Las Positas students are used to dealing with the California sun. But this summer, a few will trade it for the warmth of Seville, Spain.
In June and July 2026, LPC will launch its first-ever study abroad program, giving students the chance to earn credit while immersed in Spanish culture. Participants will spend three weeks in Seville studying literature and art history while exploring the city’s historic landmarks.
Study abroad opportunities are limited for community college students, but LPC faculty are working to change that. The program’s organizers hope this first trip will pave the way for future semester-long courses abroad.
“Ideally, this is also just inspiring people to study abroad,” humanities professor Elizabeth Wing Brooks said. “Maybe if you transfer to a UC, you can go through EAP, or the CSU study abroad programs.”
The trip includes two classes: an English “Studies in Fiction” course and Humanities 11, covering art history from the Neolithic to the Renaissance eras. After three weeks in Seville, students will complete the remaining coursework online.
Brooks spent two years developing the trip alongside English professor Katie Egan, who will be traveling with students. Egan, who previously taught in Croatia, helped create the college’s Global Engagement Task
“I started talking to a lot of faculty about globalizing a curriculum,” Egan said.
To organize the trip, LPC partnered with the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS). According to their website, AIFS has provided opportunities for 1.8 million students. Building such a network yields resources.
“They have all the logistical stuff,” Brooks said. “They have people that are there, who are local coordinators. If you have any trouble, they have a 24-hour emergency contact. They provide all the tour guides, the buses, they get the classrooms for us… so you have to use their infrastructure.”
Students will be provided shelter by families residing in Seville, with two students bunking together per family. No Spanish knowledge is needed, as all information will be provided in English
“You might try out your Spanish and ask for something wrong, and so okay,” Egan explained.
The biggest roadblock LPC faced was funding. Even now that they’ve built a pathway for students to study abroad, those same issues continue to plague them.
Students must pay $4,195 to partake in the program, which covers insurance, but not airfare or food. Students should expect to spend approximately $5,000 to $6,000 total.
Brooks understands the costs from her experience as a college student who desired to travel the world. She spent a year of her own college tenure in Seville, looking for the most affordable program to study abroad.
“I think the best education is traveling and being in other cultures and places and experiencing what life is like for other people,” Brooks said. “It opens your eyes more than anything else can do because you’re really experiencing it.”
Egan also dedicated a portion of her education to studying abroad, emphasizing how the experience shaped her future. She highlighted how the most embarrassing moments can still serve as a valuable learning experience.
“I had this embarrassing experience of melting my curling iron,” Egan explained. “I stupidly didn’t use my adapter, so I plugged it in, and like this horrible smell of molten plastic was coming from my bedroom. So I had to go ‘oh my gosh… I have to tell my host family who I’d only just met.’ It was really tough. So that kind of stuff will happen… learning to take risks and deal with the consequences.”
Students can expect full schedules including guided tours, a cooking class, guest lectures and visiting historic landmarks such as the Seville Cathedral and The Real Alcázar palace.
“85% of students agree that studying abroad was the most meaningful and transformative experience of their undergrad,” Brooks said. “You learn to be independent, you get really close with the people you’re with. You kind of push yourself out of your comfort zone… You get to just see the world.”
The school is seeking to join the Northern California Community College Study Abroad Consortium. Semester-long programs will be expanding to South Korea, Japan, Mexico, Italy and England.
“That’s long-term goals,” Brooks said. “Maybe we could do something like that, but we have to start small.”
For now, the Hawks are set to go all in on Spain.
“Embrace adventure,” Egan said, “and don’t be intimidated by the cost.”
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TOP PHOTO: Next summer, Las Positas debuts its first study abroad program in Spain. (Photo by Envato Elements)
Sydney Breckenridge is the A&E and Social Media Editor for The Express. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @SydBreckenridge.
