ISA Study Abroad in Galway, Ireland

In the summer of 2023, I landed in Galway, Ireland to work with Galway Autism Partnership (GAP). What followed was two months of exploring Ireland’s culture, creating deep friendships, and bonding with Galway’s Autistic community. As club facilitators, my fellow ISA volunteers and I helped improve the quality and quantity of GAP's clubs and events. Galway Autism Partnership was able to execute a record 20+ camps in just over 6 weeks, attended by 120+ different participants with our assistance. Children and teens enjoyed special interest camps that highlighted dance, baking, cooking, outer space, and more. I am fortunate to have fostered positive relationships with GAP's regular attendees, full-time staff, and temporary volunteers through my program. Even today, I remain in contact with GAP managers, staff, and friends I met through ISA service-learning. In addition to working with GAP, I immersed myself in Ireland's rich culture. My ISA friends and I found ourselves frequenting trad nights, cheering on Gaelic football and hurling games, and biking along the Aran Islands. Our visit felt full of spontaneous trips to Dublin, walking around Galway's local markets, and trying new restaurants. To this day, my ISA friends uphold our WhatsApp groupchat "GAP girlies" to catch up and discuss when we'll meet for a reunion. My experience was educational and fulfilling. Often, I remember a particular camp, teen, or parent who changed my perspective on caring for such a vulnerable population. Even more so, what it means to have the honor of developing a relationship with a differently abled person. Working on special interest camps and facilitating clubs with GAP solidified my passion for helping a community achieve its goals. It also strengthened my knowledge of cultural competence and true allyship. I am very appreciative of the ISA service-learning program for this incredible opportunity that I hold close to my heart.

Unbelievable experience! Would do anything to go back. Galway is such a great city and there is no shortage of fun to be had. The university staff and study abroad staff are extremely welcoming and I couldn’t have asked for a better time.

I had a great experience with ISA in Galway! I participated in their service-learning program, where, instead of taking an academic course with a university, I interned with a local community radio station. There, I gained a lot of valuable experience working in radio, and I met a lot of incredible people! The program is structured amazingly, and places an emphasis on cultural knowledge and the overall impact of study abroad programs. I learned a lot from my coworkers about wider contemporary Irish socio-economic culture, and current relevant problems and debates.