Global Education: International Field Experience

EDUC 4P36/5P98 – Fall 2022

Join us for an Inter-cultural experience in Guatemala! (Please note updated information for Fall 2022)

This course, which can be taken by both undergraduate and graduate students, will be divided into two distinct parts – the first 4 classes will be held on the main campus.  The second part will be held in Guatemala during the October reading week (fly to Guatemala on Oct. 7, return to Canada on Oct 17).  There will be one or two classes on campus following our return.

Learn more about our previous trips in the Brock News:

BEFORE THE DEPARTURE

Prior to departure, we will learn historical, socio-political and educational details about Guatemala and life in indigenous communities in the Global South. We will also engage in pre-departure activities to prepare you fully for your time in Santiago de Atiltán (our first stop) and Nebaj (our second stop).

ASSIGNMENTS

Course requirements will include reflective journaling and a final project following our return.

COST OF THE TRIP/EXPERIENCE

  • The cost of the trip will be your airfare and in-country costs.
  • Details about airfare will be determined once we have a sufficient number of students (about 14-17) to ensure that the course is offered.
  • This will be confirmed by mid-April.
  • As airfares can vary greatly from season to season, it is impossible to cite a price at this time.
  • In-country expenses will include transportation, meals, accommodation and paying for a facilitator-interpreter.
  • All students will need additional medical insurance coverage (information will be provided by BUSU).
  • There may be funding available to cover some trip expenses. Additional information will be provided when it is available.

LANGUAGE

  • Spanish is the language spoken in Guatemala.
  • There will be four bilingual people on the trip to assist with translation.

ACTIVITIES INCLUDED IN THE TRIP

  • Smoke ceremonies
  • Visit “Peace Park” and other locations with different historical meanings.
  • Visit different local cooperatives (weaving, coffee, chocolate, painting)
  • School observations.
  • Meeting students and Faculty at the Ixil University (Nebaj, Guatemala)
  • Enjoy local food
  • Engaging with youth groups in different locations…and much more!

Description of the course

This course, and the particular field experience in Guatemala, will examine a number of issues that are simultaneously local and global. We will learn from Maya indigenous communities about their struggles to reclaim their culture after 500 years of colonialism and 36 years of genocidal civil war which took the lives of some 200,000 Maya and destroyed entire indigenous regions of the country.  We will look at school settings in Maya communities as well as other forms of cultural transmission/recuperation, i.e., families, community groups, music, language acquisition.

Course Objectives

  1. To expose students to the cultural richness of one of the few countries in the Americas in which 50% or more of the population are indigenous
  2. To examine the impact of historic and ongoing models of colonialism and rampant racism directed at the Maya people of Guatemala
  3. To come to appreciate the resilience and determination of the Maya peoples through the establishment of locally controlled primary, secondary or post-secondary institutions and how Maya informed curricula, often in contrast with that authorized by the Ministry of Education, is emerging and is an important tool in the process of cultural recuperation
  4. To see the interplay between formal education initiatives and the often spontaneous cultural practices of Maya children, youth and young adults (e.g., Mayan traditional music)

Preparation before each class

Given that such a field experience, to be fully appreciated, requires as much preparation as possible, and considering that, in addition to “academic” preparation we will be using our limited pre-departure class time on practical issues related to the trip itself, students will be expected to come to class having viewed assigned videos (available on line) or having read assigned readings. This is necessary so that we have as much class time as possible available for the discussion of the issues raised in these materials and time to actually plan the trip.

Q&A

When will we know if the trip will happen?

As soon as we have approximately 14-17 students committed to the course and confirmed by paying their deposit, we will confirm that the course will take place. We would hope that this will happen by mid-April, if not sooner.

How do I pay?

A non-refundable deposit of $300 CAD is required to secure your place in the class. This deposit will only be returned if the course is cancelled for any reason.

Who can give me more information about the trip?

For further information, contact Cecilia Garcia (cgarciavega@brocku.ca), Clinton Kewley (ckewley@brocku.ca) or Dr. Michael O’Sullivan (mosullivan@brocku.ca).