Westmont Magazine One Big Idea About Off-Campus Programs

Students who return from off-campus semesters sometimes struggle to connect their experiences with their life and learning at Westmont. Professors leading these programs not only prepare students for their time away and work with them throughout the semester, but they provide ongoing support when students return.

In January, four professors organized a poster session so students who participated in Westmont in San Francisco and England Semester in the fall could share their most important discoveries from their off-campus studies with faculty, staff and fellow students.

Chris and Cheri Larsen Hoeckley directed England Semester, and Brad Berky and Karen Andrews lead Westmont in San Francisco. They assigned a writing project to capture one significant new insight students gained from the program. Students then created posters to communicate visually and succinctly their “one big idea.”

Sara Reinis (above) interned with 826 National during Westmont in San Francisco. “This creative, whimsical and quirky organization takes a different approach to urban education,” she says. “They want to provide creative opportunities for children to share their voice through activities like writing poems or plays. Helping children communicate is important in their personal development. My big idea is that taking a holistic approach and engaging children creatively can help them learn more, want to stay in school and be passionate about their education and their future.”

“Students considering off-campus programs sometimes focus on the exciting places,” Chris Hoeckley says. “They’re right about that, but the real benefit is the learning and growth. We hope that students considering off-campus programs can attend events like this one and get excited about these benefits as well.”