ALTOONA, Pa. — A group of students from the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, representing Penn State Altoona, University Park and World Campus, spent spring break in Athens, Greece, exploring care of underserved communities and the refugee population in urban clinics.
The trip was an embedded international travel component for the NURS 499: Foreign Study course.
Students visited teen shelters and offered presentations on healthy lifestyles that included smoking cessation information, encouragement of exercise, and demonstrations of healthy eating.
Sarah Goldberg, a student from Penn State Altoona, said the teens were receptive and interactive with the presentations and activities.
“One of my biggest takeaways was that despite everything these teens have been through — seeing war firsthand, being forced to travel far and wide, navigating a world that feels like they have no place in, experiencing new cultures and languages with little direction — they are still just kids,” Goldberg said. “They wanted to show off their soccer stickers and play games and laugh with us.”
She added that she is grateful for the chance to take part in the trip and learn as much as she did: “Not only did it make me face my own privileges, but it taught me how important empathy and inclusion truly are.”
The trip took place through Global Brigades Kambia, an international nursing travel program that provides hands-on experience in all aspects of healthcare delivery within partner communities. Students engage in a sequence of clinical experiences that deliver health services to resource-limited communities in rural and urban settings. There are also cultural learning opportunities and enrichment activities.
“This was my first time leading a Global Brigades Kambia trip and the first nursing travel our campus has done since COVID, so starting in Athens with Greek lessons, Arabic lessons, and a very enthusiastic group of students felt quite surreal,” said Amy Criscitello, assistant teaching professor of nursing at Penn State Altoona. “But watching them grow, connect with refugee communities, and collaborate with local clinicians made every moment worth it. They learned so much so quickly that I just stood back, tried not to lose anyone in the metro, and enjoyed the transformation.”