It is officially international week on campus, and as part of the week-long celebration we are excited to announce the faculty-led study away courses that will be offered in the upcoming academic year! These courses are an incredible opportunity to study unique topics for a term or semester on campus and then travel with fellow students and faculty/staff leaders for 2-3 weeks during winter or summer break. The cost of each course is partially subsidized by the college and students are encouraged to extend their travels independently whenever possible to include an international internship, work experience, or solo travel.

 

The application deadline for the fall study abroad courses (Belize and Costa Rica) will be March 1st, so it's time to start thinking about your options! Students from all disciplines who have a 2.5 GPA are encouraged to apply.

 

Without further ado, the study away courses that will be offered during the 2023-24 academic year are:

 

 

Belize: Comparative Psychology and Cultural-Historical Studies

Credits: 4 (PSY 3730) Fall Semester course with travel in Belize over winter break 
Instructors: Bob Swoap (Professor of Psychology) and Christine Swoap (Professor of Spanish Language)
Travel Dates: Dec. 27-Jan.6

Comparative psychologists study the behavioral patterns & minds of a wide array of animal species, including humans. There is an emphasis on discovering similarities & differences across species that may shed light on evolutionary & developmental processes. Belize has a rich marine life as well as diverse cultural and language traditions. We will use a comparative & cross-cultural lens to focus on marine species and on learning from the people of Belize. After the fall semester, we will travel together for an 11-day field course to Belize to assist researchers from EcoMar (focusing on conservation issues & marine research) and to learn about the country, its people, and its traditions. We will visit & learn about Mayan ruins, cultural heritage sites, etc. We will stay at a Belizean family-owned villa where Spanish and Mayan languages are spoken with regular opportunities to immerse ourselves in the culture and daily Belizean life.

Application Fee: $75.00
Course Fee: $2,300* + airfare (est. $900-$1100)
*(Limited amounts of need-based financial aid available)
GPA Requirement: 2.5 minimum
Application Deadline: March 1st, 2023

 

Costa Rica: Bricks to Bread: Intercultural Community Engagement in Costa Rica 

Credits: 2 (SWK 3750) Fall term 2 course with winter break travel
Instructors: Lucy Lawrence (Professor of Social Work) & Diamond Slone-Couch (Associate Director of the Bonner Leaders Program)
Travel Dates: Dec. 29-Jan. 12

 

Through the distinct and interconnected lenses of social justice, community engagement, and intercultural development, students examine myriad and interdependent social, environmental, political, economic, and cultural issues in Costa Rica, from both historical and contemporary perspectives. Students develop an intercultural understanding of resiliency and approaches to social justice, and they examine ways in which Costa Rica's distinctive culture influences current societal issues. In the 2-week field study in Costa Rica, students in this course have the opportunity for intercultural exchange through immersive PEG2-designated community engagement. Students will collaborate with a rural Costa Rican community in building a brick oven that will lead to entrepreneurship and economic independence of generations of women.

Application Fee: $75.00
Course Fee: $1,800* + airfare (est. $900-$1,200)
*(Limited amounts of need-based financial aid available)
GPA Requirement: 2.5 minimum
Application Deadline: March 1st, 2023

 

Greece: Climate Change in Mediterranean Ecosystems
Credits: 4 (BIO 3XXX) Spring semester course with May travel in Greece for two weeks
Instructors: Alisa Hove (professor of biology) & Brian Conlan (Director of the Library)

Travel Dates: May 12-24, 2024

In recent years, global climate change has emerged as a complex and contentious issue facing humankind. This course introduces students to the discipline of Global Change Biology, which focuses on the biosphere's responses to large scale perturbations to the Earth system. The course will introduce the scientific basis for our understanding of the Earth's climate system, discuss how knowledge of past climate change informs our understanding of current impacts, and consider the predicted effects of climate change in Mediterranean type ecosystems (MTE's). MTE's cover 2% of Earth's land (only occurring in California, Chile, the Mediterranean basin, South Africa, & Australia), but harbor extremely high biodiversity. In part due to their characteristic climate, MTE's are experiencing some of the most intense effects of climate change. We will use case studies in conservation biology, fire ecology, & sustainable agriculture to consider the impacts of climate change in MTE's.

Application Fee: $75.00
Course Fee: $2,300* + airfare (est. $1,300-$1,500)
*(Limited amounts of need-based financial aid available)
GPA Requirement: 2.5 minimum
Application Deadline: October 6th, 2023

 

Ireland: A Personal Book of Hours

Credits: 4 (PSY/ART 3750) Spring semester course with May travel in Ireland for two weeks
Instructors: Cristina Reitz-Krueger (professor of psychology) & Jessica White (professor of art)
Travel Dates: May 12-26, 2024

This Art & Psychology course is an introduction to the medieval Book of Hours and how it can be adapted to contemporary life. Especially popular in the Middle Ages, Books of Hours were devotional manuscripts that contained daily prayers and meditations that covered topics in everyday life from weather, to travel, to death and grief. Students will make personal books of hours using traditional European medieval materials and techniques, then fill the books with texts utilizing a variety of calligraphy scripts and illuminated drawing techniques. Alongside our bookmaking, we'll explore the psychology behind mindful journaling, art as a form of meditation, and personal narrative in cross-cultural contexts. During travel in Ireland, students will learn from primary sources held in the Special Collections at the Royal Irish Academy and the Book of Kells at Trinity Library. The group will spend time in Dublin and then at the Burren College of Art in Ballyvaughan, Ireland.

Application Fee: $75.00
Course Fee: $1,900* + airfare (est. $1,100-$1,300)
*(Limited amounts of need-based financial aid available)
GPA Requirement: 2.5 minimum
Application Deadline: October 6th, 2023

 

Mexico: Rights, Revolution, and Ruins

Credits: 2 (GBL 3750) Term 4 course with May travel in Mexico for two weeks
Instructors: Jay Lively (Integrated Advising Coach) and Paul Bobbitt (Associate Dean of Work)
Travel Dates: May 12-26, 2024

This course will take a look at Mexico through the lens of human rights and how the past influences present-day life for Mexicans. From the bustling streets and museums of Mexico City, to the beautiful colonial town of San Cristobal de las Casas, and then deeper into the southern state of Chiapas with its' beautiful mountains and jungles that are home to some of North America's most marginalized and isolated communities. Students will learn about the history of the Mayan Empire in southern Mexico and will visit ancient ruins, providing a geographical and historical context to the struggles that those of Mayan descent experience today and during the past century. This struggle extends to a lack of basic necessities for many who call Chiapas home, specifically a lack of clean water, a topic that students will spend time learning about as well as engaging with local schools who are addressing the issue by building their own water filtration systems and more.

Application Fee: $75.00
Course Fee: $1,400* + airfare (est. $700-$900)
*(Limited amounts of need-based financial aid available)
GPA Requirement: 2.5 minimum
Application Deadline: October 6th, 2023

You can find these course descriptions, including the associated fees, on MyWWC. Stop by the log cabin any time if you have questions, or feel free to schedule an advising appointment with Rachel Kerr by signing up for a slot on her calendar here.