Highlights from the 2019 “Global Issues, Local Impacts: Trenton, NJ & Athens, Greece” Program of The College of New Jersey.

The program was led by The College of New Jersey’s Professor of Art History & Classical Studies, Dr. Lee Ann Riccardi, and Assistant Director of Exchange Partnerships for the Center for Global Engagement, Joanne Bateup, and was facilitated by HERC.

The program dealt with global issues that face cities in the modern world and examined how these issues impact two case study cities, Trenton, NJ and Athens, Greece. During the fall semester, students did community-engaged learning projects in Trenton, and in January, they came to Greece for 2 weeks for a global experience that served as a comparison to what they learned in Trenton during the fall. The focus was on a few issues in particular: 1) urban development and the effects of rapid population increases due to immigration, 2) problems caused by economic decline, such as homelessness and drug abuse, and 3) the effects of discrimination due to racial, ethnic, and religious differences.