Educational Travel

Educational travel transforms the way you look at the world and yourself. For more than two decades, Brightpoint has organized educational trips to places such as Greece, France, Vietnam, Italy, England, Scotland, Ghana and Peru.

The courses we've covered have been just as diverse. Students have earned college credit in nursing, Spanish, philosophy, theatre, information technology, history, English, art and more, all while immersing themselves in the communities and cultures they visit.

Whether you choose to participate in one or all of the courses covered during a particular trip, you can participate in all planned activities.

Upcoming Trips

From Stonehenge to Scotland: The Art and Philosophy of Great Britian

Dates: Travel will occur in June 2024.  Specific dates announced in fall 2023
Cost: To be announced in October 2023
Info sessions: Join us on the following dates for more information about Educational Travel to Scotland and England.

To be added to the email list, contact Dr. Paula Winn or Sean Castleberry.

Preliminary Itinerary
This is a rough itinerary and subject to change.  It is intended to give you a feel for the travel portion of the program. 

Day 1: Departure on an overnight flight to London

Day 2: Arrival at London Heathrow Airport in morning (British Summer Time; EDT + 5 hours).  After retrieving baggage and going through Customs, motor coach transport to hotel.   After dropping off bags, we will take the Tube to Mansion House; walk down Pudding Lane and past the London Fire Monument to visit the Tower of London.  Cross the street for a quick visit to the oldest church in London, All Hallows-by-the-Tower. Following lunch, return to hotel to check in.  4 PM, leave hotel for Tube ride to Embankment and a walk along the Thames River, ending at the London Eye.  Dinner as a group at a London pub afterwards.

Day 3: Morning tube to Westminster to walk around Parliament Square and view of Big Ben then a visit to Westminster Abbey. Take Birdcage Walk to Buckingham Palace (changing of the guard at 11 AM); afterward walk The Mall to Trafalgar Square and an afternoon visit to the National Gallery. Walk to Whitehall Banqueting House, then up the Embankment to see Cleopatra’s Needle. Dinner and evening on your own.

Day 4: Tube to Euston Square for a morning visit to University College of London and visit Bentham Auto-Icon. Local lunch and afternoon visit to British Museum, followed by a walk to the Staple Inn. Dinner and evening on your own.

Day 5: Morning trip to Stonehenge.  Afternoon in Salisbury to visit the cathedral and walk the medieval town. Evening return to London. Dinner and evening on your own.

Day 6: Day trip to Bath and the Roman ruins. Return to London. Dinner and evening on your own.

Day 7: Morning tube to visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral and Temple Church. Lunch on your own. Afternoon visit to the Tate Modern and The Globe. Dinner and evening on your own.

Day 8: Morning tube to the Victoria and Albert Museum. Afternoon visit to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens and optional visit to the Wellington Museum. Goodbye London Group dinner.

Day 9: Early morning train from London to Edinburgh.  Transfer by motor coach to hotel in Edinburgh and drop off bags.   “Get acquainted” walk around Edinburgh with walk along Royal Mile, Hume Statue (lunch along the way) and afternoon visit to Edinburgh Castle. Dinner and evening on your own.

Day 10: Group visit in the morning to Scottish National Gallery. Lunch on your own. Afternoon visit to the Greyfriars’s Bobby sculpture and University of Edinburgh. Optional walk through Dean’s Village. Farewell group dinner in Edinburgh.

Day 11: Morning hotel checkout and transfer to Edinburgh airport for flight to Richmond, VA.

Courses being offered:
Students have the option of taking these classes for college credit, in conjunction with the trip.

ART 101 History of Art: Prehistoric to Gothic – The UCGS class surveys the history and interpretation of architecture, painting and sculpture from the prehistoric era through the Gothic.  Begins with prehistoric art and follows the development of western civilization to the Gothic. Teaching this course as a study abroad program will afford the students firsthand experience with the material. Trips to Stonehenge and Avebury will allow them to interact with the Prehistoric period in situ, while visits to Salisbury Cathedral and Bath provide the same experiences for the Medieval and Roman cultures respectively. The British Museum offers extensive collections featuring art of the Ancient Near East and the Ancient Greeks. Assignments and discussions of these sites and objects will improve their written and oral communications skills and encourage analytical thinking. (3 credit hours; Passport and UCGS course, Humanities or Fine Arts; Requirement and/or elective for several degrees.)

ART 102 History of Art: Renaissance to Modern – The UCGS class surveys the history and interpretation of architecture, painting and sculpture from the Renaissance through the modern era.  ART 102 begins with Early Renaissance art and follows the development of western civilization to the modern era. Teaching this course as a study abroad program will afford the students firsthand experience with the material. Trips to the National Gallery, London and the National Gallery, Scotland afford students the opportunity to interact with paintings and sculptures from the late Gothic through the 18th century, while the Tate Modern allows for the interpretation of works from the 20th; 21st centuries. Structures, such as St. Paul’s Cathedral, Parliament, the Shard, and the Gherkin allow these conversations to move into the architectural sphere of the course. Assignments and discussions of these sites and objects will improve their written and oral communications skills and encourage analytical thinking. (3 credit hours; Passport and UCGS course, Humanities or Fine Arts; Requirement and/or elective for several degrees.)

PHI 100 Introduction to Philosophy - The UCGS class introduces a broad spectrum of philosophical problems and perspectives with an emphasis on the systematic questioning of basic assumptions about meaning, knowledge, reality and values.  Students will study the basic problems that have shaped the scene of Western Philosophy with a focus on metaphysics, epistemology, logic, political philosophy, and ethics.  Students will become acquainted with the contributions of the major philosophers in each specific area.  Considering that PHI 100 is being offered as a study abroad course in England, there will be a special focus on the philosophers of the region.  The philosophers discussed will include, Saint Anselm, William of Ockham, Francis Bacon, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Isaac Newton, George Berkeley, David Hume, G.E. Moore, and Bertrand Russell.  Moreover, students, after reading, discussing, and visiting the sites where major philosophical contributions were made, will be challenged to develop critical thinking skills, so that they do not simply accept what they encounter in life, but instead are able to engage in independent and authentic discussions about various issues as well as develop their own reasoned opinions. (3 credit hours; UCGS course, specialized GE requirements block; Requirement and/or elective for several degrees.)

Funding Your Trip

Brightpoint is committed to making international education experiences affordable and accessible.

Inclusive, High-Value Programs

With tuition and fees about one third of what you would pay at a public four-year college or university in Virginia, Brightpoint is an affordable option for studying abroad. Brightpoint’s Global Educational Travel programs are designed to include lodging and airfare, as well as some meals and admissions. Booking accommodations, airfare and admission tickets as a group helps keep the overall cost of studying abroad more affordable.

Each trip has unique costs. Factors that influence the final cost include number of participants, number of courses and airfare. See trip documents for specific costs for each trip.

Foundation Global Educational Travel Scholarships

Faculty at the college who are committed to the importance of international education have established scholarships to financially assist students enrolled in courses that require travel and educational travel. These scholarships can be used for tuition, books, fees and required supplies during summer educational travel experiences. 

Financial Aid

In many cases, eligible students may use their financial aid to fund international education. All need-based and merit-based aid, with the exception of work-study support, is transferrable to tuition and fees for Brightpoint’s international study programs.