“Keene State has helped me see my potential to be a useful instrument in the world. The classes are small, the professors are dedicated, and the overall atmosphere is one committed to social change and service.”
– Annelies Spykman 2009 , Sociology
The College Beyond Campus
College life doesn’t stop at the physical boundaries of Keene State’s 170-acre campus.
Way Beyond: Keene State’s study abroad programs give you the chance to study in many places around the world. Whether you want to go somewhere familiar – Florida, California, Quebec – or farther afield – Australia, England, Spain, Ecuador – you can visit the Global Education Office in the Elliot Center to learn more about the choices available. Academic credit earned on away programs count toward your KSC degree program, and financial aid can be used for them.
Peak Experiences: While you are at Keene State, you can climb Mount Monadnock, just 18 miles away, or set your sights on other New England heights. Vermont’s Green Mountains and New Hampshire’s White Mountains are an easy drive from Keene.
Campus organizations from the Biology Club to the men’s basketball team travel around the U.S. and internationally. Three players and coach Rob Colbert take time out to visit the Acropolis on a ten-day, five-game trip to Greece and Italy in 2008.
Service to Others: Keene State’s strong tradition of community service and service learning means that students lend a helping hand wherever they are needed. Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village members build houses in Guatemala, Circle K club members volunteer at the Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention, CommuniCorps students prepare architectural drawings for nonprofit projects, and students from every corner of campus collect Toys for Tots and contribute to Community Kitchen food drives and Thanksgiving baskets.
The Keene Scene: The city of Keene has an active music scene and draws marquee performers to the beautifully restored Colonial Theatre. It also has a lively, walkable downtown, with local restaurants and businesses supplemented by national retailers you’re already familiar with. And you’re a stone’s throw away from excellent hiking, trail biking, canoeing, and kayaking.
Global Education
Keene State students can have a truly global experience while earning KSC course credits. Every year nearly 300 students participate in some type of academic learning experience beyond the Keene State College campus. Options range from semester programs to summer possibilities to short-term classes led by KSC faculty. There are destinations for all types of students and budgets.
The Global Education Office (GEO) is the campus hub for academic away programs. Located on the third floor of the Elliot Center, they provide support and offer advice to students interested in studying away. A wide range of possibilities are available. Through the National Student Exchange, you can study at one of 200 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. If you wish to venture farther afield, there are approved programs in Australia, Austria, Ecuador, England, France, India, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Peru, Scotland, Spain, and Tanzania. Other destinations are also possible.
Amanda Benware found some time to play with Rainbow Parakeets in the rainforest during her summer at Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia.
Experiencing another culture and place is a transformative experience that can open up new worlds of possibilities. Studying away is also highly regarded by many potential employers. We’ve had students doing community work in Tanzania, learning Yup’ik Eskimo in Alaska, studying biology in the Galapagos Islands, researching volcanoes in Hawaii, interning in Dublin, studying gastronomy in Florence, exploring aboriginal history in Australia, and more.
In the words of Megan Brown, who studied in Derby, England, “Being on exchange was the best experience of my life, and if I could do it all over again I would – down to the very last fish and chip.”
