| Description | This academic, active and engaging program introduces students to the “irony that is Romania” through readings; cultural study and observation; experiential education and pedagogy (adventure education); and service-learning opportunities. Fallout from Communism in the form of high unemployment, low morale and deep despair has contributed to corruption and moral vacancy and has affected Romania’s people dramatically. Working in conjunction with Fundatia Noi Orizonturi (New Horizons Foundation), Dave Nonnemacher will lead this program and help students to explore this magical and deeply moving place. This program is open to all NWC students. |
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| Location | Romania is a country of great contrasts and paradoxes—full of great beauty and vast suffering, rich mythology and hard truths. It is a land of majestic mountains, medieval castles and the legend of Dracula. Yet, in the Jiu Valley, the depressed coal-mining region which serves as the base for this program, one will see firsthand the devastating effects of Communism. Participants will spend much of their time in this area, in the city of Lupeni, where they will have the opportunity to live with a Romanian host family and engage Romanian youth through the service-learning project. Lupeni is located in the southeastern area of Romania, approximately 200 miles from Bucharest, the capital of Romania. Participants will also spend some time in Bucharest and surrounding villages. |
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| Faculty leader | Dave Nonnemacher, Northwestern’s director of service-learning, will lead this program. Dave originally came to Northwestern in 1987 and served as the director of residence life for nine years. He returned to NWC in 2003 after a two-year stint, serving in a re-creational therapeutic community in Pennsylvania. Dave has traveled to Romania or surrounding areas nine times in the past five years. During the summer of 2004, he led a group of NWC baseball players to Moldova (neighboring country to Romania) to provide training camps for area youth. He also visited Romania in preparation for this program. Dave has a master's degree in experiential education. He works with Northwestern’s campus ministry staff and faculty to offer service-learning experiences both near and far. |
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| Course and credit | Gen 350: Romanian Culture Through Experiential Pedagogy and Service-Learning, 4 credits. This course fulfills NWC’s cross-cultural general education requirement. Summer study abroad courses cannot be taken for audit. |
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| Program structure | Pre-seminar: In addition to several informal meetings during spring semester, participants will come together the week prior to departure for a five-day intensive pre-seminar. This pre-seminar will cover survival in Romania as well as various cultural, academic and logistical aspects of the course via lectures, discussions, readings, reflections and Q&A time. On-site: The on-site portion of the program will span approximately three weeks and will combine an intensive study of experiential pedagogy and adventure education skills with a service-learning project and group wilderness trip. Upon arrival in Romania, the group will receive training from New Horizon’s staff in the “hard skills” of adventure education—technical training to include high-ropes, rock climbing, initiative activities and other group-building activities—and then will plan and deliver an adventure program to Romanian youth under the guidance of faculty leader Dave Nonnemacher and New Horizons staff. Participants will end the on-site program with a wilderness trip led by New Horizons staff. Throughout the program, there will be time for writing, discussion and reflection, and at the program’s end, students will synthesize their experiences and study in a final paper that addresses their experience and their understanding of Romania, of themselves and of their home culture. Please 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 Bucharest. Participants will be shuttled from Bucharest to Lupeni by train. New Horizons will take care of all necessary local transportation. |
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| Housing and meals | Housing and meals will be provided. During the first two weeks in the country, participants will live with Romanian host families, sharing breakfast and dinner. Students will camp and make their own food during the wilderness trip phase. For the remaining evenings, students will be housed in a basic hotel or orphanage. |
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| Excursions and day trips | Participants will enjoy a variety of planned excursions, including visiting the Hunedoara Castle, a monastery in Prislop, and various sites in the tourist towns of Sibiu, Sighisoara and Sinaia, located in the Carpathian Mountains, as well as Bucharest upon arrival and departure. |
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| Passport and visa | For U.S. citizens, a passport is required for entry into Romania. 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 Romania; several immunizations are recommended. Traveler’s diarrhea is a potential health threat for people traveling to Romania and Eastern Europe. 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. This program is also available to non-NWC students on a space-available basis. |
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| Application | The 2005 Romania 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 Dave Nonnemacher, faculty leader. |
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| Application deadline | February 1, 2005. Early application is encouraged, as there is limited space in 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 4 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, required camping gear, 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
