Hawaii is one of the world's most popular travel destinations, but students from the 色色研究所鈥檚 Judy Genshaft Honors College aren't visiting simply to sightsee. Through the Hawaii Beyond the Classroom program, students spend a semester studying Hawaiian history, sustainability, and Indigenous culture before traveling to the island for an immersive two-week experience.
Guided Exploration
It鈥檚 not often that your academic travel program leader has also had experience living in the area you鈥檙e traveling to. Even rarer is having two trip leaders with lived experience in the destination. USF National Merit Scholars Coordinator Audra Santerre and Director of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program in the Muma College of Business Dr. Brooke Hansen have both spent time living and working in Hawaii 鈥 a unique experience that enriches how they lead both the course and the accompanying trip to the island.
Hansen led student trips to Hawaii as a faculty member at Ithaca College before eventually moving there and teaching at the University of Hawaii in 2016.
鈥淚 led tours and classes in Hawaii for 16 years because I fell in love with Hawaii,鈥 Hansen said. 鈥淚 was always looking for a way to resurrect that experience because it was amazing for our students.鈥
When Hansen started looking for ways to start the program at USF, she crossed paths with Santerre, who had lived and worked in Hawaii. Beyond sharing mutual connections on the Island, their shared love for Hawaii drives the authenticity of the program.
鈥淲e have a wealth of knowledge, connections, and personal stories, so many things that attach us to the Big Island of Hawaii,鈥 Hansen said. 鈥淲e wanted to share that with students and show them what the island could also teach them.鈥
Beyond the Tourist Experience
Hawaii offers both ecological beauty and meaningful cultural and historical exposure. The Judy Genshaft Honors College offers both study abroad and study away trips to give students the opportunity to leave home and explore other ways of living. Honors College Endowed Dean Charles Adams noted that students can learn lessons about the world and themselves no matter where they travel.
鈥淎lthough we have a diverse student body, many of our Florida students haven't had the opportunity to travel beyond the state,鈥 said Adams. 鈥淓xperiences like this broaden their perspective and help them grow in ways that aren't possible in the classroom alone.鈥
Santerre commented that students can experience the same wonder of studying abroad without leaving the United States.
鈥淲e have a rich history within our own country, and we don鈥檛 necessarily have to travel internationally to experience some of that rich history,鈥 she said.
Hansen believes Hawaii's environmental, cultural, and historical complexity makes it an ideal setting for interdisciplinary learning.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of like a study abroad because Hawaii is quite far away,鈥 Hansen said. 鈥淗awaii is the perfect living learning laboratory because it touches every major that our students have; we can learn about tourism, sustainability, culture, history, marine science, and more.鈥
The chance to go to Hawaii is enticing on its own for many students. But for Naja Daye 鈥 a recent biology and Judy Genshaft Honors College graduate 鈥 being part of a rich travel experience was a primary motivator.
"I had always been interested in going to Hawaii, but I had seen a lot of feedback from locals talking about the negative impacts of the tourism industry,鈥 Daye said. 鈥淭he regenerative tourism focus of this trip was a really big thing for me. I wanted to learn more about the culture before I visited a place unknowingly."
During the trip, students volunteer with local organizations, visit culturally significant sites, engage with local residents, and examine sustainability efforts across the island.
"We volunteered while we were over there,鈥 she said. 鈥淪ome people go to Hawaii and they see a volcano, but we were actually able to learn in class the different stories and the cultural significance behind what we were seeing. We understood how important those landmarks are to the people of Hawaii."
In the course, Hansen and Santerre expose students to agricultural and governmental practices of the Indigenous people of Hawaii, as well as the way those practices and their language were affected by U.S. policies over time. Students come away from the class prepared to experience Hawaii鈥檚 nuanced history and beautiful scenery with thoughtfulness about the people who have lived there.
"We want to teach students about what we can learn from ancient people and modern Indigenous people about sustainability, resilience, and survival. So much has happened to Native Hawaiians,鈥 Hansen said.
Creating 鈥極hana鈥 Away from Home
The Hawaii Beyond the Classroom program is set to run again in spring 2027. Students interested in applying for the program can expect an exciting course, an enriching travel experience, and an intimate bond with their classmates, as only ten students are accepted into the program.
鈥淲e only take ten, so we spend a lot of time together,鈥 Santerre said. 鈥淭he extra moments of connection are invaluable.鈥
The Hawaii Beyond the Classroom programs at the Judy Genshaft Honors College each provide a unique experience for students to apply classroom learning in a real place with real people. Hansen shared that the type of connection that happens while you are away can鈥檛 be replicated inside of a classroom.
"You have to be in another place for that social cohesion to happen. It's so hard to make it happen in a classroom, which is why we have to get out of the classroom so we can have these experiences with each other,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e were 鈥榦hana.鈥 We were family."
"So many people travel there for a week and they just get a little glimpse. But if you go deep into that place, it will change you forever, as it has me," Hansen said.
Students interested in participating can monitor the Honors Study Away: Big Island Hawai鈥檌 webpage for application information.