU and the EU/US relations. I’m very grateful for this opportunity.” – 2017 Participant

Educators from outside of North Carolina, please apply through The University of Pittsburgh.

NC K-12 Educators

How do I apply?

The application consists of:

Personal Information
School & Teaching Information
Written Statements

Please consider the tour objectives when crafting your written statement.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any teacher currently teaching in a K-12 public, private, or charter North Carolina school

NC COMM. COLLEGE, MSI/HBCU FACULTY

How do I apply?

The application consists of:

Personal Information
School & Teaching Information
Written Statements

Please consider the tour objectives when crafting your written statement.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any Community College instructor currently teaching at a North Carolina community college or faculty member of a NC-system MSI/HBCU

Strong preference will be given to NC community college applicants from institutions participating in the NC Global Distinction Program,

EU flag with text that says This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of its author and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union. From 2017-2019, Brussels Study Tours were supported by a Getting to Know Europe grant from the Delegation of the European Union to the United States.