Winter term programs are intensive, experiential,
faculty-led courses taught during Elon’s Winter Term
sessions in January. Click on the program name below to be
taken to a brief course description where you can download
the program brochure by clicking the (PDF)
link. If a brochure is missing finalized cost
information - that information will be updated as soon
as it is available.
Application Period
The open application period for Winter Term
2009 is from approximately 10:00 am
on Tuesday, April 8th to 11:59 pm on Tuesday, April
15th. Applications submitted after
April 15th will be reviewed on a space
available basis.
*To see the winter term application essay prompt click
here.
Eligibility
A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required at the time of
application. Students must remain in good standing prior to
departure in January 2009. It is the
responsibility of the student to notify the Isabella Cannon
Centre for International Studies (ICCIS) of a change in his
or her academic standing. If a student fails to do so,
the ICCIS reserves the right to dismiss the student from the
program.
Notification
Notification of acceptance will be sent via email the week
of May 1, 2008 for those
applications submitted April 8-15, 2008, and
within three weeks of receipt of the completed application
for those submitted after April 15, 2008.
Additional Winter Term Program Information and Deadlines
are available on the Instructions sheet of the Winter Term
Online Application.
NEW! To see a chart that lists
all the Costs, Credits, and Prerequisites for the Winter
Term 2009 Programs, click
here.
NEW! To view information on immunizations and
medications for Winter Term 2009 Programs, click here.
(in progress)
2009 Winter Term Study
Abroad Course Titles
-
Australia Aboriginal Studies
-
Australia Ecotourism
-
Barbados: Post-Colonial Culture and
Society
-
Belize: Field Biology
-
Business in the Pacific Rim
-
Cathedral: An Introduction to Structures of
Power
-
China: The Flying Dragon
-
Costa Rica: Language, Culture and
Ecotourism
-
Costa Rica: Jungle
Service
-
European Union: The State of Europe
-
Ghana: West African History and
Culture
-
Greece: Classics in Context: Ancient
Greece
-
Guam: Island Legends: Serving and Learning
with the Elders of Guam
-
Guatemala Culture and Service
-
(From) Gutenberg to the Web:
Media's Impact on Western Society
-
Hawaii: Nation or State? In Search of
Hawaiian Identity
-
Honduras: Social Entrepreneurship in
Honduras
-
India: Science Education and
Development
-
Ireland: An Introduction to Literature,
Culture and History
-
Italy: Fine Arts
-
Italy's Heritage: Past is
Present
-
London: The
Photographer's Gaze: London's Immigrant
Communities
-
Mexico: Advanced Spanish in the Maya
Worlds
-
New Zealand: Environment
-
Peru: Field Biology
-
Peru: The Living Heritage of the Andes:
Language, Society and Environment
-
South Africa: The Call of South Africa
-
Spain: Lessons From the Past:
Christianity, Islam and Judaism
-
Sweden in the Modern World
-
WWII In Europe: Life in a Time of War
2009 Winter Term Study Abroad Course
Descriptions
Australia Aboriginal
Studies
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
Australia consists of a number of cultures,
including Aboriginal peoples, descendents of European
settlers, and immigrants from Southeast Asia. This diverse
cultural panorama is the arena for experiencing Western
Australia through the socio-cultural imagination. Through
lectures, field trips, and directed self-learning, students
will explore aboriginal people's history and culture with
an emphasis on the legacy of the colonial experience and
current issues in identity, power, politics and the meaning
of land. To visit the faculty's course Web site, click here.
Australia
Ecotourism
D ownload Brochure here:
(PDF)
The International Ecotourism Society defines
ecotourism as "responsible travel to natural areas that
conserves the environment and sustains the well being of
local people." Outdoor adventure sports have become one
of the most popular and pervasive activities throughout the
world today generating millions of dollars in revenue for
many countries. When responsible tour operators strike a
balance between conservation and commercial interests it is
possible to offer quality outdoor adventure learning
experiences while maintaining a sustainable income for the
indigenous people and preserving the natural environment for
future generations.
The goals of this course seek to expand the
participant's awareness and appreciation of ecotourism as
a means of exploring cultural diversity and contributing to
international exchange.
Barbados: Post-Colonial
Culture and Society
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
This interdisciplinary course will explore the
rise and fall of colonialism and its effect on Barbados'
present-day society. Special emphases will be placed upon
education, an economy based on tourism, comparison of the
roles of men and women in contemporary Bajan society, and the
influence of African heritage on Bajan art, dance, and music.
back to list
Belize: Field
Biology
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
Have you ever wanted to wake up to the exotic
sounds of tropical birds and the disturbing calls of howler
monkeys? Have you imagined what it's like to snorkel the
wonders of a coral reef, float down a tropical river or
wander back 1,000 years in time while exploring Mayan ruins?
Well, here is your opportunity!
If you want to experience these exciting adventures and
challenge yourself intellectually, this course is for you.
This field course in Tropical Ecology will provide you with a
diversity of experiences as it investigates ancient and
modern cultures, by examining the peoples and varied
ecosystems of this fascinating former British Colony in
Central America. The nature of this course requires a good
deal of outdoor activity with limited luxury, but you will
have the experience of your life!
Business in the Pacific
Rim
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
In this course, students experience three
distinct societies and economies: Hong Kong, Singapore, and
Australia. This experience occurs through the lens of
business and cultural activities of each location. First, the
influences of economic development and global business are
examined. That is, the student observes how business is
conducted in three differently developed Pacific Rim
economies ranging from one with modern facilities to emerging
and hyper economies and cultures. A case study
relating to international business will be incorporated
throughout the course. An equal course focus is daily
interaction with Asian and Australian peoples that allow
participants to compare their experiences with U.S. culture.
Students gain valuable cultural and business knowledge
through readings and orientations that are held prior to
departure, focused observations, field trips, lectures, and
directed self-learning. A major component of the course is
student interaction with global and foreign businesses
leaders and understanding how the differences in culture and
politics influence business.
back to list
Cathedral: An Introduction
to Structures of Power
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
One of the characteristics of any powerful entity,
such as a bank or large corporation, the Church, or
governments, is the construction of edifices of power. In
most cases these are buildings or monuments. In the case of
the medieval Church, they are both, cathedrals. This course
will focus on the Christian Cathedral as the equivalent of
the corporate headquarters, or the political capitol
building. These buildings are the repository of great art,
significant history, and the seat of economic power. It is
the intention of this course to develop an appreciation of
the Cathedral as an important part of the economic, cultural,
political and religious society of the Middle Ages in Europe.
To visit the faculty's 2009 course Web site, please click
here.
China: The Flying
Dragon
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
China, the world's most populous nation
with 1.3 billion people, has a continuous history of more
than 5000 years. It is one of the world's greatest
civilizations and has made significant contributions to the
world, such as the compass, gunpowder, paper making, and
printing. Visit beautiful cultural and historical sites such
as the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, and see China's
modern side as well in great cites like Beijing, Shanghai and
Nanjing. This course is designed to give you an overview of
the paths for China's modernization from different
perspectives: geography, history, language, and arts.
Additional topics such as religion, medicine, tradition and
custom, food, and women's issues may also be covered.
This course offers a strong emphasis for you to build a solid
foundation to understand the Chinese culture, history,
tradition, and language.
Costa Rica: Language,
Culture and Ecotourism
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
Costa Rica is a nation of 4 million people
in Central America between Nicaragua and Panama. Unlike other
Central American countries which experienced political
turmoil in the 1980's, Costa Rica has a long-standing
democratic tradition which makes it the most peaceful nation
in the region. Over 50 years ago, Costa Rica abolished its
army and devoted its resources to education, health care and
economic development.
The course is an interdisciplinary study combining language,
culture, society, and the environment. Course objectives
include improving conversational Spanish ability, basic
understanding of Costa Rica's development, current issues
and unique status in Latin America. Elon students will live
with Costa Rican families in a suburban neighborhood and will
use public buses and taxis to get around the city. Eight
nights will be spent outside of the San Jose area near
national parks.
back to list
Costa Rica:
Jungle Service
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
If you are adventuresome, care about the
environment, like kids and meeting new people, enjoy helping
others, in favor of beautiful coastlines, starry nights,
tropical birds and are willing to travel light , come with us
– it could change your life. Jungle service is
learning, living and preserving one of the last great wild
places on earth- the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. This winter
term course includes several service projects– such as:
helping to build a library in an indigenous village,
working on a farm reserve, helping village families in
Sierrepe.
European Union:
The State of Europe
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
At the end of each war in Europe the survivors
ask themselves how they might keep their grandchildren from
repeating the mistakes which led to war. At the close
of the Second World War there was a concerted effort to
assure that such warfare would never again happen in
Europe. The Marshall Plan, the lack of heavy reparation
levies on Germany and Italy, and the desire for closer
economic cooperation were all part of this effort to put an
end to war forever and to tie the countries and
peoples of Europe together in a project for permanent
peace on the continent.
Today, peace does reign among the democratic republics of
Western Europe, a peace due in no small measure to the
establishment of the European Union. It is in the arena
of economic cooperation as a tool of peace that this course
focuses. The current arrangement of the European Union
is the natural outgrowth of the Coal and Steel Treaty between
Germany and France, which tied their economies
together. As this has grown, first the European
Economic Community, then to the European Community and now to
the European Union, the cry of "Europa Unita" has
been the hallmark for the struggle.
back to list
Ghana: West African
History and Culture
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
This course is an exploration of Ghana's
history, literature, and culture. Students will experience
life in modern Ghana while gaining an appreciation of the
country's rich past. The course will integrate lectures
by Ghanaian university faculty with visits to fascinating
sites throughout the country.
Students will learn about the powerful Asante state, the
tragic Atlantic slave trade, Ghana's contemporary history
and the challenges facing Africa today. They can expect to
discuss an African novel with a Ghanaian professor, attend a
traditional ceremony with village elders, visit craftsmen who
make kente cloth, learn about village life through family
visits, walk across a rope bridge above a rainforest and
marvel at elephants while hiking through the bush.
Greece: Classics in
Context: Ancient Greece
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
The names Sophocles, Euripedes, Aristophanes,
Socrates, and Plato still permeate our studies today. How can
these figures have an impact now after all these millennia?
The philosophies, tragedies, comedies, buildings, and
sculpture still are alive today. Ancient plays are still
being performed, ancient texts are still being read, and
ancient architecture is still being studied.
Guam: Island Legends: Serving and
Learning with the Elders of Guam
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
This study abroad course offers students the
opportunity to learn about life on an island in the Pacific
from the perspective of the elders. In addition to learning
about the culture, history, and customs of the Chamorro
people, students will spend some time focusing on the
folklore and myths of the island. Knowledge students gain
will be through lecture, assigned readings, thoughtful
reflective writing, group processing, and, most importantly,
through service-learning. The students will devote 30 hours
of service to SPIMA (Servicio Para I Manamko), an island
agency serving the elderly. Through these
service-learning experiences, students will be provided
opportunities to process the impact of cultural differences
on the helping relationship. In the role of the helper,
students will be challenged to examine how their biases
impact their perspectives on life and others.
back to list
Guatemala
Culture and Service
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
The first part of the course will focus on the
geology, culture, language, and history of the area around
Antigua, Guatemala in the Department of Sacatepéquez. Antigua
may be the most outstanding and best-preserved colonial city
in Spanish America. Activities will include a hike up Pacaya
volcano, a visit to the Zaculeu Mayan ruins, and service work
in local indigenous Mayan communities. The bulk of our time
will be spent in service learning activities with
Curamericas. Since 2002, Curamericas Global has been working
to provide health services to over 66,000 people living in
rural Mayan communities in northwestern Guatemala. The
project area is one of the most isolated regions of the
country and has been dubbed the “triangle of
death,” due to the high rates of maternal, infant, and
child mortality. In partnership with local partner
Curamericas-Guatemala, we will develop an understanding of a
community’s critical health needs and ways to address
those needs at their roots. Curamericas staff and volunteers
work with local health workers to perform home visits,
establish and maintain clinics, and facilitate education
outreach.
(From) Gutenberg to the Web:
Media's Impact on Western Society
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
From the scribal culture of the middle ages to
the digital revolution, communication technologies have
shaped our social and cultural values as well as our ways of
knowing and thinking. This course explores the impact of mass
media on Western Civilization through the lens of three
historic periods: the Reformation, Nazi Germany, and the Cold
War. Students will learn about the media’s role in
shaping religious, political and social values during
significant moments of transition and change. Visit twelve
European cities including London, Heidelberg, Mainz, Munich,
Salzburg, Berlin, Wittenberg, and Prague. Experience the
culture of these beautiful ancient cities while learning
about their significance in the history of media.
back to list
Hawaii: Nation or
State? In Search of Hawaiian Identity
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
Hawaii is a state that differs dramatically
from the other 49 in its blend of cultures, including
Polynesian, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Portuguese, and
others. This multi-cultural heritage results in a unique
mixture of traditions and beliefs. The design of the course
is to explore the heritage of the indigenous peoples of the
Hawaiian Islands within the current multicultural context.
The course will examine such issues as the conflict between
the opposing forces of development of the islands and
preservation of the environment; the impact of a native
Hawaiian movement to secede from the United States on the
political climate; and the historical roots of religious and
cultural beliefs. Students will explore these and other
topics through literature, writing and reflection.
Honduras: Social
Entrepreneurship in Honduras
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
On this service learning winter term course
students will learn about the people of Honduras—their
culture, language, politics, history, and economy. They will
also learn how Proniño and Hope for Honduran Children
Foundation (HHCF) got their starts and how they are working
to create positive changes and opportunities for children.
back to list
India: Science Education
and Development
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
This course to Kerala state, India, includes a service
project in which Elon students monitor activities in a
traveling science center, whose target audience are middle
school children. The service project will be done in
collaboration with local high school and university students.
Through close interactions with our partners Elon students
will develop an appreciation for the lifestyle in Kerala, for
the concerns and aspirations of their Indian peers, and for
the development successes, needs, and strategies in the
state. The importance of education to development will be
examined in detail. Students will also explore local culture,
nature, history, political structures, effects of tourism,
and the role of NGO¹s in the developing world. More
information at http://org.elon.edu/india
Ireland: An Intro to
Literature, Culture and History
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
This course explores the world of Irish
literature, culture and history. The study program looks at
the Irish culture formed from centuries of oppression through
the eyes of 20th century writers. Site visits to major place
of artistic and historic relevance such as the Aran Islands,
Galway, Sligo, Derry and Dublin are included.
Italy: Fine
Arts
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
In this course, students will explore and study
the visual and performing arts traditions of Italy
first-hand. Specific focus will be placed on Ancient,
Medieval, Renaissance, and Modern works and culture. Class
activities will include tours of the great museums, historic
monuments, and cultural centers throughout the country. The
itinerary includes study in Milan, Venice, Naples, Florence,
Rome, Ravenna, Siena, and Assisi.
Italy's
Heritage: Past is Present
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
From the Roman Colosseum to the Olympic Futball
Stadium; from the ancient catacombs to the Contemporary Art
Museum; from the medieval celebration of a saint’s
martyrdom via modern loudspeakers; Italy’s past lives
in its present. Italy and the Italians have contributed
so much to the world’s history—and over such a
long period of time—that it can be extremely difficult
to see how all of these disparate pieces fit together.
The goal of this course is twofold: to make Italy’s
extraordinarily rich cultural heritage more meaningful by
placing familiar traditions, landmarks, and people in their
proper historical contexts; and to articulate the ways in
which Italy’s past is relevant and essential to its
present. To this end, we will explore the theme of
Italy’s Heritage: Past is Present paying
special attention to what Italian culture has borrowed,
incorporated, rejected and recycled.
back to list
London:
The Photographer's
Gaze: London's Immigrant Communities
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
In this highly interdisciplinary course,
students will investigate and research several of the many
immigrant communities that comprise modern London as
tourists, ethnographers and visual anthropologists. Their
findings will be recorded using the mediums of photography,
recorded oral histories and ambient sounds and journals. The
entire process will be girded with extensive traditional and
qualitative research.
Mexico: Advanced
Spanish in the Maya Worlds
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
This course focuses on developing reading,
writing and conversational skills at the intermediate-high to
advanced-low level while focusing on Maya cultures in
México. Cultural topics include the Classic Maya
civilizations, the Caste War of the 19th century, the
contributions of the Maya labor force to the economic
development of the region, and the importance of the Maya in
the present day events and cultures in the states of Chiapas
and Yucatán, Mexico.
New Zealand
: Environment
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
This interdisciplinary course will examine the
varied environments of this unique island nation and with a
critical eye examine its wonders. Students will walk on
glaciers, observe still forming islands, hike on a growing
mountain range, boat in geologically unique fjords, trek
through pristine rainforests, discover stunning waterfalls,
study two greatly variant coastlines, observe active
volcanoes and hot springs, compare man-made and natural lakes
and the variety of rivers along the way. All these activities
will be done with a focus on understanding the special niche
each has in the overall environment, Maoris Papa, the Earth
Mother.
back to list
Field Biology in
Peru
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
In this field-oriented course, students will
study the relationship of the diverse Peruvian ecological
systems, including the Amazon tropical forests, cloud
forests, tundra and desert. The course will examine the
local plant and animal communities through observation and
experimentation, learn how changes and stresses to this
environment affects the organisms within each
community. The diversity of ecosystems will also allow
comparison of the biotic and abiotic characteristics of each.
Peru: The Living
Heritage of the Andes: Language, Society
and Environment
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
Peru was the center of the ancient Inca Empire,
and today it is world famous for its archaeological splendors
and colorful native cultures. The Spanish conquistadors were
lured to Peru by tales of fabulous treasures of silver and
gold. But they were astonished to discover the architecture
and culture of the highly organized and sophisticated Incas,
who built their stone-walled cities high in the rugged
terrain of the Peruvian Andes. Visitors today experience not
only these wonders of the ancient world but also the profound
legacy of Spanish colonialism and the enduring traditions of
the largest indigenous population in South America. To visit
the faculty's course Web site, please click here.
South Africa: The Call of South
Africa
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
This is an interdisciplinary literature
and communications course with an exciting, and rigorous
itinerary. It is an intense exploration of literature,
culture, language, history, and life. Students will come to
know intimately the contradictions of a land that is a
cultural, spiritual, and political symbol of hope and freedom
for people everywhere. It is easy to be seduced by
South Africa’s breathtaking beauty, but beneath lies a
long history of racial oppression and apartheid against which
the enduring and resilient spirit of her people continue to
wage. South Africa provides a unique context for
understanding the power of literature to change oneself and
the world, the power of the media to act as a repository of a
people’s history and culture, and as a mechanism that
shines the spotlight on oppression.
Visit the course blog at: http://idd.elon.edu/sasa/
back to list
Spain: Lessons From the
Past: Christianity, Islam and Judaism
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
For nearly 800 years (711-1492), highly refined Islamic
cultures maintained a significant presence in the Iberian
Peninsula. For centuries, two-thirds of the peninsular
population was “Eastern” (Muslim or Jewish)
rather than “Western” (Christian), and
startlingly more advanced than the rest of Europe. Despite
intermittent bursts of reconquest activity and religious
hostilities, the Islamic majority generally opted to co-exist
in an attitude of non-violent tolerance with Christian and
Jewish minorities at a time when, in other parts of Europe,
Jews faced brutal persecution and expulsions by Christians.
This course will study in depth the rich cultural legacy
that such tolerance produced over almost eight centuries;
investigate how the Islamic faith interacted with Christian
and Jewish beliefs to negotiate this coexistence; learn some
of the reasons why this tolerance came to an end, and the
negative consequences; and finally, consider what
implications these patterns have for the present and future,
both in Spain and in a larger context.
Sweden in the Modern
World
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
Scandinavia is more than Vikings, ABBA
music, soccer, the Nobel Peace Prize, pickled herring, and
cell phones. This course will challenge students to develop
an understanding of Scandinavian life and society with an
emphasis on the social and political development in the
post-World War II period. Like other regions in the world,
contemporary Scandinavia faces important problems such as
increasing social inequality, anti-immigrant sentiments,
unemployment, and environmental problems. This course focuses
primarily on the common features of the Scandinavian
societies, the plight of indigenous people, and the
Scandinavian form of democracy.
WWII In
Europe: Life in a Time of War
Download Brochure here:
(PDF)
This course provides an opportunity to
explore the events of World War II and their impact on
individuals and society on the ground where they took place.
The class will focus on civilian life but will also look at
some military aspects of the war. We will see where Allied
armies came ashore in Normandy. The actions of Nazis towards
domestic dissenters in Berlin, and towards Jews and Czechs in
occupied Prague will be the subject of other explorations. We
will examine ordinary peoples' experiences and how they
dealt with them. Our world today must still deal with the
issues raised by the events of World War II, issues such as
personal responsibility and patriotic duty. This course will
address some of these issues and lead us to formulate our own
answers to the complex questions they raise. To visit the
faculty's course Web site, please click here.
back to list
|
