Resources

Study Abroad

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U of I Study Abroad in Latin America and Spain

Summer 2011, fall 2011, and academic year 2011-12 programs.

The U of I Study Abroad Office organizes study programs in Latin American countries.. For information, visit the University of Illinois Study Abroad.
Below is a list of some of our key programs that are still accepting applications.  We have extended the application deadline for three summer programs in Latin America.  Click on the links for more information.  

The new application deadline is March 1, 2011.

Study Abroad in Latin America

LAS/SAO Course Abroad: PORT 200, 400, 401, 402 & 404 Portuguese Language and Brazilian Culture - Brazil

* Salvador, Brazil - summer 2011
-> Led by Prof. Tosta from the Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese
-> Portuguese language and cultural studies in northeast Brazil; program length 6 weeks

SAO-Social Work: SOCW 380/561 Community-based Learning in Costa Rica - Costa Rica

* Social Work in San Joaquín, Costa Rica - summer 2011
-> Led by Prof. Coble Lindsey from the School of Social Work
-> Direct experience of human service delivery through institutional visits and volunteering
-> Students from all academic backgrounds are eligible; length 4 weeks

* San Joaquín, Costa Rica - summer & fall 2011
-> Spanish language and culture courses, lots of support, and lots of focus on the community
-> All courses have been pre-approved for Spanish Department credit

** Come to our info session for SOCW 380/561 on Tuesday, Feb. 15 at 4:00PM in 2015 School of Social Work

LAS/SAO Course Abroad: Global Studies 298 Education and Development: A Case Study in Ecuador: Examining Education Enrichment for Children in a Small Andean Community - Ecuador

* Lumbisí, Ecuador - summer 2011
-> Led by Prof. Hancin-Bhatt from the LAS Global Studies program
-> Examining education enrichment for children in a small Andean community; length 4 weeks

Study Abroad in Spain

* Granada - summer & fall 2011
-> Spanish language and culture courses; study in Andalusia in southern Spain
-> College town size and atmosphere, live with a host family, and lots of support
-> All courses have been pre-approved for Spanish Department credit

* Barcelona - academic year 2011-12  **Deadline: February 1**
-> Spanish language and culture courses, plus option of enrolling in local university courses
-> Spain's second largest city, on the shores of the Mediterranean; host family and apartment housing
-> Courses taken in the program are considered academic residence courses

* Bilbao - summer & fall 2011
-> Spanish language and culture courses; study in Basque Country in northern Spain
-> Highly modernized city, home of a Guggenheim museum; host family, apartment, and dorm housing
-> All courses have been pre-approved for Spanish Department credit.


For more information visit www.studyabroad.illinois.edu or call 217.333.6322

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CLASP Programs

The Consortium for Latin American Studies Programs provides a comprehensive list of summer programs in less-commonly taught and indigenous Latin American languages offered by universities throughout the United States. Click here for more information

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January 2011 Study abroad in Guatemala and Costa Rica: HORT 464 International Horticulture Products course in Crop Sciences

Guatemala
January 2-8, 2011
Antigua; macademia nut, Ecke and Goldsmith farm tours; Lake Atitlan, coffee; Chichicastenango market.

Costa Rica
January 9- 15, 2011
Volcano, rainforest exploration; pinapple, banana and chocolate tours; Linda Vista seed production, Universidad EARTH; freee time on the Caribbean Coast!

For more information please visit Study Abroad, Universiy of Illinois: :

http://studyabroad.illinois.edu, and search HORT 464.

Sign up deadline: October 15, 2010

Estimated cost: $1,200; airfare not included; Scholarships available.

For more information, contact:

Dan Anderson (aslan@illinois.edu)
Department of Crop Science
240 ERML, MC- 051
(217) 621-7974

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Summer 2010: Intensive Quechua. Centro Tinku, Peru

June 27 - August 16
Centro Tinku, Cusco, Peru.

For more information, please visit Cento Tinku's web page:
http://www.centrotinku.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=64 

Predeparture Intensive Quechua.pdf (168k bytes) Open
QIP 2010 payment form.pdf (86k bytes) Open
Registration form Tinku.pdf (169k bytes) Open

Schedule 2010 Int.pdf (136k bytes) Open

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INEPAS: Experiencing Life in Guatemala

INEPAS was founded in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala in 1994 as a civil non-profit-making association. It is fully recognized by the Guatemalan government for performing a range of social, legal, and humanitarian projects within the framework of developing rural communities in and around Quetzaltenango. INEPAS functions solely with the help of national and international volunteers who offer their support, professional talent and work experience in diverse fields.

INEPAS has received official recognition from UNESCO. Its first social project, the foundation and construction of a rural school in the Maya-K'iché community of Choquiac was designated by UNESCO as exemplary for other organizations that work on similar projects. INEPAS generates the necessary funds for its social aid programs through its Spanish language school, thus remaining self-sustaining and non-partisan.

We offer a variety of options for individuals wishing to learn Spanish:

The Language Immersion Program: for those whose primary aim is to learn Spanish.
This is tailored to meet the needs of the individual, comprising of structured, intensive one-to-one tuition daily. Daily socio-cultural activities are arranged according to the interests of the students, including visits to local villages, trips to areas of natural beauty, films, sports and conferences on various aspects of Guatemalan life.

The Service Learning Program: for those who wish to learn Spanish in the context of voluntary work.
This consists of intensive one-to-one Spanish tuition each weekday morning and in the afternoons, students can participate in one of our social aid programs. Working directly with communities increases the desire and motivation to learn the Spanish language, whilst the classroom time enables participants to be more effective in their work in those communities. Thus both occupations complement and enhance each other.

Voluntary Internships: both in Social Projects and as an International Co-ordination Assistant. More information about these can be found on our website.

If you would like to receive more information about our organization, please visit our website at www.inepas.org or
contact us at info@inepas.org.

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Nexos Voluntarios

Volunteer in different programs in Peru (Lima and Cusco). For more information, visit www.nexosvoluntarios.org.

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Study Abroad Opportunity in Guamtemala for Undergraduate and Graduate Students

The Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Arizona and the Center for Mesoamerican Research in Guatemala (CIRMA) invite you to study abroad in Guatemala.

CIRMA is a leading intellectual center in Guatemala whose work focuses on ethnic relations in Guatemala and Central America, as well as social justice, development and the legacy of the Central American civil wars and peace processes. The professors and lecturers at CIRMA are renowned Central American scholars, policy experts, activists and artists.

The CIRMA study abroad program offers Spanish and Mayan language classes, intermediate and advanced courses in History, Anthropology, Environmental Studies and Latin American literature and politics, a home-stay with a Guatemalan family, and engaging field trips, for-credit internships and research opportunities.

CIRMA classes are approved for University of Arizona credit. Many classes can be taken for graduate credit. Students benefit from CIRMA?s extensive archival and photographic collections.

http://www.cirma.org.gt (click on the study abroad link on the CIRMA web page)

WHAT STUDENTS SAY

  • CIRMA provides a very supportive environment, with small class sizes, a lot of personalized attention. We've really bonded as a group. Antigua is a beautiful, vibrant, and welcoming town. Casey Edwards, Fall 2007 student.
  • My experience in Antigua was truly unforgettable. I am amazed at how much I learned, how many great friendships I made and how much of Guatemala I was able to see in only six weeks. The program at CIRMA was wonderful, and I recommend it to anyone considering applying. Ashley MacLaren, Summer 2007.
  • What I love about CIRMA is that the professors are completely unique. Our history professor was a former guerrilla! Also, it's not a big university, and CIRMA organizes everything, including extra field trips to places we would never get to otherwise. We just went to Santa Anita, a little town in the department of Quetzaltenango, to meet with a community of ex-combatants who grow their own coffee and export it to the US. There is such a family here, and so many people to go to in case there's a problem. Bill Burden, Fall 2007.

A UNIQUE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM

  • Professors at CIRMA are Central American experts who have lived the history that they teach. For example, the history class focuses on Central American revolutions, and the professor is a former diplomatic representative of the Salvadoran FMLN. The Archeology professor is currently working on an excavation in the Petén region. The Environmental Studies professor is one of Guatemala's leading experts in the area of biodiversity and environmental policy.
  • The professors are available to work with you on independent studies.
  • The Center for Mesoamerican Research (CIRMA) can help you arrange an internship in a local organization or in the CIRMA archives (students from Fall 2007 semester said this was their favorite part of the academic program). This looks impressive on a resume or graduate school application, it is a way to practice your Spanish and contribute to the work of Guatemalan organizations, and it also awards you up to 3 academic credits.
  • Antigua is a breathtakingly beautiful colonial city and a safe place to live and study.
  • You can receive one additional credit by attending the weekly colloquium presentations given by prominent Guatemalan scholars, artists and activists.

ARRIVAL AND HOMESTAY

  • Upon arrival, you are picked up at the airport, handed your own personal cell phone and taken directly to your homestay with a Guatemalan family in Antigua. On your way to your home stay, a CIRMA representative will call you on your cell phone to welcome you to Guatemala and answer any questions you have. A stress-free arrival!

FIELD TRIPS AND TRAVEL

  • The CIRMA professors lead optional field trips to their areas of interest. Students may meet with community leaders in a former rebel stronghold in El Salvador; visit a fair trade coffee plantation in the highlands of Guatemala; hike to archeological sites in the Peten jungle; or visit a national park, Sierra de las Minas, to study the politics of conservation and biodiversity.
  • A mini-course will focus on human rights in the wake of the Central American civil wars, and the course will include visits to various indigenous communities within Guatemala, as well as to El Salvador.
  • The Spanish teachers take students to university classes and events in Guatemala City and incorporate trips to the market, museums, and cafés in Antigua into their classes.
  • You will have Fridays off (no classes), and most students take advantage of the long weekends to travel on their own. From Antigua, you can easily catch buses to all the diverse regions of Guatemala, from the Mayan highlands to the black sand beaches of the Pacific coast. You can visit market towns, rainforests, and hot springs. Some students even travel throughout Central America and Belize. (Many foreign visitors travel to Guatemala each year, and traveling in the country is generally safe, although you need to be cautious about tourism-related common crime. CIRMA staff will give you tips on traveling on your own within Guatemala.)

ACADEMICS AND INTERNSHIPS

CIRMA offers Spanish and Mayan language instruction, as well as small, personalized classes covering a range of topics. Many classes can be taken for honors credit, and some classes can be taken for graduate credit. Students receive a University of Arizona transcript. CIRMA has one of the best libraries in the region, and students can use this library to write their papers, and even do research for a senior thesis. Students at CIRMA have on-site access to the internet, with their own lounge and reading room. The rooftop classroom overlooks the Agua volcano.

For a 2009 schedule of classes, program costs and application deadlines:

CONTACT:

Latin America Program Coordinator, UA Study Abroad Office: Jill Calderón, email: jcaldero@email.arizona.edu

http://www.cirma.org.gt (click on study abroad on the left side of the website)

UA Guatemala Study Abroad website: http://studyabroad.arizona.edu (choose Guatemala under View Programs)

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Global Exchange

Is a non-profit research, education, and action center dedicated to promoting people-to-people ties around the world. Since our founding in 1988, we have been striving to increase global awareness among the US public while building international partnerships around the world. If you have a particular destination in mind, browse Tours by Country (Costa Rica/Nicaragua, Cuba, Haiti, and Mexico, and the US-Mexico Border). If you are interested in specific issues, take a look at Tours by Issue. If you have to fit a trip into your vacation schedule, start with Tours by Date. All tours are cross-linked by country, issue and date. One example of their "Reality Tours" is Haiti: A Culture of Resistance. You can also find volunteer opportunities with Global Exchange.Click here for more information

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Study Abroad Opportunities through the Center for Global Education at Augsburg College

Undergraduate Study Abroad Programs in Cuernavaca, Mexico and in Central America. Integrate solid academic work with real-life experiences. You learn not only from books, but also by living fully in the midst of the society you are studying, encountering the people and culture inside and outside the walls of a classroom. Click here for more information

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