Description

This University of Kansas summer study abroad program on Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast offers undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to obtain credit in Latin American Studies courses, begin speaking an indigenous language, and learn about the indigenous and Afro-descendant cultures of the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua. In Nicaragua, students will live and study in the beautiful colonial city of Granada on the Pacific coast; and in the multi-cultural port city of Puerto Cabezas on the Caribbean coast. For Latin American Studies majors, this program fulfills their "Fieldwork or Advanced Language Study" requirement. Courses are taught by KU Latin American Studies faculty along with native Miskitu speakers. Students will also have the opportunity to improve their Spanish language skills and gain practical skills needed to work in developing regions.

Highlights

Granada
Granada (pop. 110,000) is a beautiful colonial city located on central Pacific side of Nicaragua and is located 31 miles south of Managua on Lake Nicaragua, the tenth largest freshwater lake in the world. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site to preserve its picturesque Spanish colonial architecture, Granada boasts cobbled stone streets, outdoor cafes, and a lively town square. Students will live for two weeks with host families and attend classes in the mornings, with afternoons dedicated to cultural activities. During the excursion to Ometepe students will visit the beaches of the island and Finca Magdalena, an organic farm which produces organic coffee, plantains, milk, corn, beans, rice and vegetables and is run by an agricultural cooperative of families.

Puerto Cabezas
Puerto Cabezas (pop. 50,000) sits atop a bluff on the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast and is bounded from the south by La Moskitia, the largest track of rain forest in Central America. The city has a unique blend of mestizo, indigenous, and Afro-Caribbean culture and is known by three different names, called, "Puerto Cabezas" by Spanish-speakers, "Bilwi" by indigenous Miskitu-speakers, and "Port" by Creole English-speakers. Students will reside for four weeks in the Casa Museo bed and breakfast accommodations in Puerto Cabezas, attending classes during the week and participating in excursions to indigenous communities on the weekends.

Affiliations
In Granada, students will be affiliated with Casa Xalteva Education and Cultural Center. In Puerto Cabezas, students will have affiliations with the inter-cultural university, URACCAN, (The University of the Autonomous Regions of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua), Casa Museo, a museum and culture house; and CIDCA, the Center of Investigations on the Atlantic Coast. Both URACCAN and CIDCA have excellent libraries for research. Students may also affiliate with the numerous NGO, government, and bi-national development programs working in the region, many with their offices in Puerto Cabezas.

Cultural Activities and Excursions
In Granada, students will have excursions to museums, Las Isletas (Islands on Lake Nicaragua), the two artisan towns of San Juan de Oriente and Catarina; Laguna de Apoyo (a crater lagoon); volcano Mombacho; the town of Masaya; and to the island of Ometepe, a United Nations biosphere reserve established to protect the diverse flora and fauna of the region. In Puerto Cabezas, students will journey into Indian communities along the Rio Coco and other coastal Miskitu villages. In both locales, workshops of dance and music will be offered. Students will have an excursion to the tourist destination of Corn Island, a tropical island off the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua.

Courses Offered
Students can enroll in 3 or 6 hours of either course at the undergraduate or graduate level. A course in Spoken Miskitu will provide students with language instruction at the introductory level; students will also meet with Miskitu informants for one-on-one training. The Miskitu language course has 140+ contact hours and this six week program meets FLAS requirements. Another course will teach students about the culture history of the Miskito Coast and students are required to complete a project based on ethnographic field research. The language class meets MondayFriday, and the independent research course meets twice a week.

LAA 302/602 Topics in Latin American Area Studies: Spoken Miskitu. (3 credits) Miskitu, a Misumalpan, Macro-Chibchan language of South American origins, is spoken by nearly 200,000 indigenous Miskitu people on the Honduran and Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast. Students will learn Miskito phonology and grammar (morphology, syntax, and semantics) using published grammars and work with local Miskitu speakers to practice conversational skills. Additionally, students will build a corps of vocabulary words to understand the discursive domains of gender, race, ethnicity, and kinship in Miskitu society.

LAA 302/602 Topics in Latin American Area Studies: Independent Research on the Miskito Coast. (3 credits) This course introduces students to the geography, history, and cultural anthropology of the Atlantic Coast, a region that remains culturally distinct from the Nicaraguan nation. Readings will highlight the presence in the region of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples and the British and North American influences. Students also will learn about the Sandinista Revolution (19791990) and the Contra War (198487), which resulted in the creation of two autonomous regions on the Atlantic Coast. Students are required to complete an independent research project on the topic of their choice. Students will give an oral presentation and produce a paper on their ethnographic research project.

Faculty Director
Laura H. Herlihy will serve as faculty director for the program. Herlihy's research with in Mexico and Central America has focused on indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples; gender, race, and sexuality; and transnational feminisms. She has worked among the bi-national (Honduras and Nicaragua) Miskitu peoples since the 1990s and speaks their language fluently.

Accommodations
All students are housed with Spanish-speaking host families in Granada and in Puerto Cabezas at Casa Museo, a family-run bed and breakfast accommodations. Three meals per day are provided during the host family period and breakfasts are provided while at Casa Museo in Puerto Cabezas.

Degree Level

Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Subject Areas

• Latin American Studies

Cost in US$:

Program Fees Include:

Credit
Three or six hours of undergraduate or graduate credit are granted by the University of Kansas upon successful completion of the program.

Experience Required

yes

Open to students from accredited U.S. colleges or universities. Minimum 2.5 GPA.

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Home-stays

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups

Scholarships are Available

Financial Aid KU students who qualify for summer financial aid in the form of Stafford and/or other loans, Pell or SEOG Grants, and scholarships may apply the aid to the cost of a Study Abroad Program. Limited KU Study Abroad supplemental scholarships are available to KU degree seeking students. Applications are available online. The scholarship application deadline is March 1 for Summer programs. Non-KU students should check into the financial resources available to them at their home institutions. Application Procedures Final Application Deadline: March 1.

Application Process Involves

• Essay
• Letters of Reference
• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Transcript

University of Kansas's Mission Statement

The university is dedicated to preparing its students for lives of learning and for the challenges educated citizens will encounter in an increasingly complex and diverse global community. Over 100 programs of international study and cooperative research are available for KU students and faculty at sites throughout the world. The university offers teaching and research that draw upon and contribute to the most advanced developments throughout the United States and the rest of the world. At the same time, KU's extensive international ties support economic development in Kansas.