HPHD Students Travel to Austria
From Tuesday, May 22 to Tuesday, June 12, 2007, HPHD students who enrolled in "Culture and Health in Austria" visited Bad Gleichenberg, Austria, in the foothills of the Alps. Hosted by the FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences; they experienced firsthand European education and lifestyles. Through this program participants studied health-related issues in another country and learned how different cultural, social, and economic factors shape health, wellbeing, and lifestyle.
Participants learned from Austrian experts about cultural and social influences on health care and health promotion and were challenged to apply their observations to health promotion in the American context. They also visited the Sigmund Freud museum in Vienna, curative mineral baths, local food producers and cooperatives, and other health-related venues. Students also enjoyed a three-day field experience in a small mountain village. Along with Austrian students, they experienced the lifestyle of the local people, including their eating habits, physical activity habits, and outlets for leisure and culture. On weekends, students visited Vienna, Salzburg, Budapest, and other cities in the Czech Republic, Italy, and Slovenia.
The School of Health Promotion & Human Development is currently planning a return trip to Austria in May, 2008. Details of the trip can be found Here .