Community-Based or Field-Based Programs

Community-based programs employ a thematic educational framework with a goal of integrating students as fully as possible into the daily life of the community. Students will study the local language as part of the program.

• Classes are taught in English on most programs with a small group of students from other colleges and universities in the US. Programs based in Latin America or Francophone Africa may have a language pre-requisite because classes will be taught in the local language in these locations. . 
• Programs are based on a theme (e.g. Public  Health, Social Justice, Immigration & Human Rights, Food Justice and Sustainability, etc.) and the classes are all connected to the theme.  
• Two interdisciplinary seminars provide cultural context to the program theme taught by a panel of visiting faculty from local educational institutions and other experts working with local non-profits. A research methods course includes information on culturally appropriate research on topics related to the host location. The independent study or guided research project for the last month of the program allows students to pursue research in an academic area of interest or a month-long internship in some locations. All students take a class on the local language to help with cultural integration. 
• Homestays, often in both urban and rural settings, provide a broad exposure to the culture on the community-based programs. Housing options typically involve commuting to the program center and students should be prepared to use public transportation (buses) or walking with a commute of up to 45 minutes, depending on location. 
• Students travel with the program group to encounter the richness of the local culture and investigate the program theme in rural and urban areas or sometimes multiple countries.

Field-based programs offer an environmental theme-based academic framework with an opportunity to do field research. Students will study the local language as part of the program.

• Classes are taught in English with a small group of students from other colleges and universities in the US.
• Programs are topic-based with a set of classes taken together with the group focusing on a critical environmental issue of our time (e.g. Wildlife or Marine Conservation, Rainforest Studies, Climate and Sustainability, Environmental Justice, etc.).   
• Classes typically include a seminar providing cultural context to the program theme with hands-one field activities incorporated into the other classes.  Students often contribute to an ongoing research project being conducted by one of the faculty on the program or in some cases a student may be able to pursue an independent project of their own choosing. In locations where English is not the national language, all students take a class on the local language to help with cultural integration. 
• Housing on field-based programs can be quite rustic without the usual conveniences like air-conditioning and wifi, and may include cabins, tents, youth hostels, or small hotels depending on the location. Students often live together in some of the more remote locations in a base camp facility with the faculty and support staff from the program.  Meals are provided by the program and are taken together with the group.
• These programs are mostly structured and free time is somewhat limited.  The days can be long and the experience is quite arduous. The group experience (living in close quarters) can be intense at times, and requires the ability to adapt and go with the flow.  Students requiring accommodations or having dietary restrictions should consult with the program before applying or immediately upon acceptance to understand the support they can reasonably expect from the program, before committing to the program.