March 4, 2004
INFORMATION: John McElwain or John Green, (661) 362-3494 or 3684
Spanish Language Institute Adds Travel Element
College of the Canyons' popular, one-week Spanish Language Institute, to be held this August, is adding a second week that consists of a trip to Costa Rica. The travel element is designed to bring relevance and context to what is taught in the classroom. During the Costa Rica trip, students will not only practice their language skills, they will receive hands-on experience learning about the culture, geography and biology of the area, as well as learn about the history of the area from pre-Columbian times to the present.
An information meeting for potential participants will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 17, in the College of the Canyons Library, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita.
The one-week, on-campus language and culture segments will be held from Aug. 2 to 5, and the one-week travel segment will be held from Aug. 7 to 15. The college’s fall semester will begin on Monday, Aug. 16.
Students attending both sessions could earn up to nine units of college credit in biology, history and Spanish. It is possible to attend either one or both sessions, earning varying amounts of credit. The first week of the Spanish Institute will involve enrollment fees of $18 per unit (unless the state increases community college fees before that time), and the travel segment will cost $1,595, plus enrollment fees. The $1,595 covers round-trip air transportation from Los Angeles to San Jose, Costa Rica; seven nights in 4-star hotels; 12 meals; round-trip bus transfers; a half-day San Jose city tour; a half-day tour of Sarchi Pueblo; a full-day excursion to Manuel Antonio National Park, Monteverde Cloud Forest, the Arenal Volcano and Coter Rain Forest. Most service charges and taxes are included.
“This is an outstanding opportunity for students and community members to experience the richness and color of a vibrant and beautiful country,” said Claudia Acosta, a native of Nicaragua and chair of the Foreign Languages Department. "The educational elements of the trip provided by biologist Miriam Golbert and history professor Brad Reynolds will provide students a perspective about the country that few vacationers experience."
Golbert will provide students with a unique look at contemporary issues in environmental biology in Costa Rica and help students to understand conservation and biological diversity in the area. She is an associate professor of biology at College of the Canyons and holds a master’s degree in cellular and molecular biology and a doctorate in education.
Reynolds is chair of the history department at College of the Canyons and is a specialist in U.S., Caribbean and Central American history. He earned his Ph.D. in history from USC and will instruct on the history, customs, economic and political development of Costa Rica and Latin America.
This travel program is one of many that College of the Canyons has on the drawing board, and it recognizes the growing trend in adding these kinds of experiences to college curricula nationwide.
For more information on this program, contact Claudia Acosta at (661) 362-3530 or by e-mail at claudia.acosta@canyons.edu .
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