It’s got to be some sort of a record. Professor Chris Sharpe and Dr. Jerry Pocius are in the midst of recruiting students for the 14th edition of the English Cultural Landscape Program in Harlow, England, to be offered in the summer of 2013.

They will hold an information session on Tuesday, Nov. 6, at 12 p.m. in SN-2018.

“I have taken part in all but three of the offerings so far,” said Dr. Sharpe, a professor in the Department of Geography. “In 2005 and 2009 Jerry Pocius taught with Walter Peddle, and in 2011 with Steve Mills. I have taught it at various times in co-operation with Jim Hiller, Mike Woods with the Department of English and Jerry Pocius. The three stalwarts, Jim, Jerry and me keep coming back because we really enjoy taking students out into the real world, and helping them learn to "see" it, rather than just look at it.”

According to Dr. Sharpe, field trips are the core of the program. In 2013 the program will offer 17 day-long excusions. Among the destinations are Burghley House, England’s greatest Elizabethan house (appeared as a location in The Da Vinci Code and Elizabeth: The Golden Age); the Museum of London (Docklands) that tells the story of the River Thames and the London docks; Colchester (Camuldonum), the oldest recorded  town in England; and Rochester Castle, a  well-preserved Norman keep on the banks of the Medway River.

Alumna Kim Fitzpatrick, now a teacher in Fort McMurray, Alta., attended the program in 2007.

“Having the opportunity to live across the pond for the summer at an affordable rate was truly one of the best experiences I had at Memorial. I would definitely recommend this program to current Memorial students,” she said. “Studying abroad will enhance your ability and willingness to adapt to new environments, it will provide you the self-confidence to make decisions and it will help your understanding of diversity. As a result, you will come home with a new sense of maturity, both personally and intellectually. These newfound skills will provide you with the confidence to be increasingly more independent and assertive.”