EDUCATION is about so much more than sitting in a classroom and a group of American students got a real taste of Irish life on Wednesday as they visited Rossa Park.

As part of a week-long visit to Belfast, the group from Felician University in East Rutherford, New Jersey, enjoyed an evening where they learnt about the club and picked up a cúpla focal from Gerard 'Yash' Armstrong, enjoyed a performance on the harp from Poppy McGarrity, took in the O'Donovan Rossa vs Lámh Dhearg senior football game and even got to try the sport alongside the club's Gaelic For Mothers and Others team (G4MO) of which Meabh Harvey, playing member and Rossa Health and Wellbeing officer, helped organise alongside Anne McIvor and Orla McShane from INTO QUB, plus Katriona Doran, QUB INTO Welfare Officer.

Their visit was beneficial for all as Rossa aim to develop further inclusion and diversity within their club by welcoming other cultures and sharing their own to those who have arrived in Belfast to visit or make it their home.

The G4MO team have hopes of making the trip across the Atlantic next year for the annual blitz hosted by New York Ladies GAA, so forging links and building relationships is key to making that happen.

But the visit of eight students and Dr Anthony Scardino, Associate Dean of Business at Felician, has been a mix of business and pleasure as they have been welcomed to Queen's University through the INTO programme that welcomes International students to study as the Belfast university through a range of pathways including Management and Finance and Accounting.

That pathway tied in with the visitors from New Jersey who are in the city for a week as part of an exchange programme where they learnt about the city thanks to Visit Belfast, been apprised of career pathways by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and of course, enjoyed their trip to West Belfast on Wednesday on top of some work with the international students at QUB.

"This is my sixth trip to Belfast and second time here (Rossa)," said Dr Scardino.

"We feel this is a part of the wider experience as although they are getting the business knowledge and are working on skills, this helps them get deeply embedded into the culture.

"In a first semester, they might get attached over time, but as we have a short time, doing things like this helps get connected to the community.

"In one of the bigger European cities, you would just be another number, but we have always been very welcome here."

The Felician Professor has been a regular visitor to the city with students having first brought students across the pond in 2016.

The Covid pandemic put the brakes on the relationship for a couple of years, but it has grown and the links between Belfast and New Jersey look set to strengthen further in the years ahead.

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"When we came here last year, they started to teach them Gaelic and that was such a nice add-on we weren't expecting," Dr Scardino continued.

"This only happens because of the relationships we have built over the years with Meabh and Anne. The first number of years we worked with Belfast Met but this year with Queen's to try something a little different.

"Part of this is that Belfast is a cool city. They've (students) had a great time, met some locals who are very friendly and that is all part of their experience.

"Learning by doing and really being in the trenches, coming up here (Rossa) and learning a sport they may never have heard of.

"They get a chance to be immersed in a way they wouldn't usually as you are never going to get this on a regular tour. It's building community and when they asked if we wanted to do this again, I said 'absolutely'.

"We get the kids out of what I would call the 'Jersey bubble' as some don't want to travel for a full semester, but maybe feel more committable on a faculty trip. My goal is to continue to build this as right now, I'm trying to build more relationships globally and maybe have students from here (Belfast) come to the United States."

That is music to the ears of all at Rossa and QUB as the presence of their American visitors has been of benefit to the international students at Queen's who have embarked on their International Year 1, Management and Finance and Accounting course which is a pathway to progress into Queen's through INTO.

Dr Anthony Scardino (centre) with Orla McShane from INTO QUB and Brian White from O'Donovan Rossa
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Dr Anthony Scardino (centre) with Orla McShane from INTO QUB and Brian White from O'Donovan Rossa

"This is the first time there has been a collaboration at Higher Education level, but for most of our students, English is a foreign language as most come from non-English speaking countries," explained Orla McShane from INTO QUB.

"The focus was to see how international students see Belfast, whether they are in first or senior year, and if they see Belfast as a place to study due to its benefits and of course, attracting them to Queen's.

"What stood out this week is the employability skills we've been developing so they are doing project-based learning where they have to show leadership, take ownership and motivate a group - what you have to do in employment these days."

Belfast is becoming increasingly popular as a place to work, study and live, so the INTO QUB pathway is vital in attracting some of the brightest to the city.

Part of that is becoming part of communities, so with the GAA's ethos of family and community, it is an ideal fit to make everyone feel right at home.

The Felician University students will return home with a deeper understanding of what makes Belfast tick and also with the experiences of a new culture.

"They come, do project work and some tourist work, so this evening we have them taking part in some local culture work," Anne McIvor added.

"They learn a bit of Irish and then go out and play a bit of Gaelic (football) so what helps bring the whole project together in terms of education, fun, engagement and also interactive, so hopefully they can come back every year."