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Oct. 4, 2022
By Kourtnie Stenwall, communication assistant
Twelve Northwest Missouri State University students participated in a faculty-led summer study abroad experience that took them to Ireland and centered on “Psychological Perceptions of Childhood and Imaginative and Outdoor Play.”
Psychology faculty Dr. Keely Cline and Elizabeth Dimmitt led the study abroad trip that focused on psychological topics of childhood, including children’s ways of thinking and the roles imaginative and outdoor play have in their development. In addition to studying theory and research, students considered societal views of childhood and play as well as how they are portrayed and reinforced in children’s literature and other works of art.
“The class resources paired with hands-on experiences were designed to offer unique learning opportunities,” Cline said. “I hope that the students were able to fully benefit from the personal growth that international travel may offer. Such growth includes, but is not limited to, developing cultural competence, appreciating diverse perspectives and viewpoints and further sparking interest to learn about the world outside of one’s own context.”
Students explored the portrayal of those ideas in the famed story of “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis, which depicts children who enter a magical world through a wardrobe. Through discussions and a literature review, students were challenged to consider the continually evolving views of childhood and development within cultural and temporal settings.
Northwest students and faculty spent time at the C.S. Lewis Reading Room at Queen's University while studying abroad in Ireland. (Submitted photos)
The study abroad tour was a culminating experience that took the group to destinations that inspired C.S. Lewis’s writing. Students visited sites relative to childhood creativity and imagination and the role of outdoor experiences in development in the Irish setting. They also visited C.S. Lewis Square with bronze statues inspired by “The Chronicles of Narnia” and the C.S. Lewis Reading Room at Queens University.
Olivia Weiss, a sophomore elementary education major from Omaha, Nebraska, was excited for the opportunity to learn about Ireland and was even more excited to learn the trip was based on “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.”
“This program not only helped me in understanding the psychology of kids, but it helped with general life skills, too,” Weiss said. “Prior to this trip I had never traveled by myself, been out of the country or been away from my family for so long. I think that the Ireland trip really opened up my eyes to how different other countries are from the U.S., and I can’t wait to explore more countries in the future.”
Sierra Brewka, a senior political science and psychology major from St. Joseph, Missouri, enjoyed exploring more topics related to psychology and said the experience opened her mind to options after she graduates from Northwest.
“It is such a robust field of study that has many topics,” Brewka said. “I have been questioning what exactly I want to do after graduation this coming May. This let me see the options that are out there for me.”
Dimmitt said she hopes students took notice of how the theoretical knowledge they build in the classroom applies to other aspects of their life through travel, interactions and other adventures.
“I love to watch them realize that they are stronger than they thought and can do things that they never imagined they could do,” she said. “I enjoy seeing them do this through a supportive learning environment and with those whom they form true friendships within the midst of their studies.”
The study abroad tour took students to sites in Ireland that relate to childhood creativity and imagination as well as the role outdoor experiences play in development.
