Seminar Leader: Steven Scribner & Jennifer Gansler
Program Dates: February 29 – March 8, 2008
This travel seminar is designed for introduce students to the tropical wonders of Costa Rica. It consists of two parts: on-campus preparatory classes on Costa Rican culture, history, topography and development followed by a ten-day visit to Costa Rica. It is a land of volcanoes and valleys, of lush green forests and barren páramo, of palm-fringed beaches and rocky shores. It is a land of prowling jaguars, glittering hummingbirds and electric blue butterflies. Nestled between Nicaragua and Panama, Costa Rica makes up part of the Isthmus of Panama, otherwise known as Central America. Combined with its varied topography, its unique location as the land link between North and South America and as the divider of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, this small nation is blessed with an unparalleled diversity of wildlife. Costa Rica is home to more organisms per area than any other country on earth. Vigorous seismic activity over time yield the towering volcanoes and jagged mountain ranges that make this small nation famous worldwide.
The diversity of landscapes in Costa Rica means there is something for everyone; from the bustling sprawl of the cities, to the exhilaration of white water rafting, relaxing steaming hot springs, enchanted coral reefs and magical mountain cloud forest, all with the opportunity to view rainbow colored macaws, sleepy sloths, endangered sea turtles, and gregarious troops of monkeys along the way.
Academic Component:
Students will examine how certain aspects of current economics influence both culture and ecology and recognize how issues of political decisions on education, health care, tourism, ecological conservation have uniquely shaped the cultural landscape of Costa Rica.
Students receive three credits for this course. This course fulfills the General Education requirement for Global Awareness.
| Course Offering | Number of Credits |
IS326B-01:Costa Rica: Touch of the Tropics |
3 |
Accommodations:
Students will stay in hotels and lodges.
Contact Information:
Steven Scribner, Ph.D.
LA Bldg., Rm. 324
E-mail: sscribner@marygrove.edu
Phone: (313) 927-1321
Jennifer Gansler, MA
MC Bldg., Rm. 358
E-mail: jgansler@marygrove.edu
Phone: (313) 927-1485
For more information on Costa Rica, check out the following websites:
www.arenal.net
www.ecoteach.com/2008/marygrove.htm.