As capital of Alajuela province, this city lies just a few minutes away from the Juan Santamaria International Airport, With easy access and plenty of bus routes, getting in and out of Alajuela is not a problem. A leading trade center for cattle and the sugar industries of the neighboring areas, Alajuela is a fantastic summer getaway.

Accommodations

Students will have a private room with local families in their homes. The families are all located at a manageable distance from Alajuela city center and ICLC. All host families work exclusively with ICLC and have been screened. In-house laundry service provided at least once a week.

Program Dates and Deadlines

• Program Dates: August 17-September 15, 2013

Costs

$3,020.00 (Based on up to 14 students)

Registration and non-refundable deposit of $250 is due on May 17, 2013. Balance is due by July 17, 2013. Please check with the study abroad coordinator at your campus for full details.

INCLUDED

• Orientation session and two placement tests: written exam and OPI: Oral Proficiency Interview.
• ICLC will provide a local guide for the participants to learn how to use the public bus and they will walk in Grecia center to get familiar with the city.
• Spanish instruction for 4 hours per day at ICLC ecological campus, in classes with no more than five students per class.
• Room and board with a Costa Rican family, which includes breakfast, dinner and laundry service.
• Each student will be housed in a single room. In some specific cases ICLC will accept two participants in the same home stay but special request must be sent with WCCCSA justification.
• On-site support throughout the duration of the program.
• Certificate of completion & official transcripts with grades.
• Farewell lunch at ICLC campus including one member of each host family.
• Medical insurance

Excursions

Tuesday :TBA Alajuela orientation visit including private transportation, typical lunch and visit to Juan Santamaría Museum.

Saturday TBA: 1 day trip to Doka coffee plantation, Poás Volcano and La Paz Waterfalls, with bilingual escort, private transportation, entrance fee to the National park and to the waterfalls, and lunch included.

Friday TBA: 3 day trip to Manuel Antonio Beach with transportation, hotel accommodation on trip or quad room, 1 entrance fee to the national park and only breakfast included.

NOT INCLUDED

• Airfare
• College Tuition and Fees
• Daily lunch (about $7 /day)
• Taxi fare to and from school (est. $4/day) and to the airport ($30)
• Communication outside Costa Rica (phone; internet -$1/hr, etc)
• Passport Fees
• Wire Transfer Fees
• Costa Rica Airport (departure) tax: $27
• Optional weekend trips and excursions

How to Apply

1. Schedule an appointment with the Study Abroad Coordinator on your campus and obtain the WCCCSA application packet.
2. Return completed WCCCSA application packet to your campus coordinator. Once your application has been approved by your coordinator, you will be given directions for on-line registration with ICLC.

Orientation

When: July TBA (Saturday)

Where: TBA

Time: 10am-3pm

What to bring: Students need to bring (a) a signed copy of the Student Guidelines (b) a copy of your passport (c) flight itineraries (d) a notepad to take notes and (e) questions. Student participants should also invite parents, guardians, or whomever they feel should attend with them.

Coffee will be provided in the morning and lunch will be served.

FACUTY INSTRUCTOR Dr. Katherine Sadler earned an undergraduate degree in International Studies (emphasis Africa) and Women’s Studies from Portland State University; a Master’s Degree in African Area Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Doctorate in History, also from UCLA.  She has done field research in South Africa on the topic of women’s resistance to colonialism.  She currently teaches at Clark College in Vancouver and offers classes in African History, World Civilizations, U.S. Women’s History, and the History of Genocide.  She has received Clark College’s highest faculty honor, the Exceptional Faculty Award, for significant contribution to educational excellence.

COURSES:

History of Africa - HIST 280 (5 credits) This course will explore the history of the African continent beginning in the 16^th century, while filling in some critical context from previous eras as needed.  The 16^th-19^th centuries hosted a wide variety of economies and political systems, and featured many powerful and sizeable kingdoms and chieftaincies in all corners of the continent, vying with each other for wealth and resources.  By the late 19^th century most of these kingdoms had disappeared, although some of their memories were later resurrected to strengthen 20^th century independence movements.

Employing some southern African kingdoms as models – the Herero, Tswana, and Zulu, among others – we will examine the various reasons why African societies rose and fell, and what led to the continent’s current state of underdevelopment.  We will take advantage of local historical sites and resources to analyze and evaluate institutions of slavery, resistance to imperialism and/or colonialism, and the role of women in Africa’s history. This writing-intensive course will be conducted seminar-style and utilize both content-delivery and group discussion formats.

History of World Civilizations  HIST 103 (5 credits) This course will survey world powers from the time of the European Enlightenment, a starting point chosen for its worldwide impact on philosophy and politics.  This was an age of empire-building that would permanently link the globe.  No area of the world was left untouched, including Africa and the largest powers of the 18^th-20^th centuries would lay claim to those of less power or differing ambitions.  Southern Africa played a tremendous role in this as the Cape of Good Hope, occupied by Europeans as early as 1652, became a pivotal location in a power struggle involving many countries, as well as becoming the location of one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities, Cape Town.

We will examine the many historical relationships and events of this complex era, paying particular attention to how they were played out on the African continent.  This writing-intensive course will be conducted primarily in a seminar-style, group discussion format, and will utilize a variety of local historical resources when appropriate. d South African Life and Culture – (5 credits) This class will be taught by local guest speakers, focusing on historical, political, economic and cultural aspects of South Africa. The course includes four related field trips such as Robben Island, a township tour, and the District Six Museum.

South African Life and Culture HUMAN 205 (5 credits): This course consists of lectures taught by qualified local guest speakers focusing on historical, political, economic, and cultural aspects of contemporary South Africa and facilitated by a local instructor of record who will give assignments, tests, and assign final grades. Related field trips such as Robben Island, a township tour, the District Museum, are included and required. Suggested reading is The Making of Modern South Africa: Conquest, Apartheid, Democracy by Nigel Worden.

Volunteer Component: Students will take part in a gruop project in CapeTown for at least one half day per week. (More to come about this!)

Excursions: Included in the program are two excursions. The first is  a full day excursion by private coach to the Cape of Good Hope with the services of a professional guide. This day trip includes entrance to the nature reserve and a visit to Boulder’s Beach to see the penguin colony.  The second is a 3-day 2-night excursion along the Garden Route to Mossel Bay with 2 nights’ dorm style accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis in the Santo Express Train Lodge, which is located by the beach. This exciursion will include a guided “Big Five” game drive at a private game reserve with lunch. One further group meal will be provided.

Housing: Housing will be at Freeland Lodge in in Observatory in the southern suburbs of Cape Town- three train stops from the city center. Observatory is a Victorian styled suburb which loks up at Devil’s Peak. wo prominent buildings dominate Observatory. One is the famous Groote Schuur Hospital, where Dr. Chris Barnard performed the world’s first heart transplant and the other is the SA Astronomical Observatory for which the suburb is named.

Estimated Program Fees: $6,195 (based on 15-19 students)

Dates:  September 24- Novemebr 30, 2013

Saturday, September 21, 2013               AIFS flight departs U.S. for London

Sunday, September 22, 2013                 Arrive London and transfer to hotel for overnight stay

Monday, September 23, 2013                Depart London for Cape Town

Tuesday, September 24, 2013                Arrive in Cape Town

Saturday, November 30, 2013               AIFS flight departs CapeTown for U.S.

Deadlines:

Enrollment deposit                                   $450.00       due June 18 , 2013

Balance of fees                                           $5,745.00    due July TBA, 2013

Refundable damage deposit                   $ 250.00     due July TBA, 2013

Total:                                                           $6445.00   due July TBA, 2013

AIFS Airfare                                              $ TBA          due July TBA, 2013

Included:

• $10,000 accidental medical expense, $10,000 accidental death payment, 24-hour emergency care assistance during the program, and repatriation in cases of verified emergency beyond the students’ control.
• One day excursion and one 3-day excursion (see description above)
• Accommodation in multi-bedded rooms on a self –catering basis in a student lodge in cape Town with no more than 4 students per bedroom.
• A travel pas for use on the train system between Cape Town city center and Plumstead in the southern suburbs.
• A pre-departure and on site orientation consisting of an orientation meeting with the AIFS staff, workshops on cultural differences, safety/security and travel, a student information packet including a student handbook, local area information, etc. and sightseeing tour of cape Town by private coach with the services of a professional guide.

Not Included:

Airfare

Tuition: $1055.00

$250 refundable damage deposit

Meals (except those included on excursions)

Books

Personal expenses

Orientation:

When:  August TBA

Where: TBA

Time: TBA