If any students want to visit the culturally rich island of Sicily, the College will be offering a mosaic that includes a trip during the Spring 2026 semester.
The mosaic, titled “Sicilian Identities: Stirring the Pot of History & Heritage,” is a collaboration between Professors Jeff Englehardt, Scott Farrington and Peter Schadler, bringing together the Classical Studies, Philosophy and Religion departments to host the mosaic.
A student wishing to participate in the Sicily mosaic will sign up for three classes and an independent study, one taught by each of the professors, then go ont a group trip to Sicily to complete a research project about the island’s culture in connection to one or more of the classes. Full course descriptions can be found on the Center for Global Study and Engagement’s website. The classes will also be offered for students not going on the mosaic.
But the travel experience offered by the mosaic is one of the most enticing parts, with Farrington stressing that students will have “a once-in-a-lifetime experience” to explore Sicily, learn about its culture and present research on the island upon returning to Dickinson. On their trip, students will visit Syracuse, a city with more than 2300 years of history; the Valley of Temples, a UNESCO world heritage site; Palermo, the cosmopolitan capital of Sicily and other locations on the island. All three professors speak highly of Sicily’s beauty, with Englehardt saying Palermo “felt heavenly” and Schadler calling the city a “splendid [and] beautiful place.” Students will have opportunities to immerse themselves in Sicilian culture through lively nights in Palermo—which has “something for everyone” according to Farrington—staying in an olive orchard, enjoying the food in Syracuse and speaking one-on-one with Sicilians to learn more about the island and its culture.
Farrington calls the mosaic a “unique opportunity for undergrads,” which offers a peek into the world of grad school but with “fellowship [as] a perk,” as opposed to grad school research which, in Farrington’s experience, “can be lonely.” Englehardt highlighted the research aspect of the mosaic, saying it is a “chance to experience [research] with guardrails” that very few classes offer. In addition to the ability to conduct research with native Sicilians and immigrants from North Africa, the mosaic offers an opportunity for students to to publicly present their research and, as Farrington said, “reap the rewards” instead of having the research findings go “into the void.”
In addition to the unique research opportunities, Englehardt stressed that the mosaic “gives a taste of studying abroad” to prospective sophomores thinking of studying abroad or juniors who cannot leave for a full semester. The trip will have guides who can speak Italian and Sicilian, so students can go even if they don’t speak the languages . In addition to the guides, who work for a company founded by and run for academics, all three professors know Italian, so there will always be at least two Italian speakers ready to help out.
The professors and the Center for Global Study and Engagement will be holding an information session for the mosaic on April 15, but if you cannot make it and are “interested in the slightest,” Farrington encourages students to email him ([email protected]), Englehardt ([email protected]) or Schadler ([email protected]). If conflicts arise with other classes, Farrington said that they are “willing to help students find solutions,” and Englehardt pointed out that Dickinson is “small enough to be flexible.” The mosaic will also fill numerous graduation requirements including Global Diversity and Sustainability courses. There is a program fee, but there is also financial aid to assist any students who might need it.
Englehardt, Farrington and Schadler also wanted to highlight the other mosaic programs Dickinson offers, encouraging students to look at the other mosaics offered, including one to Norway in Spring 2026. If you are interested in any of those, they are listed on the Center for Global Study and Engagement’s website.
