04/20/2026
I would be remiss to not share the amazing 11th year of the Bridging the Atlantic (BTA) 2026 Nursing Student Exchange with UMassD and the University of the Azores junior nursing students with collaborations in the Azores, Portugal (Terceira, Sao Miguel) & UMass Dartmouth (USA).
Our community/public health topic this semester was substance use disorder which we researched from a global, national and local lens, with a focus on ‘Bridging Stigma’.
Together we traveled to agencies in both countries who provide care to this vulnerable group, while learning about treatment options, challenges, success stories, policies, laws, and stigma; sharing our work and new insights at 3 separate Symposia.
In addition, we toured hospitals, community health centers, where students had an opportunity to shadow a nurse.
We perused museums, explored cities, thermal baths, beaches, had meals together, attended classes, all while being immersed in the culture and language of the universities and communities beyond the universities.
During the exchange we often forget the impact of family visits in both countries as the ties from the SouthCoast to the Azores are steadfast and true.
We remain grateful for the continued support we received, the coffee that fueled us, the curiosity of the students and sharing of agency time and commitment to this important work.
And finally, none of this work and commitment would be possible without determined faculty to put the many pieces of BTA together behind the scenes and the 16 students who took a chance out of their comfort zones to learn about a different country, culture, language, health care system and learn from nurses, agencies and one another across the Atlantic Ocean. 🌊 🌎
And as tradition would have it, we celebrated the exchange with a gala dinner with esteemed guests.
