INTRODUCTION The Student Teaching Practicum in Early Childhood Education, initiated in 1968 as an exchange with the Colleges of St. Hild and the Venerable Bede, moved in the Fall of 1983 to the West Sussex Institute of Higher Education in Bognor Regis where it is now conducted in affiliation with Bishop Otter and Bognor Regis Colleges. It is just one of a number of Education Abroad Programs conducted by Penn State in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, and Asia. More than 600 students from a wide variety of majors participate annually in these programs. OBJECTIVES The Student Teaching Practicum at Bognor Regis College, West Sussex, England, functions within the context of the objectives characterizing all of Penn State’s study abroad opportunities, especially to: 1. enable students to receive instruction within the context of another culture and to enrich their general academic studies. 2. provide adequate professional training when a study abroad experience is especially desirable, and to add to the intellectual and professional development of students in specialized fields of study. 3. enable students to expand their knowledge of the culture of a country or region of the world by living and studying abroad, as well as gain a more objective perspective of the values and way of life in their own country. 4. promote the university’s educational goals by providing opportunities for students to participate in a program designed to increase the international understanding. Specifically, the Bognor Regis Practicum aims to: 1. create the opportunity for Penn State students interested in early childhood education to experience student teaching in a British school setting in which nursery, kindergarten and primary children are grouped together for instruction. 2. foster an awareness and appreciation of the similarities and differences in early childhood education between Great Britain and the United States. BOGNOR REGIS Bognor Regis has been a celebrated seaside resort on the Sussex coast since the eighteenth century when seabathing became fashionable. It was founded in the 1780s by Sir Richard Hotham, a wealthy London hatter, as a resort for the aristocracy seeking an escape from the London smog. Despite the many royal and aristocratic visitors, the town of 40,000 remains small and unpretentious. It has a new civic center and theatre complex, and provides all the usual facilities for seaside recreation. Bognor Regis lies in close proximity to the cathedral city of Chichester, where Bishop Otter College is located. The larger cities of Brighton and Portsmouth are easily accessible by public transportation, and London itself is just 66 miles away. BOGNOR REGIS COLLEGE OF THE CHICHESTER INSTITUTE OF HIGHER EDUCATION Bognor Regis College was established in 1947. Along with neighboring Bishop Otter College, it forms the Chichester Institute of Higher Education, an entity established jointly in 1977 by the Church of England and the West Sussex County Council. While the Institute is a single academic unit, its constituent colleges are retained as social and residential communities with traditional strengths in the field of teacher education. Bognor Regis College occupies a splendid 33-acre site, including extensive grounds and playing fields, just a quarter of a mile from the sea and town center. The original buildings have been added to in recent years by a wide range of teaching and residential facilities. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Great Britain has played a long and innovative role in the development of the “infant school,” an environment which tends to emphasize the child’s personal development in a relatively unstructured learning atmosphere. Pre-school and primary programs in the United States have studied and borrowed ideas generated in the British infant schools. It is therefore especially appropriate that Penn State offer its students the opportunity to expand their early childhood education interests in a British setting. On the other hand, Penn State students are considered by their British supervisors to offer a reciprocal benefit because they bring to their new environment a fresh and different cultural perspective, thereby enhancing the learning experience of the British children. The Practicum in Early Childhood Education at Bognor Regis College is a continuation of the student teaching opportunity available in England since 1968 through the College of St. Hild & St. Bede of the University of Durham. It enables Penn State students to gain direct experience of the British educational system through a program of supervised student teaching on the nursery, kindergarten, and primary levels. Participants in the Bognor Regis Practicum enroll during the Fall or Spring Semester for a total of 15 credits distributed as follows: Practicum in Student Teaching (CI 495 D) 12 credits Professional Development Practicum (CI 495 F) 3 credits Total 15 credits Student teaching is carried out in a local school, under the supervision and coordination of faculty and staff at the Chichester Institute of Higher Education. In addition, students participate in seminars on early childhood education and on British education conducted by the local faculty supervisor. During their stay in Bognor Regis, participants enjoy full use of the facilities of both Bishop Otter and Bognor Regis Colleges, including housing, transportation, and cultural activities. GRADING As with any course at Penn State, responsibility for assessing the student’s academic achievement lies with the course instructor, in this case the faculty member supervising the student’s program at Bognor Regis. ACCREDITATION The practicum and seminar in early childhood education are accredited under Curriculum and Instruction 495D (12 credits) and 495F (3 credits) in the Penn State College of Education. Transfer of credits is not necessary as the student remains registered at Penn State while enrolled in the Bognor Regis practicum. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS The Bognor Regis practicum coordinator arranges for accommodation in either dorms on campus or in a nearby facility at Bognor Regis College, and for breakfast and evening meals Monday through Friday. Students are responsible for their own lunches Monday through Friday and all their weekend meals. To help cover the cost of these meals, students receive an allowance from Penn State. ELIGIBILITY The Bognor Regis Practicum in Early Childhood Education is open to regularly enrolled students at Penn State who have been admitted to the elementary teacher education program. Applicants must be in good academic standing, and must show evidence of maturity, stability, adaptability, self-discipline, and strong academic motivation. Participants are generally juniors or seniors during their semester at Bognor Regis. PROGRAM PREREQUISITES Participants in the Bognor Regis Practicum must have been admitted to Penn State’s teacher preparation program and must have met all standard student teaching prerequisites as verified by the Office of Preservice Teaching Experience. ORIENTATION A carefully-designed orientation program, conducted during the semester prior to departure, is intended to prepare participants for the adjustment to living, studying, and student teaching, in Great Britain. Attendance at all orientation sessions is mandatory. COSTS Tuition for this Student Teaching Practicum is the same as at Penn State, while room and board fees are generally comparable to a double room and meal plan #5 at University Park Campus, and are payable to the Bursar’s Office in accordance with the standard procedures and deadlines for regular charges at University Park Campus. Students are also required to pay a $150 non-refundable program fee at the time of accepting an enrollment offer. Round-trip air transportation is an additional cost to the student. Textbooks and personal expenses are also extra. The Office of Education Abroad Programs has a cost-estimate sheet detailing the overall expenses for each semester abroad. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE The standard forms of financial assistance are available through the Office of Student Aid. Since students remain registered at Penn State while abroad, financial aid packages continue during the time in which a student is enrolled in this program. The Office of Education Abroad Programs coordinates closely with the Office of Student Aid to help needy students obtain funds to cover the additional costs of study abroad. The Office of Education Abroad Programs also has a modest Grant- in-Aid Fund that can be drawn upon for exceptionally needy and qualified students. HEALTH INSURANCE All participants are expected to carry sufficient health and accident insurance. Personal liability insurance is strongly recommended. PLANNING AHEAD In order to exploit the many advantages and opportunities of a study abroad experience, it is essential that students, in consultation with their academic advisers, plan well in advance. With careful planning, every participant in this program not only gains regular Penn State credit, but can apply the credits earned abroad to General Education, elective, and major or minor requirements. Like all of Penn State’s Education Abroad Programs, this program satisfies the University’s cultural diversity requirement. Students are required to check with their advisers or deans to discuss what impact study abroad may have on their progress toward graduation. The Bognor Regis Practicum meets the student teaching requirement of the elementary teacher certification programs. To participate, students must apply as they would for a regular student teaching assignment. Students will be interviewed prior to final acceptance into the study abroad program. For further information and application forms, contact your campus Education Abroad Adviser or: Office of Education Abroad Programs The Pennsylvania State University 222 Boucke Building University Park, PA 16802-5900 Tel. (814) 865-7681 For academic information contact: Office of Preservice Teaching Experience The Pennsylvania State University 172 Chambers Building University Park, PA 16802-3205 Tel. (814) 865-1734