By Julia Johnson, Currier Times Contributor//

The Curry College study abroad program will restart in the fall after shutting down due to the pandemic.

In March of 2020 traveling between countries was largely halted, and that meant many colleges and universities, including Curry, put study abroad programs on pause. All of the fall 2020 to spring 2021 trips were either canceled or rescheduled for a later date. Staff-led summer and winter trips were also rescheduled for the next school year.

This fall, five Curry students are scheduled to study abroad in Ireland, England, Costa Rica, Italy, and Spain. The student heading to England will attend Curry College’s sister school in Richmond.

Ned Bradford of Curry’s study abroad office stated that there are currently the same number of people scheduled to study abroad as when the program began. In this way, the pandemic is basically making the program start over again.

With some countries facing new strains of COVID in recent months, the final decision to travel abroad or not will be dependent on the program and the government of the country. For example, England does have a new strain of COVID; however, since half the population is vaccinated and students have been following protocols, officials will allow students from within or outside the country to study.

It was recently announced that the European Union will allow fully vaccinated Americans to travel to EU countries this summer. This means that students who arrive before the fall months will have the opportunity to experience European countries and cultures before potential rule changes during the winter months.

Having everyone vaccinated will allow people to travel around easier and reduce the length of, and possibly the need for, quarantining.

Study abroad programs of all schools depend on global health improving. Many schools are requiring all students to get a vaccine in order to return to campus next fall. Curry has yet to announce whether it will do the same.