The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

Study Abroad: Spend a Semester in the Sun

As most UVM students know, it gets very cold here in the winter and the skies are perpetually grey and somber. To escape Vermont’s adverse winter climate one need not plan a trip with their family, for the university offers many traveling opportunities that will allow students to experience warmth while also getting credits. During the winter break, there is a litany of study abroad opportunities that will all be in warm climates and will offer hands on opportunities to learn about topics that range from language to social activism. One of these programs will be in Belize and will last from December 29th until January 12th. This program will be taught by David and Carla Osgood and will yield three credits to any student who participates. The program will be oriented around the development of multicultural perspectives on mental health, by creating relationships with the people in Belize. Cross-cultural counseling skills will be emphasized. Another study abroad program will occur in Costa Rica, where David Kestenbaum will lead students to study ecotourism and sustainable development practices. The course will start on January 1st and will end on January 17th. Three credits will be available for completion of this program. A multitude of professors will be leading a program taught in Costa Rica this winter break. They will be concerned with ecological restoration and entrepreneurship in the Pacific lowland tropics of Costa Rica. There will be an emphasis placed on the creation of a watershed restoration plan. This program will last from December 31st through January 16th. It will yield four credits. From January 2nd through January 14th, there will be a program in the Maya Riviera region of Mexico. This program is concerned with renewable energy, natural resource assessment and site-specific renewable energy design for photovoltaic and solar thermal systems. It will be taught by Anthony Rossman and will offer three credits to students who complete the program. An additional program will be in Ecuador and will be lead by Nicholas Shear. It will give three credits and will be designed around issues of land use, distribution and reform in Ecuador. It will take place between December 27th, and January 12th,. There will be a program in Oaxaca Mexico that will be concerned with improving grammar and Spanish speaking abilities. One must have completed two college level Spanish classes to be eligible for the program. It will be taught by Irma Valeriano and will provide three credits. This program will occur from January 2nd through January 16th. The following program is the only one that is not taught in Latin America, but will rather be taught in South Africa, where students will learn about political and community development. It will provide three credits, occur between January 2nd and January 16th, and will be taught by Diane Gayer. The program will encompass issues of social change and activism in Johannesburg. Students will also observe community development in the Eastern-Cape and visit AIDS clinics in Capetown. The last program being offered by UVM for a winter break study abroad option is concerned with sustainable development in small island states, using St. Lucia as the model. It will last from January 1st, through January 15th, and will provide students with three credits. It will be taught by Jay Ashman and Gery Flomenhoft and will be concerned with issues of two tracks of study. One will include working with the ministry of commerce, investment and consumer affairs and the other track will focus on ecological economics. For more information on any of these programs log onto the UVM webpage and link to the study abroad page from the a-z section.

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Study Abroad: Spend a Semester in the Sun