Beyond the Classroom: Schiller Tampa Students Explore U.S. History, Art and Culture

Studying internationally is also an opportunity to discover the history, culture and experiences of the place you call home. At Schiller International University’s Tampa Campus, two recent cultural activities gave students the opportunity to do just that, exploring art and historical artifacts at the Tampa Museum of Art and experiencing U.S. history on stage through a performance of Hamilton.

Although very different, the two experiences shared a common purpose: encouraging students to step beyond the classroom, discover more of Tampa and the United States, and spend time with classmates from across the Campus.

The activities formed part of the broader cultural and academic experiences available to the Tampa community, bringing together students with different backgrounds, programs and levels of study.

Key Takeaways

• Discovering Tampa Through Culture: A visit to the Tampa Museum of Art during Orientation introduced students to one of the cultural experiences available in their host city.
• Exploring U.S. History Through Theater: A group of 16 students and two faculty members attended Hamilton, engaging with American history through a different medium.
• Connecting Students Across Programs: The Hamilton outing included undergraduate and graduate students from across Schiller Tampa’s programs.
• Creating Shared Experiences: Both activities offered opportunities for students to spend time together, exchange perspectives and strengthen connections outside the classroom.
• Making the Host City Part of the Experience: Cultural activities encourage students to explore what Tampa and the wider U.S. environment can offer beyond their academic studies.

Discovering Tampa Through Art

<For students beginning their experience at Schiller Tampa, getting to know the Campus is only one part of Orientation. Getting to know the city around it is also important.

A visit to the Tampa Museum of Art gave students an early opportunity to begin exploring Tampa together. Rather than being designed around a particular course or learning objective, the outing was a cultural experience, introducing students to one of the city’s cultural institutions while giving classmates an informal setting in which to get to know one another.

During the visit, students spent time discussing the artwork and historical artifacts they encountered with their classmates.

The setting provided plenty of variety for those conversations. The Tampa Museum of Art’s permanent holdings include classical antiquities as well as modern and contemporary art. Its collection of classical antiquities comprises more than 660 works spanning a period from nearly 3000 BC to around AD 500.

For Schiller students, however, the visit was primarily about discovering something new together. Exploring a cultural institution in their host city provided an opportunity to exchange perspectives while beginning to build connections with the people with whom they would share their university experience.

Experiencing U.S. History on Stage

Another opportunity to explore American history and culture came through a very different medium: musical theater.

More recently, 16 students and two faculty members from Schiller Tampa attended a performance of Hamilton. Reflecting the Campus’s close-knit community, the group included a mix of undergraduate and graduate students from across its academic programs.

Through the story of Alexander Hamilton, the musical explores figures and events surrounding the American Revolution and the Founding Era of the United States, offering audiences a creative way to engage with this period of American history.

For Schiller’s Tampa community, seeing the musical offered a fun and accessible way to encounter some of this history outside a traditional academic environment.

This was particularly relevant within a Campus community that includes international students as well as students with previous military experience, creating an opportunity to engage with the history of the United States from different personal perspectives.

Making Cultural Experiences Part of the Schiller Journey

Neither the museum visit nor the evening at Hamilton was designed for one particular class. That is precisely what connects the two experiences.

Both were opportunities to bring students together across programs and levels of study, while encouraging them to explore their surroundings through culture.

For students arriving in Tampa from other countries, discovering a new place involves more than becoming familiar with a Campus or academic program. Museums, theater, historical sites and other cultural experiences can provide different ways to understand the city and country in which they are studying.

At the same time, these shared activities create opportunities for students to connect with one another away from their regular academic routines.

From discussing art and historical artifacts at the Tampa Museum of Art to experiencing the story of America’s Founding Era through Hamilton, the two outings reflect a broader idea behind the Schiller experience: the places where our students live and study can also become part of how they learn, connect and experience the world around them.