"The impact of the Costa Rica study abroad will affect many aspects of my professional and personal life. I have a greater understanding of bilingual, multi-cultural, and special education."

Participant in the Summer 2002 Costa Rica Education Program

  Costa Rica is the jewel of Central America. In addition to a rich and diverse eco-system, over 25 percent of the country's land is protected in the form of national parks, it spends a great deal on education and social services and subsequently has the highest literacy rate in Latin America. These circumstances have allowed Costa Rica to create innovative models of teacher training and special education. Such an environment provides an excellent venue for multicultural student teaching experiences. Aggies will observe special education in a developing country and to use emergent Spanish language skills to instruct students with disabilities. Such an experience sharply contrasts with the monolingual, monocultural environment a student teacher would find in the US.

The program includes stays in two diverse cultural areas of Costa Rica. Upon arrival in Costa Rica, the group will travel to the Monteverde Cloud Forest, staying for two weeks in a small mountain town dedicated to the goal of sustainable development and the conservation of the cloud forest. Leaving Monteverde, the group will travel to Heredia, for a taste of Costa Rica's urban regions. In both locations participants will take intensive Spanish courses and integrate themselves into the local culture, observing and teaching short lessons in local schools. Additionally, weekend field trips will take the group to some of Costa Rica's most spectacular landscapes, including the active Arenal Volcano and the beautiful Guanacaste Beach.

The program includes:

• Five weeks of study with a focus on educational issues
• Four weeks of intensive Spanish study at the Centro Panamericano de Idiomas for 4 hours per day
• Homestay & meals with Costa Rican families
• Excursions to varied ecosystems including a cloud forest, rainforest, volcanoes, coffee plantations, and beaches
• Extensive field experience in Costa Rican schools
• Weekend trips to Volcano Arenal and Eco-Termales

  Additional Links
  

  • College of Education Costa Rica Homepage
  • Centro Panamericano de Idiomas (CPI) - Texas A&M CEHD Study Center in Costa Rica
  • Costa Rica 2004 - Katie Newton
  • Costa Rica 2004 - Kara Zeigler
  • Summer 2002 Video (62 MB)
  • College of Education International Programs

Course/Syllabus

Description

Professor(s)

EPSY 484

Field Experiences in International Studies (3 hrs)

Patricia Lynch

INST 322

Foundations of Education in a Multicultural Society (3)

Zohreh Eslami

SPED 683

Field Practicum in International Studies (3 hrs)

Patricia Lynch