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The Big Pond Difference
The Big Pond Difference
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The Big Pond Story

Big Pond Education was born during the quiet reflection of 2020.

We saw too much study abroad being  reliant on "cookie-cutter" logistics and sights that often missed the heart of the learning experience.

We set out to offer a more human-scale alternative: an intentional bridge between the U.S. classroom and the real world.

We let Ireland do the teaching, turning this fascinating island into a living classroom where students stop being visitors and start seeing the world (and themselves) differently.

Local engagement: the living classroom

We believe the key to unlocking a transformative experience is through programs intentionally designed to help students understand the rich, complex layers of modern Irish society.

Planet & People

We encourage environmental awareness, social curiosity, and thoughtful engagement with the communities students encounter. Through this local connection and optional climate literacy initiatives, students explore how places evolve and how individuals can engage as responsible citizens.

The boutique partnership

We partner with colleges & universities who share this ethos. Big Pond is committed to operating as an extension of your own campus in Ireland. We provide the local expertise and professional trust required to solve your program needs and institutional challenges in Ireland.

Face-to-face

We offer partners a commitment that we will always look to develop their students’ human potential through face to face experiences, and their academic potential through outstanding courses. To our host communities we offer a commitment that our programs will make a positive, long-term contribution at a grassroots level.

Education abroad vs study abroad

We talk a lot about ‘education abroad’ as opposed to ‘study abroad’ because of the comprehensive academic and personal benefits of an overseas experience. We also talk a lot about the power of ‘intentionally designed’ experiences, including fair pricing to give our partners scope to expand access.

Mark Blakemore

Mark Blakemore

LinkedIn profile link
co-foundeR | Chief Partnerships Officer

“Simply studying in a new country isn’t enough to guarantee a shift in perspective.

At Big Pond, we help Ireland do the teaching by connecting every student’s journey to the real-world stories and people on this fascinating island.

Ireland’s compact scale is a gift for intentional study abroad. Its complex systems become more accesible in a short space of time.

Ireland’s size and cultural richness allow us to co-design programs where a morning seminar can connect directly to an afternoon visit to a community setting, or to a tailored policy briefing.

We are committed to creating those light-bulb moments where students stop being visitors and start developing the problem framing and creative reasoning skills they need to navigate a complex world."

Karl Dowling

Karl Dowling

LinkedIn profile link
CO-FOUNDER | Chief Operating Officer

“We built Big Pond because we saw too much of study abroad becoming transactional, often at the expense of both the student experience and institutional goals.

We are the local expertise here in Ireland that our partners need to solve complex challenges. That might be providing a seamless Irish home for individual semester students, being an extension of your campus for a customized, faculty-led program, or differentiating an Admissions offer through a First Year Abroad program.

Big Pond puts clear blue water between your institution and its competitors by building a standout Irish offering that is uniquely yours, both in its design and its impact."

We'd love to help you build something great together.
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