"Through travel I first became aware of the outside world; it was through travel that I found my own introspective way into becoming a part of it."-- Eudora Welty
Faculty-Led Programs Abroad are increasingly popular with many UVM students and offer a unique, short-term study abroad experience. Since 2003, nearly one thousand UVM students have earned credits through Continuing Education on Faculty-Led Programs. FLPA are a perfect way to introduce yourself to the world. FLPA courses can occur entirely off-campus or as a short-term component of a semester long course. To reserve a space in any FLPA course, contact the instructor(s) by clicking the email link for the class!
WINTER SESSION 2008/2009
Ecuador, land of the Inca and a center of the Latin American independence movement,
is today a fascinating country steeped in incredible ecological and cultural
diversity. This course will provide students with the opportunity to learn from
the incredible social dynamism of Ecuador through volunteer work, community
home-stays, and talks with political activists, students, campesino and indigenous
organizations, and the rural agrarian people that are the backbone of Ecuadorian
and global society.
Instructor Contact: Pete
Shear info@casainteram.org
Immerse yourself in the culture, life and healing aspects of the culture of
Belize. For 11 days you have an opportunity to learn from healers, psychiatrists,
health care professions and faculty from Galen University that augment the rich
depth and cultural exploration offered by Estelle, Cathleen and Carol. Morning
is spent in experiential and didactic course presentations. You explore the
implications of these diverse perspectives on the life of women in Belize and
how culture impacts the life of women around the world.
Instructor Contact: Estelle Maartmann-Moe, Cathleen Gleeson & Carol
Fournier Estelle.Maartmann-Moe@uvm.edu
This service learning class taught by an organic farmer and sustainable agriculture
will offer students an opportunity to live and work alongside Dominicans and
Haitians in establishing a community farm in Batey Libertad. The Batey is a
community of predominantly Haitian immigrants living in an impoverished village
setting. Seeking ways to improve their nutrition and income by establishing
a community-run farm we will assist them in learning organic vegetable production
techniques, composting, and small scale livestock rearing. We visit a mountainside
organic shade- grown coffee and tropical fruit farm where students will work
on harvesting coffee, setting up a worm composting demonstration, and learn
other farming techniques. The class will begin with tours of successful community
gardens and urban agriculture sites in La Vega. These will serve as a model
for the Batey farm. We will take a one day break in the middle of the trip to
sample the north shore beaches. The second part of the class will focus on agro-forestry
in the tropics, including shade grown coffee and tropical fruit production.
We will be given tours by experts from the Dominican agriculture sector.
Instructor Contact: John
Hayden jphayden@uvm.edu
This international field course will expose students to the beautiful coffee
landscapes of El Salvador and the people that inhabit them. Students will get
hands-on experience on ecological and social research methods, as we explore
both the biophysical landscape, as well as the livelihoods of coffee farmers
and their families. We will learn how shade coffee is grown, processed, sold,
its impacts and contributions to environmental conservation, and the challenges
and opportunities coffee farmers and their cooperatives are now facing. Participants
will also learn about Salvadoran history, culture, politics and environmental
movements, and explore some of its beautiful natural areas. Interested students
should be aware that the course requires being in good physical condition, cultural
sensitivity and willingness to work hard and get dirty.
Jeanne Fossani Memorial Scholarships:
This scholarship fund honors the memory or Jeanne Fossani, a devoted teacher,
environmental activist and bird and coffee enthusiast. Five scholarships of
$1500 are available for Vermont residents with academic need to help cover study
abroad fees.
Instructor Contact: Ernesto Mendez: ernesto.mendez@uvm.edu
802-656-2539
Given the rise of nature-based travel to this Central American destination,
this course will explore the forces and processes of social change in Costa
Rican communities. Students will consider the processes of how communities involved
in service sector enterprises relate to the general concepts of sustainability,
including environmental, social and economic impacts. From a conceptual and
operational point of view, we will explore the idea of sustainability/sustainable
development with an emphasis on community-based sustainable development.
Specifically, this class will:
Instructor Contact: Dave Kestenbaum davekest@together.net and Walt Kuentzel wkuentze@uvm.edu
Students will be exposed to social work practice in Mumbai India primarily through volunteering in the Mumbai Community. This 3-credit course will provide Service Learning opportunities to include:
Instructor Contact: Julie Richards julie.richards@uvm.edu George Leibowitz gleibowi@uvm.edu
This course will provide students with basic intercultural communication skills
and allow them to use those skills to interact with other cultures. Belize offers
a unique opportunity for intercultural training because of its varied cultures
and its designation of English as the national language. Students will study
intercultural codes and methods of communicating. Stays in Punta Gorda, San
Jose village and Barunco village will give students multiple contexts from which
to learn.
Instructor Contact: Lynn Gregory Lynn.Gregory@uvm.edu
Students interested in a hands-on community development experience are invited
to join us as we explore life in a Batey-a side of the Dominican Republic that
is not commonly seen. Historical and cultural backgrounds to the Dominican Republic
and Haitian immigration will be explored; excursions to Santo Domingo and to
the beach are also planned.
Instructor Contact: McKew Devitt mdevitt@uvm.edu
Questions? Contact : Kate August Cascio, FLPA Coordinator
kcascio@uvm.edu 802-656-7994;
Living/ Learning B-182
More Details: http://learn.uvm.edu/?Page=worldwide.html
