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When Lauryn Jones ‘25 studied abroad in London last semester, she not only took a variety of courses and immersed herself in the city’s culture, but also gained hands-on experience working with children and adults with learning disabilities—a cause close to her heart

“I have family members with autism spectrum disorder, so it’s important to me, and it’s been really cool to see how this organization works and just how impactful it is for these people and also their families,” said Jones, a population health major on the premedical track at Lehigh University’s College of Health. “I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Jones worked at Centre 404 as part of her study abroad experience through Lehigh and its partner IES Abroad. Centre 404 is a London-based charity that has provided support and services to people with learning disabilities, autism and their families for nearly 70 years.

Jones’ work at Centre 404 was part of her service-based learning placement. In addition to traditional coursework, students in IES London's Health Practice & Policy program are paired with local health organizations for community-based learning, in a setting similar to an internship

“A lot of the health students we get are pre-med, and they’ll want to get into a placement that has a public health background,” said John Ockey, Director of the IES Abroad London Center, where about 320 Lehigh students studied last semester.

“We also have students who say they want to work in a more socially-conscious environment, whether that’s in a charity that supports people suffering from homelessness or issues around addiction, or charities that work with vulnerable migrants and refugees that have arrived into the country,” Ockey said. “So it’s quite a broad range of placements available to them.”

Cheryl Matherly, Vice President and Vice Provost for International Affairs at Lehigh’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), said study abroad programs do not always place such importance on placements and internships, so this is a unique aspect of the partnership between Lehigh and IES Abroad.

“The diversity of experiences offered through these study abroad programs is truly exceptional,” Matherly said. “Our partnership with IES Abroad ensures that students have access to a wide range of placements and educational experiences, allowing them to explore their passions and make a meaningful difference.”

More than 850 Lehigh students have studied abroad since 2008 through Lehigh’s partnership with IES Abroad, which offers more than 140 study abroad programs in 30 locations around the world.

Audrey Vitello ‘25, a population health major at Lehigh, spent her placement at the London-based 4C Labs, an organization advocating for medical cannabis use to treat anxiety and depression. She helped with the preparation and publication processes for various research papers, and also participated in the University of Hertfordshire Drugs and Alcohol Conference.

At 4C Labs, Vitello contributed to research on how cannabis might influence the immune system in both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory ways. Her work led to her co-authoring a paper potentially to be published by the European Journal of Pharmacology, which she called an unexpected but exciting outcome of her study abroad experience.

“Some of the work was a little bit above what I’d been used to, so I think it really pushed me, and that’s good,” Vitello said. “I’m definitely happy I had this experience.”

Students spent 6 to 8 hours per week with their placements. IES Abroad London matched them with companies and organizations aligned with their specific study interests, according to Internships Coordinator Rhys Dunlop. Ockey said they tend to focus on small businesses, because they often provide the best experience.

Dunlop said many of the placement institutions or organizations have a public health background, which is what many of the IES London students are studying. Many students also seek a socially-conscious environment, including charities or companies that work in areas like homelessness, addiction, or sporting migrants and refugees.

“It’s quite a broad reach in terms of the placements,” he said. “It’s really exciting for them, because they get to work on a wide range of issues that they’re really passionate about.”

Even during the COVID-19 crisis, IES London continued to offer service-based learning placements virtually. They have since returned to full-time in-person experiences, though some of the companies have employed hybrid models following the pandemic closures.

Amanda Silberstein ‘25, a psychology major with a health minor, worked with elementary school students during her placement at The King’s School. Although she doesn’t plan to pursue a career in child psychology, she valued the insights gained during her study abroad experience.

“It’s been an amazing opportunity,” she said.