Get Involved

There are numerous opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to become involved with the Center. If you are interested in any of the activities below, please contact Sally Dickson at the Center for more information.

Class Visits

Through the Center's Outreach Program, students (both undergraduate and graduate) and faculty have the opportunity to take their experitse to K-12 classrooms. Throughout the year, teachers at schools in Austin and surrounding areas contact CES to request speakers on a variety of subjects from literature and history to government and policy. You might teach some second graders new words in German or discuss the latest events in France with a group of high school sophomores. It's a fantastic opportunity to share with kids in your community.

Mentor Program

The Center's newsest Outreach activity is the Mentor Program. Through this program, European Studies majors are paired up with high school students in the Austin area in order to give the students a view of college life. And where is Europe in all of this? The pair will also be connected with an international student visiting UT from Western Europe, giving both the EUS major and the high school student a chance to learn more about European life and culture. All students will meet once a month at various locations in Austin to have time to talk and get to know one another, as well as exchange e-mails or talk on the Mentor Blog.

BlogPals

Through BlogPals, K-12 classes in Austin have the chance to interact with kids of similar ages at schools in Western Europe through a classroom blog. Here they can learn more about European day-to-day life as well as share their own experiences. UT faculty and students visit the class in Austin regularly to share information about the country they are studying in the BlogPals exchange in order to enrich their understanding of that country's culture.

Monthly Current Events Seminar

Each month, faculty and students from European Studies gather to discuss the latest events taking place in Western Europe. Led by a different UT faculty member each month, this informal seminar gives students the chance to ask questions and discuss current events as they unfold. Topics this academic year will include the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen. Check the CES calendar for times and topics. Note: Topics may change as events arise during the course of the year.