Cross Faculty Easter Programme - South Carolina and Georgia

Applications for this opportunity are now closed

Race, Space and Place: South Carolina and Georgia, then and now

An exclusive fully funded opportunity for 8 first year widening participation students to take part in an exciting programme in South Carolina and Georgia, United States of America during Easter vacation 2026.

This is an interdisciplinary programme led by academics from the Faculty of Arts covering the following cross-faculty topics: Memory, Southern Culture, Race and Natural Disasters.

Throughout the week, there'll be various trips and a chance to see different towns in South Carolina and Georgia.

To be considered for this opportunity, you are required to sign up for and attend one of the information sessions, detailed below.

Programme topic

The programme will be led by

Tim Lockley who is a professor of North American history with expertise in the history of South Carolina and contemporary political issues in the US
Liana Valerio who is an Assistant Professor in the History department with an expertise in the histories of race, gender and emotions in the Atlantic world

Throughout the week you will focus on

Memory - memorialisation of slavery and confederacy
Southern Culture - language, foodways & music
Race - slavery, civil rights, modern day
Natural Disasters - hurricanes & yellow fever

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must be:

First year undergraduate student at Warwick
In receipt of the Warwick Undergraduate BursaryLink opens in a new window or on the Warwick Scholars programmeLink opens in a new window. We are unable to accept applications from Global Excellence Scholarship holders for this programme
Available for the entire programme between Tuesday 24 - Monday 30 March 2026
Have an up to date passport which is valid until at least October 2026. If you do not have this then you will be required to apply for a new passport ASAP
Required to attend an information session in order to apply
Required to attend all programme sessions before the trip and participate fully in all activities and tasks

Why should I apply to take part?

You have the opportunity to shape the content of the teaching as well as what speakers and visits are included in future faculty-led programmes to North America
We need your feedback and want to learn from your experience to make a case for future funding so that this sort of activity is possible for students in the future
You will receive Warwick Award points and recognition of having taken part in a Short Term Mobility activity on your university transcript
This is a great taster of an international experience during your time at university. If you enjoy it, you might want to apply to take part in a summer school or volunteering programme overseas during summer vacation or even a year abroad in your third year

What previous participants say

"Overall, this trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore important topics. It did exceed my expectations in quite a few aspects, and I can definitely say I am considering a year abroad even further."

" Having the chance to travel to another country, especially one with such a complex and influential history, is something I would recommend to anyone. It opens your eyes in ways that books and lectures never can. I feel extremely lucky to have gone on this trip, especially since it was made possible by generous donors. It’s not something I take for granted, and I know it’s an experience I will carry with me for years to come."

" Being given the opportunity to travel and study in South Carolina was initially an overwhelming pleasant surprise. Having come from a care-experienced background, international travel was not always a possibility, so to be granted the chance to explore important themes fully funded was truly invaluable."

KEY DATES

In order to apply, you will be required to attend one of the below information sessions:

Information Session 1: Tuesday 25 November, on campus (16:00-17:00)
Information Session 2: Monday 1 December, on campus (16:00-17:00)

During the information session, those who are still interested will take part in a short assessment activity and an informal interview. The application form will then be shared with those students after the session.

Application Form Deadline: noon Friday 12 December 2025
Outcome of application: Monday 22 December 2025
Confirmation by successful applicants that they accept their place: Sunday 4 January 2025

Pre-departure events:

Social event on campus for successful applicants: Wednesday 21 January 2026 (tbc), on campus
Pre-departure meeting (mandatory): Wednesday 18 February 2026 (tbc), on campus
Additional sessions may be added

If you have any queries, please contact

Practical Information

Dates

Tuesday 24 - Monday 30 March 2026

Where

South Carolina and Georgia, USA

What costs are included

Flights - students will travel together on the same flights booked from London Heathrow to Charlotte, South Carolina (return)
Accommodation
Programme excursion costs and travel
Daily subsistence allowance

Accommodation

Popular branded hotels. Students will share a twin room, with two Warwick students sharing

Health insurance

You will be required to source your own travel insurance policy. We can support to fund this

Passport

Please ensure you have an up to date passport which is valid until at least October 2026. If you do not have this then an application for a passport will be required asap. This is for you to organise

If you are not a UK passport holder, please check whether you require a visa to travel to America for this trip and whether the timelines are realistic. Please email if this situation applies to you

Other details

We will help with information about the programme timetable, suggested items to be packed, practical guidance on flight times etc.

How to Apply:

Step 1 - Attend information session

Attend one of the two in person information sessions (Tuesday 25 November 16:00-17:00, or Monday 1 December 16:00-17:00)

The information session will be split into two parts:

The first part of the session will give you a chance to find out more about this trip and ask any questions you may have
For those who are still interested, the second part of the session will include a short assessment activity to help us understand why you're interested. This is likely to be a short 5 minute informal interview for us to get to know you and why you're interested. As this is such a fantastic opportunity for a very limited number of students, we want to ensure we select the students who will really benefit from the opportunity and be enthusiastic and engaged throughout

We have reached capacity for the information session

Step 2 - Apply

Following attendance at one of the information sessions, students will be sent a short application form to complete. The deadline is noon on Friday 12 December 2025. This application will be scored alongside the assessment task at the information session.

Within the application form, you will need to:

Explain why you are interested in taking part in the programme
Confirm you are available for the dates of the programme (24-30 March 2026)
Confirm you have an up to date passport which is valid until at least October 2026
Name a member of Warwick staff who will be able to submit an academic reference by the application deadline to support your application

You will be informed if you have been accepted on to the programme by Monday 22 December 2025

Step 3 - Accept

If successful, you must confirm that you accept your offered place and provide passport information so that we can book flights by:

Sunday 4 January 2026

Next steps

Attend a social event on campus on Wednesday 21 January 2026 (tbc) to meet the programme leads and other students taking part in the programme
Attend a pre-departure meeting with your fellow attendees and programme leads to prepare for the programme on Wednesday 25 February 2026 (tbc)