About Us & Activities

Travel and Learn Abroad in the UK  ESU TLab Summer Programs

Educators and lifelong learners: study in the UK for an unforgettable immersive experience! Live and learn on the famed campuses of England and Scotland or take a deep dive into Shakespeare -- standing on the stage of the Globe Theatre. Lose yourself in our short (one-week) and intensive (two- to six-week) courses and explore the history while soaking up the culture for a truly comprehensive learning experience.

Our exclusive partnerships give you access to renowned scholars and behind-the-scenes experiences specifically designed for classroom teachers and lifelong learners. TLab's intensive programs elevate you as you study in official university courses with top professors at the UK's most prestigious campuses.

Our TLab experiences include:

• From Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust (1 week program)
• • From Page to Stage: Text to Theater
• From the Oxford University (2 to 6 week programs)
• • English Literature
  • History, Politics and Society
  • Creative Writing
  • International Politics
• From Shakespeare's Globe (2.5 week program)
• • Teaching Shakespeare Through Performance
• From University of Edinburgh (1 to 6 week programs)
• • Text and Context
  • • Modernism
    • Contemporary Literature
    • Scottish Literature
  • Creative Writing
  • Theatre & Performance

November 2023

The Naples Branch of the English-Speaking Union of the United States is offering a full scholarship to a branch area high school Language Arts/English teacher for study in the United Kingdom during Summer 2024. 

Since 1957, more than 2,700 American high school teachers have continued their own education through summer study at prestigious centers of learning in the United Kingdom – Shakespeare's Globe, University of Edinburgh, and the University of Oxford – as ESU Scholars. Past ESU TLab scholars reflect on their time in the UK: 

If there's one thing you should be prepared for, it's that this experience will not only change your practices in the classroom, but it could quite likely change your life. 

—TLab Scholar, Shakespeare's Globe, Teaching Shakespeare Through Performance

 I feel like I'm back to my undergrad days: wide-eyed, sometimes overwhelmed, but always in awe of the abilities of the people around me. I'm remembering my passion for literature. 

—TLab Scholar, University of Oxford, English Literature Summer School

 ESU TLab Summer Study Programs in the UK give teachers an opportunity to engage in rewarding, enriching professional development – to return to the classroom reinvigorated and inspired, ready to share their experiences with their students and colleagues. TLab Programs also provide up to 100 professional development contact hours. The ESU Naples Branch is excited to offer a scholarship to area teachers.

Learn more about the ESU TLab Programs here. Programs are offered at approximately the same time every summer, 2024 dates & details available January 2024.

 For information on the ESU Naples Branch 2024 TLab Scholarship application & deadlines visit the ESUUS.org website or contact Joy Gorence at jgorence@comcast.com for additional information.

Keeley Fornal, 2022 TLab Winner

Hello, my name is Keeley McEwen Fornal and I want to tell you all how incredibly thankful I am to be the recipient of the T-Lab scholarship this summer. I have been a teacher for the last fifteen years, but prior to being a teacher, I worked as a paralegal with my primary focus in criminal justice, first-degree murder and capital sex crimes. It was during my time working on these types of cases that I realized how many people fell through the cracks of our system. A seed was planted so that maybe I could better serve my community by engaging with young people before they entered the criminal justice system. I retired, began the certification process, and began teaching almost immediately. I currently teach 12th-grade English/Language Arts to high-risk populations. I have worked in private, charter, and now public education. I continue to work with at-risk populations hoping to instill in them a love for literature, but more so an understanding that they are capable of being life-long learners. I am a proud mother of two amazing children, my daughter Alexzandria and my son Kolby, who have been my inspiration and my greatest cheerleaders in my pursuit of my passions and dreams. Without their support, I would not have been able to take this amazing journey and gather the valuable resources that will help guide my curriculum in the coming years.