Study Tours | North Carolina Consortium for Middle East Studies

Local Study Tour Programs

The Consortium offers local study tours for North Carolina teachers. The tours are designed as meaningful experiential learning opportunities to train teachers in Middle East studies through visits to local sites with connections to the region, such as cultural facilities, restaurants, and commercial enterprises, paired with educational sessions by Consortium faculty and community experts, equipping teachers with strategies to make the region relevant to students. Past tours have taken place in Durham, Chapel Hill, and Greensboro and have featured topics such as Middle Eastern politics, environment, and culture; diverse religions of the Middle East; food traditions of the Middle East; and immigrant experiences in North Carolina.

The pilot study tour program was featured in the UNC University Gazette. Read about it here.

Study Tours Abroad

The Consortium is pleased to partner with Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO) to offer educational study trips for teachers to the region. GEEO is a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging and assisting as many teachers as possible to travel abroad and then share their experiences with their students upon their return to the classroom. Occurring in the spring, winter, and summer, GEEO trips are designed and discounted to be interesting and affordable for teachers. Past Consortium-GEEO trips include: Morocco (2016) and Jordan (2022).

Teachers are invited to join the Consortium on a trip to Morocco in June 2023. Accompanying the trip will be Caroline Sibley, UNC-CH Associate Teaching Professor of Arabic and NC Arabic Teacher Council Coordinator. She will be sharing books, music, multimedia resources, and a webinar on Moroccan culture with the group prior to departure. Caroline is looking forward to hearing your ideas and leading discussions for designing lesson plans for the classroom, inspired by this epic adventure to Morocco! If you’re looking for an inspiring, adventurous 2-week trip, come join us for this unforgettable experience! Registration information at https://geeo.org/tour/morocco1-trip-for-teachers/.