Study Abroad in the Netherlands

Netherlands

•  Watch the latest Informational Meeting Recording here (January 17, 2024)  

Class Dates on Campus @ GRC: April 1-June 17, 2024

Trip Dates in Netherlands: June 20-27, 2024

• Earn credits in Biology and Sociology 

Welcome to the study abroad program, Eating and Living Well: Food and Agriculture in the Puget Sound, offered via an international partnership between Green River College (Washington, U.S.) and Leiden University (Netherlands)! This course applies classroom-based seminars to real-life experiences in the U.S. and the Netherlands to give students a glimpse of both the challenges and strategies associated with creating sustainable food systems. Drawing on the expertise of professors in diverse fields of study, we utilize an interdisciplinary framework to help students understand the connections between biology, sociology, and political economy in contemporary food systems. In addition to these academic goals, our hybrid course structure (a collaborative international course that has both virtual and physical study abroad components) will provide opportunities for you to build relationships with students internationally and to compare and contrast experiences around food and agriculture in two different countries.

This is a hybrid program involving one quarter of regular class study with the option to travel to the Netherlands at the end of spring quarter. Travel will occur between the spring and summer quarter break. The course schedule is designed to allow you to take other regular classes on campus in spring term. See detailed dates and activities below.

The course has three main components:

1. April 1-May 3: A combination of regular class lectures and COIL Virtual Classroom Collaboration with undergraduate students in the Netherlands will give you the opportunity to meet and work with students working on similar projects in Europe, forging friendships and creating learning networks across the Atlantic.

2. May 3-June 17: Regular Classes and Field Site Visits to farms in the Puget Sound where you’ll meet local farmers and see what people in your community are doing to create healthy, regenerative food systems.

3. June 20-27: A Week-Long Trip to the Netherlands where you’ll be able to compare and contrast different kinds of food systems. In addition to visiting local farms in the Netherlands, you’ll also have some free time to explore the small country to experience new places and cultures!

Application Deadline: February 5, 2024

Payment Deadline: April 5, 2024