********* THE 2011 SPRING/ SUMMER COURSE CALENDAR WILL BE PUBLISHED SOON ********* REGISTRATION: OCTOBER 15TH - MARCH 31ST
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COURSE SCHEDULE 2010
Spring Program #1:
Art & Culture in Latin America
*May
23rd - June 7th, 2010
Courses: Directed
Studies in Studio Art Objectives:
Students will experience and reflect upon the nature and culture of Costa Rica
through study, direct observation and interaction with its people, natural and
built environment, and institutions of culture. As a result of their experiences
and reflections, the students will create a process-portfolio of works of art,
journal entries, sketches, and exhibition that demonstrates the ways their art
and ways of thinking have been informed by their international study experience. *Spanish language skills would be helpful, but are not required Excursions:
Students will explore Costa Rica on group excursions. Activities included
on the excursions are an integral part of course material and the overall study
abroad experience. Students will explore lava flows and thermal springs at
Arenal Volcano, the cloud forest in Monteverde and beaches on the Pacific coast.
Cost: The program costs $3300. The cost of the program covers lodging
and travel excursions, hotels, entry fees, and transportation. Additional costs
include personal items, airfare and in-state tuition. Payment Methods & Schedule: Application Process:
Application
Optional Post-Course Credit:
Students may remain in Costa Rica after the end of the program, in consultation
with faculty, for advanced credit. Post-course activities could include
continuing research projects (including thesis research), internships,
homestays, community service, conservation work, and travel. Note that
participants who undertake post-course programs remain subject to the guidelines
of the SDPUS, and course faculty.
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Summer Program #2:
* Aqueous Media
* Directed Study in Drawing
* Directed Study in Painting
* Technical Problems in Sculpture
* Technical Problems in Digital Imaging
The purpose is to:
Payment Deadline
Balance Due
Information
April 23rd
$300
Deposit due with application.
May 1st
$1500
May 15th
$1500
Final balance due.
To apply, students must submit a complete application, and a
$300
deposit. No application is complete without the deposit.
*Enrollment is limited to 30 qualified students
Target Dates / Deadlines: Application & $300 deposit deadline:
April 23rd, 2010
Final Balance Due: May 15th, 2010
Program Overview:
This unique program will focus on selected topics in Latin American Literature,
emphasizing fantasy and magical realism in the Latin American narrative of the
20th Century. The course will discuss how various genres question and shape the
"truths" of our conceptions of reality and how these authors critique the
dominant constructions of social class and gender. Students will interact with
Costa Rican authors, poets, musicians, and story tellers in addition to reading
and analyzing excerpts from multiple Latin American writers and watching movies.
Course List: * Topics in Hispanic Culture, Language and Literature (3 credit
hours) * Creative Writing Workshop (3 credit hours)
Lodging and Excursions: During this program, students will be based in private housing in Tamarindo. The program will also explore other regions of Costa Rica on field excursions. Activities included on the excursions are an integral part of course material and the overall study abroad experience.
This program includes multiple field trips around the Monteverde region
including zip-lines and canopy bridges, the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, tours of local organic coffee farms and sugar mills, and a hike to a magnificent
waterfall. The program will also spend time talking to local poets, musicians, a
dance group, and exploring the local music scene. While in Rincon de la Vieja,
one day will be spent on an all-day white water rafting trip on the Rio
Colorado. The group will spend the last few days at the Pacific coast towns that
surround Tamarindo. The program also includes three nights of homestay with
local families in Villareal.
Cost: $3300 per student
The cost of the program covers lodging, in-country transportation on program
excursions and programmed group activities, and entry fees to national parks and
museums. Additional costs include
personal items, airfare, and departure tax upon leaving Costa Rica.
Payment Methods & Schedule:
| Payment Deadline | Balance Due | Information |
|---|---|---|
| May 13th | $300 | Deposit due with application |
| May 31st | $1500 | |
| June 7th | $1500 | Final balance due |
Application Process:
Application
To apply, students must submit a complete application, transient application and
a $300 deposit. No application is complete without the deposit.
*Enrollment is limited to 25 qualified students.
Target Dates / Deadlines: Application
& $300 deposit deadline May 13th, 2010
Final Balance Due:
June 7th, 2010
Optional Post-Course Credit: Students may remain in Costa Rica after the end of the program, in consultation with faculty, for advanced credit. Post-course activities could include continuing research projects (including thesis research), internships, homestays, community service, conservation work, and travel. Note that participants who undertake post-course programs remain subject to the guidelines of the SDPUS, and course faculty.
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Summer Program #3: Tropical Ecology July 2nd - July 17th, 2010
The Costa Rica Ecology Program is an interdisciplinary
tropical field course involving study of tropical environments, their natural
history and their people. The approach is hands-on, with an emphasis on
developing skills of observation, analysis and critical thinking, and learning
to apply those skills in carrying out original research in the field.
While many participants will be from Ecology, students from other disciplines
are strongly encouraged to apply. In previous years, participants have
represented biology, geography, Spanish, Latin American studies,
education, landscape architecture, art, anthropology, journalism, horticulture, and international agriculture, among other fields.
Courses: Participants will normally earn 8 semester hours
* Ecology Laboratory (3 credit hours)
* Ecology Research (2 credit hours)
* Field Study in Oceanography and Marine Methods (3 credit
hours)
Prerequisite: GPA in good standing; BIO or equivalent; selection based on
your application, letters
of reference, and interview.
*No previous background in Spanish is required.
Optional Post-Course Credit:
Students may remain in Costa Rica after the end of the program, in consultation
with faculty, for advanced credit. Post-course activities could
include continuing research projects (including thesis research), internships,
homestays, community service, conservation work, and travel. Note that
participants who undertake post-course programs remain subject to the guidelines
of the SDPUS, and course faculty.
Cost: The program cost is $3300.
Airfare and airport departure fee are additional.
Payment Methods & Schedule:
| Payment Deadline | Balance Due | Information |
|---|---|---|
| June 2nd | $300 | Deposit due with application |
| June 15th | $1500 | |
| June 30th | $1500 | Final balance due |
Application Process:
Application
To apply, students must submit a complete application, and send a
$300 deposit. No application is complete without the deposit, which
will be deducted from the total cost of the program.
*Enrollment is limited to 30 qualified students
Target Dates / Deadlines Application & $300 deposit deadline
is June 2nd, 2010
Final Balance Due June 30th, 2010
Optional Post-Course Credit: Students may remain in Costa Rica after the end of the program, in consultation with faculty, for advanced credit. Post-course activities could include continuing research projects (including thesis research), internships, homestays, community service, conservation work, and travel. Note that participants who undertake post-course programs remain subject to the guidelines of the SDPUS, and course faculty.
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Summer Program #4: Outdoor Adventure Program July 18th - August 1st, 2010
Course: Outdoor Adventure (1 credit hour)
Nowhere in the world is it easier to be "at one with
nature" than in Costa Rica. Exploring the misty cloud forests, volcanic mountain
ranges and tropical rain forests will reveal an unmatched biodiversity. During
this two week adventure, we'll hike just about every day, horseback ride, raft
Class III-IV whitewater, go kayak touring, snorkel, ride the zip-line through
the forest canopy and plant trees to reduce our carbon footprint.
Amid all this physical activity we'll interact with the locals to learn about
the culture and improve our Spanish, learn about the flora and fauna of the
country, better understand the importance of habitat conservation and even share
a meal with a local family to get a true picture of life in Costa Rica.
This trip is designed for outdoor enthusiasts eager to be involved in a
rigorous, high-energy, active learning
experience. One Physical Education credit is available for active participation.
During the program, students will be based in Tamarindo, and then travel to on
excursions to places like Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Monteverde is high
enough in elevation to offer a temperate climate year-round. With wide verandas
overlooking the Valley, a dining room with soaring ceiling, and it has computer
facilities. Participants are housed in spacious bungalows in Monteverde, nestled into the landscape, each room with its own private bath.
Activities For Our Costa Rica Adventure Program:
- 13 out of 15 days will find the group spending the majority of the time outside engaged in physical activity.
- Most days begin with breakfast between 6 -7 a.m.—always plenty to eat to fuel you for the day's activities. Most physical activity is in the morning while afternoons and evenings will find us learning a new skill or engaging in a cultural activity taught by a native Costa Rican.
- Traveling from place to place will be via 7 passenger van or 30 passenger mini-bus on roads that are less smooth than here in the US , but we will have AC! The scenery is always interesting so keep your eyes open as it's fun to catch a glimpse of a toucan, howler monkey or sloth!
- Most every day will find us doing some kind of hiking – from ˝ mile to 8 miles often for 3-6 hours at a time. Our guides will teach us about the plants, animals and historical culture of Costa Rica . Hiking on the Caribbean Coast will be in hot, humid conditions with rain likely every day. At the higher elevations, it won't be as hot, but rain is more likely. The rain makes everything so green, is soothing to listen to and provides some great scenic effects. It's a great time to enjoy being out in the rain like we did when we were kids stomping in puddles!
- Horseback riding will be a guided trail riding tour for 2 hours. Most likely your horse will respond to a kissing sound to avoid problems with the language barriers so pucker up!
- Cow milking will be an utterly tactile physical experience!
- Bird watching will be a leisurely guided walk with eyes peeled and binoculars ready to spot beautiful Costa Rican birds like the Mott-Mott and Resplendent Quetzal Bird.
- The zip-line tour will find students harnessed into the cable pulley traveling between platforms at speeds of 5-25 miles an hour at heights of 25-200 feet above ground. This will be as close to Six Flags as you'll get on this trip!
- For kayak touring students will paddle their boat across the lake with the possibility of experiencing wind and a choppy water surface- but at the base of a volcano that's not too bad!
- Rafting will be a 2 day/overnight eco/tent camping experience. Students will actively paddle under a guide's instructions to maneuver the raft through Class II-IV whitewater rapids. They do say “rest” every so often amid “paddle hard”!!
- Waterfall swimming will be available at various points along the trails. It's a great opportunity to get that “water up your nose” feeling!
Costs: $3300 The cost of the program covers lodging, entry fees, carbon offset and in-country transportation. Airfare is paid separately by the students.
Payment Methods & Schedule:
| Payment Deadline | Balance Due | Information |
|---|---|---|
| June 15th | $300 | Deposit due with application. |
| June 30th | $1500 | |
| July 10th | $1500 | Final balance due. |
Application Process:
Application
To apply, students must submit a complete application, and a
$300 deposit.
No application is complete without the deposit, which will be deducted from the
total cost of the program.
*Enrollment is limited to 30 qualified
students
Target Dates / Deadlines: Application
& $300 deposit deadline June 15th, 2010
Final Balance Due:
July 10th, 2010
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Summer Program #5: PROJECT OVERSEAS August 2nd - August 17th, 2010
Course: Fostering Our Community's Understanding of Science (3 credit hours)
This program is for college students with a science background who are interested in improving science awareness among school children in Costa Rica. Students are not required to have teaching experience or expected to be perfect teachers. This is not a teacher training course...its a service learning course where students provide a much-needed service and learn a little about themselves in the process.
In Costa Rica, PROJECT OVERSEAS students will prepare and present a special two-week science-based experience for school children in the town of Villareal, located about ten minutes from Tamarindo in the Pacific NW of Costa Rica. Students have the option of independent housing or they can live with local families (homestay). Students will travel to other parts of Costa Rica (Manuel Antonio Beach, Monteverde, and to Arenal Volcano) to sample some of the cultural and recreational opportunities.
*Spanish language skills would be helpful, but are not required
Lodging and Excursions: During this program, students will be based in the community of Villareal, about a ten minute drive from Tamarindo. For the first few nights, students will plan with the local teachers in the area. The group will then move to either a private rental or live with a host family (homestay) in Villareal. For the two weeks our group will be running the science activities in the Villareal School District.
This program will also explore other regions of Costa Rica on field excursions. Activities included on the excursions are an integral part of the overall study abroad experience, as students will learn about Costa Rican ecology, ecotourism, sustainable agriculture, and more.
We'll stay at a hotel in a eco-lodge in Rincon de la Vieja for 2 nights over the weekend and will learn about this beautiful volcano region, located in northern Guanacaste. Students will raft the Rio Colorado and learn about conservation efforts along that river.
At the end of the program, students will stay at Monteverde and learn about sustainable coffee and local conservation efforts, participate in Costa Rica's carbon offset program, go zip lining and visit the San Luis waterfall with Costa Rica's Resident Naturalists. The program will wrap up at a local hotel near Arenal Volcano with activities around the volcano and Lake Arenal.
Costs: The program costs $3300. The cost of the program covers lodging, entry fees and transportation on program excursions.
| Payment Deadline | Balance Due | Information |
|---|---|---|
| July 2nd | $300 | Deposit due with application |
| July 15th | $1500 | |
| July 30th | $1500 | Final balance due |
Application Process
Application
To apply, students must submit a complete application, and pay a
$300 deposit. No application is
complete without the deposit, which will be deducted from the total cost of the
program. The deposit will be refunded if the applicant is not accepted.
*Enrollment is limited to 25 qualified students
Target Dates / Deadlines: Application & $300 deposit deadline:
July 2nd, 2010
Final Balance Due: July 30th, 2010
Optional Post-Course Credit: Students may remain in Costa Rica after the end of the program, in consultation with faculty, for advanced credit. Post-course activities could include continuing research projects (including thesis research), internships, homestays, community service, conservation work, and travel. Note that participants who undertake post-course programs remain subject to the guidelines of the SDPUS, and course faculty.
Other Programs Starting: Fall 2010/Winter 2011
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Comparative Biodiversity and Conservation Law 2010 |
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Conservation Biology & Conservation Medicine 2010
*offers undergraduate, graduate and vet med courses |
 |
Insect & Bird Natural History 2010
*offers undergraduate and graduate courses |
 |
International Perspectives on Interracial
Communications 2010 |
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International Studies 2010 |
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Language & Culture Service Learning 2010
*offers undergraduate and graduate courses |
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Nature & Environmental Design: Landscape Architecture
Service-Learning 2010 *Offers undergraduate and graduate courses, primarily for Landscape Architecture majors |