| Description | This four-week program will provide students the opportunity to explore and engage Mexican society and culture and to study the Spanish language. Professor Piet Koene will lead the program and is working with the Iglesia Nacional Presbiteriana Berith (National Presbyterian Church) to provide on-site logistics, instruction and support. The program is open to all NWC students—no prior Spanish language study is required, although speakers at any level are welcome and will benefit from the program. |
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| Location | The program takes place primarily in Mexico City, Mexico—the capital, seat of government and center of commerce and the arts for Mexico. Mexico City, a city steeped in history, was built on the ruins of Tenochtitlán, the great ancient city of the Aztec civilization. Today Mexico City is one of the biggest, most complex and most beautiful cities in the world. Over 20 million people live in the city proper and metropolitan area. Its culture and architecture have been greatly influenced by the various civilizations and nations that converged in and reigned over the area during thousands of years. Program participants will also have the opportunity to visit Oaxaca, which is approximately 300 miles from Mexico City and is recognized worldwide for its hospitality and mixture of the indigenous and occidental culture. Key sites of interest in Oaxaca include Monte Albán, the site of pyramids and ruins, local churches, and historic Oaxaca. |
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| Faculty leader | Piet Koene, Spanish professor and chair of the modern foreign languages department, will lead this program. Piet is originally from Canada and joined Northwestern College in 2000, where he has been instrumental in the expansion of the Spanish major and activities on campus. Since then he has received several awards, including Northwestern College’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2003 and the Iowa Professor of the Year for 2004. In addition to his regular class load, Piet advises the Spanish Club, helps organize Spanish chapels on campus, and has led three SSP trips to Honduras. This will be Piet’s second time leading a group of NWC students to Mexico. |
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| Course and credit | Gen 350: Topics in Cross-Cultural Studies: Mexico, 6 credits. This course fulfills NWC’s cross-cultural general education requirement. Spanish majors and minors may choose to apply 4 credits from the program to their Spanish electives. Summer study abroad courses cannot be taken for audit. |
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| Program structure | Pre-seminar: Participants will meet approximately five times for two hours in the later part of spring semester. The pre-seminar will cover various cultural, academic and logistical aspects of the course via lectures, discussions, reading, reflections and Q&A time. On-site: The program will combine an intensive interdisciplinary study of Mexican society and culture with Spanish language study. Participants will take two courses, a Mexican culture course and a Spanish language course in which students will be placed according to their language level. Because language and culture are intimately connected, a significant portion of time will be dedicated to the study of the Spanish language within the cultural context of the course, with emphasis on the communication skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Classes will be held at the Iglesia Nacional Presbiteriana Berith in Mexico City. Students will typically be in classes four days a week for three hours per day, 90 minutes for each course. Wednesdays are reserved for excursions in and outside of Mexico City. Discussion/debriefing time will also play a prominent role in the course. See the faculty leader for a complete syllabus. |
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| Transportation | The current plan is for students to fly as a group, round-trip, from Omaha to Mexico City. Participants will either walk or take buses from their homestays to the classroom location. Participants will travel as a group to Oaxaca by bus. |
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| Housing and meals | In Mexico City, participants will live with Mexican host families, sharing breakfast and dinner during the week and all meals on the weekend. Class day lunches will be provided at the church. Because the homestay experience is at the heart of this program and is where students will do a majority of their learning and speaking, all efforts will be made to ensure that participants have ample time with their families. Students will be placed two to a family, with a student at a comparable speaking level. While in Oaxaca, participants will stay as a group in a suitable hotel, and meals will be provided. |
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Excursions
and day trips | Participants will enjoy a variety of planned excursions in and around Mexico City on Wednesdays, and will also spend five days traveling to and exploring Oaxaca. There will be lots of time for individual exploring as well. |
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| Passport and visa | For U.S. citizens, a passport is required for entry into Mexico, as well as a tourist card (which will be obtained by NWC on behalf of the participants). Information on how to obtain a passport is available from your faculty leader or the summer study abroad office. |
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| Vaccinations and health information | No vaccinations are required for U.S. persons traveling to Mexico; several immunizations are recommended. Traveler’s diarrhea is a potential health threat for people traveling to Mexico and Central America. Please visit the Center for Disease Control for more information and complete details. |
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| Eligibility | All NWC students with a minimum GPA of 2.5 or with the consent of the faculty leader are eligible to apply. Prior Spanish language study is not required—students at all levels of Spanish are welcome. This program is also available to non-NWC students on a space-available basis. |
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| Application | The 2005 Mexico application consists of the two-page application form, two recommendations (one from a faculty member, one from a resident director), and a (student copy) transcript. Applications are available on the Web site, from the summer study abroad office or from Professor Piet Koene. |
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| Application deadline | February 1, 2005. Early application is encouraged, as there is limited space on this program. A minimum enrollment is needed in order for the program to run. After the deadline, call for space availability information. |
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| Program fee | Tentatively, the program fee will be $3,000 per student. The final fee will depend on the actual number of participants and confirmed prices for airfare, exchange rates, etc. A better estimate of cost will be given in January/February, and the final fee will be determined around April 1. Every effort is being made to control costs. The program fee includes tuition for 6 credits (at a reduced rate of half off regular summer school tuition rates), airfare, in-country transportation, housing/homestay, meals, insurance (medical evacuation and repatriation coverage, basic health), pre-seminar and orientation, and all program excursions. Participants will need to cover books, passport and pictures, and individual travel and spending money, among other items. |
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| Deposit | Upon acceptance into the program, a $250 deposit will be required to hold a participant’s slot. This deposit will be applied to the final program fee. |
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| Financial aid | Financial aid, in the form of loans, may be available. Contact the NWC financial aid office for more information. |
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Summer study abroad
