Working for international change requires the ability to navigate the social and political complexities of the Global South. The new Guatemala Program introduces students to this environment and gives them the opportunity to conduct advanced research in an international setting with a strong architecture of support.

After completing coursework in language and history and culture, students develop proposals for an eight-week independent research project in Guatemala. During their time in Guatemala, students work closely with COA faculty and local community members, who serve as academic advisors. Students in the 2005-2006 program investigated the tension between traditional Mayan healing practices and Western medicine, conducted oral history interviews with survivors of the 1944 massacre, and examined the status of Guatemala's bilingual education programs. Students presented their findings to their host communities and at an academic conference in Guatemala. Two students went on to use their Guatemala research as the basis for their senior projects.

The Guatemala Program, which immerses students in Spanish and Mayan languages, is designed to give students skills and insights they can apply in other international settings, says Todd Little-Siebold, professor of history and Latin America studies. "We designed this course based on the professional training we wished we'd had in order to provide students with a roadmap to do community-based research,” he says. "Whatever world these students chose, they'll be savvy and able to operate effectively in many different contexts.”

Links

Todd Little-Siebold faculty page