It’s a little early to be thinking about what you’ll be doing in Summer 2026 when Summer 2025 isn’t even here yet, but it’s never too early to learn about the exciting summer faculty-led travel courses that are offered at Dodge College.  Whether you’re into animation, documentary filmmaking or entertainment marketing, there are excellent options to be had. These programs are the perfect opportunity to explore different cultures and to refine your skills, setting yourself up for post-college success. Students who have taken these trips come back with long-lasting memories as well as worthy experiences to put on their resumes. Mark your calendars for the next available opportunities: Registration begins in January 2026.

ANIMATION STORYTELLING AT GOBELINS IN THE HEART OF PARIS (AVE 348)

Who doesn’t want to go to Paris? Students interested in animation, VFX and story pitching have been jumping at the chance to take spend time at Gobelins, the most renowned animation school in the world, and to have the opportunity to take in the City of Lights. Animation Associate Professor Ruth Daly and Assistant Professor John Perez lead this course, which debuted in 2023.

“Students get to experience another sphere of animation and international film,” Perez says, “where students are exposed to the creativity and connections that are made there.”

While those with experience in animation and similar creative fields are prioritized, AVE 348 is open to all students.

Senior Will Corson is happy about that. He took it last year and found it to be transformational. His mentor at Gobelins was a producer who helped him see the versatility of animation and how a career that combines different fields of film can be pursued. “I had pretty set plans to work in screenwriting for TV shows and films,” he says. “Now I have an internship for a production company that also works on graphic novels and books, and after taking that trip I’m thinking about possibly expanding to that route too.”

“This trip is probably the best synthesis of an academic and cultural experience,” Perez says. “You get to go out of your bubble and meet people around the world who think like you to expand your experiences and take them back with you for your future careers.”

 

GLOBAL DOCUMENTARY AND COMMUNICATIONS (SCC/DOC 317)

From Bhutan to Panama, Thailand to Nepal, students have traveled all over the world with Global Documentary and Communications since its inception about a decade ago. This year, led by professors Sally Rubin, Michael Ross and Lisa Sparks, participants are headed to the majestic Alps of France and Italy to create documentaries that spotlight the culture and lifestyles of the countries they are visiting.

The course, which is open to all majors, is a true collaborative experience. Students form small groups, each of them specializing in a specific part of the production process, whether they have film skills or not.

“Everyone always has an important role in this class even if students may not have any documentary experience,” Rubin says.

Creative Producing junior Ember Draffin was a scholarship recipient last summer when the group went to Japan and created a documentary about their scholarship donor, Jaren Sethi, and his Sikh religion. Immersed in the culture, they filmed in his home, office, and the Sikh house of worship he attended growing up, to capture his early years in Japan and the beliefs he lives by in an authentic way.

“It’s a trip I will never forget,” Draffin says. “It was a great way to make new friends, too!”

 

CANNES LIONS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF CREATIVITY (PRA 360)

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, dubbed “the Oscars of advertising” by students who have been there, is the largest advertising and creative communications convention in the world. For five days in June, some of the biggest CEOs in the world and boldface names such as Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, Kenan Thompson and social media influencer Alix Earle lead workshops and share their successes in the advertising industry in one of France’s most beautiful cities. Professors Eva Finn and Kathy Thibault lead the trip, which requires that students attend a minimum of three workshops a day. But it’s a one-of-kind experience that motivates students to often attend upwards of 10 workshops a day instead.

“You know you’re going to see some of the best work in advertising around the world,” says Tyler Weitzman, a business and public relations double major who attended the trip last year. “You make it what you put into it.”

Professor Finn adds that there have been students who have gotten internships by simply making conversation with people next to them in line for workshops and speeches, emphasizing the importance of stepping out of one’s shell while on this trip, and how much it can do for students in the long run.

“The beauty of this trip is that it’s planned and it’s not, so it’s best to take every opportunity you have to learn or meet new people,” she says.

Weitzman is heading back to Cannes this summer and offers this advice: “Do your homework to find out who might be at the festival. You never know what connections can come out of simply recognizing someone.”

 

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Find out more about all of Chapman’s summer programs, including how to apply and financial aid.