[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www-old.faulkner.edu\/news\/great-books-honors-program-expands-global-learning-opportunities\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www-old.faulkner.edu\/news\/great-books-honors-program-expands-global-learning-opportunities\/","headline":"Great Books Honors Program Expands Global Learning Opportunities\u00a0","name":"Great Books Honors Program Expands Global Learning Opportunities\u00a0","description":"Peyton Jenkins takes a picture with the Great Books Study Abroad group in front of Stonehenge. The Great Books Honors Program at Faulkner University took its first step into international education in 2024, launching a study abroad trip to the…","datePublished":"2026-05-22","dateModified":"2026-05-22","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www-old.faulkner.edu\/author\/jklose\/#Person","name":"Jade Klose","url":"https:\/\/www-old.faulkner.edu\/author\/jklose\/","identifier":165,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0e9cac62b25a84c2e19055c60b6a5f00523c49f1fc49dfec24e6fd547103b5ce?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0e9cac62b25a84c2e19055c60b6a5f00523c49f1fc49dfec24e6fd547103b5ce?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Faulkner University","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www-old.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Official-Horizontal-480x128.png","url":"https:\/\/www-old.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Official-Horizontal-480x128.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www-old.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/stonehenge-1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www-old.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/stonehenge-1.jpg","height":1536,"width":2048},"url":"https:\/\/www-old.faulkner.edu\/news\/great-books-honors-program-expands-global-learning-opportunities\/","about":["Community","Great Books","News"],"wordCount":522,"articleBody":"Peyton Jenkins takes a picture with the Great Books Study Abroad group in front of Stonehenge. The Great Books Honors Program at Faulkner University took its first step into international education in 2024, launching a study abroad trip to the United Kingdom. Open to alumni, students, staff and friends, the program offers shorter trips that allow participants to explore other parts of the world without the three-month commitment of Faulkner\u2019s traditional study abroad program. Great Books partners with\u00a0Explorica, an organization that handles all trip\u00a0logistics, allowing travelers to fully immerse themselves in the cultural experience.\u00a0For Cherith Petit, a student in the program, the experience was transformative. \u201cGetting to spend time in conversation with the professors outside of the classroom helped show me that the GB program isn\u2019t just about class, but more about learning how to form your own educated beliefs and opinions on all different aspects of life,\u201d she said. Dr. Andrew Jacobs, director of the Great Books program, emphasized the value of encountering new ideas and experiences. \u201cLife is spent attempting to figure things out as we experience them, especially things that are different and that we don\u2019t understand,\u201d he said. \u201cYou need a certain amount of courage to enter a new book, to enter a new country or to enter into a new relationship with God.\u201d The program aims to teach students not only how to engage deeply with literature but also how to interact meaningfully with others and live well as human beings. During the study abroad trips, participants benefit from the expertise of local guides, gaining insights into the culture that might be missed on a solo journey. These international trips offer students and faculty a chance to break free from the classroom, expand their cultural understanding and strengthen their relationships with peers and professors alike. \u201cThis trip helped me branch out and do things that made me nervous and uncomfortable \u2014 like kissing the Blarney Stone \u2014 and see how much fun it was,\u201d Petit said. \u201cI am so grateful for all the fun memories I made with my friends and professors, and it will always be a part of who I am.\u201d The study abroad experiences also serve to bring the curriculum to life. Dr. Taten Shirley, a professor in the program, recalled how visiting Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare\u2019s birthplace, brought their studies into sharp focus. \u201cThere were continuous mentions of GB authors, but I think the one that stands out the most was getting to visit Stratford-upon-Avon,\u201d Shirley said. \u201cIt was incredible to see the house where he was raised and to see the church where he is buried.\u201d The Great Books\u00a0Study Abroad\u00a0program\u00a0visited\u00a0South Korea and Japan in summer 2025 with plans to visit\u00a0France, Austria,\u00a0Germany\u00a0and Switzerland\u00a0from May 27- June 4, 2026. The next trip is scheduled for summer of 2027 when they will head to Greece. The deadline to register is January\u00a02027.\u00a0For more information, visit this link or email Jacobs at ajacobs@faulkner.edu.\u00a0"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www-old.faulkner.edu\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Great Books Honors Program Expands Global Learning Opportunities\u00a0","item":"https:\/\/www-old.faulkner.edu\/news\/great-books-honors-program-expands-global-learning-opportunities\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]