Honduras: What Are You Looking For?
If you are interested in this program, please read this important open letter (updated December 2012) about student safety in Honduras.
Eligibility
You must have a 2.5 grade point average and be of sophomore status to participate in the development studies program in Honduras. Preference will be given to juniors and seniors for the program.
Cost
The Fall 2013 program cost is expected to be within $1000 of Calvin tuition and room and board on campus. Final cost will be dependent on the number of students participating. More specific cost information will be sent with your acceptance letter. The cost includes:
- Tuition
- Room
- Food allowance
- Administration
- Field trips
- Round trip airfare from Grand Rapids
Additional expenses not included in the program fee: passport, books, medical insurance (required), personal travel expenses and spending money. Make sure that your passport is up-to-date and will not expire any time in the next year. Note that Honduras is an inexpensive country for visitors with dollars, so an extra $100 to $150 per month should provide plenty of spending money.
Accommodations
You will live with a Honduran family in San Lucia, a beautiful town in the mountains 20 minutes outside of Tegucigalpa. Fluency in Spanish is not required for this experience.
Courses
By studying in Honduras you will fulfill your cross cultural engagement core requirement.
The approximate semester dates for Fall 2013 (including the optional 2-week internship) will be late August through mid-December.
You will take the following courses in succession:
| Course 1 - STHO 210: Exploring a Third World Society | |
| This course offers Honduras' unique history, economics and politics as a window on the third world. Frequent seminars will provide an opportunity to interact with leading Honduran politicians, economists, historians, and sociologists. | 3 semester hours, global and historical studies core, CCE core |
| Course 2 - STHO 211: The Problem of Poverty | |
| This course analyzes development theories and major issues such as population and environment that come into play when attempting to develop impoverished areas. The class will also include frank discussions about how Christian values can shape development theory. | This course with STHO 212 (below) gives 3 semester hours for the societal structures core in sociology and 3 semester hours for an elective credit in economics. |
| Course 3 - STHO 212: Development Theory in Practice | |
| This course provides an in-depth analysis of third world development. Guest speakers from leading Christian and non-Christian organizations present honest appraisals of their work and students spend a week sharing life with real Hondurans and studying the impact development organizations have had in the community. | See above |
Course 4 is a Spanish class you choose and taught by Honduran teachers:
| Course 4 - SPAN xxx: Spanish Language Study | |
| Each student will take at least one Spanish class (beginning, intermediate, or advanced Latin America literature or culture). The classes are taught by highly skilled Honduran teachers using Calvin College's Spanish curriculum. | Language core |
Course 5 is a 2-week practicum:
| Course 5 - STHO 280: Honduras Dev. Practicum | |
| Students will be placed in a community development organization (minimum of 80 hours) in Honduras to gain hands-on experience related to specific development topics (e.g. micro-enterprise and business development, education, agriculture, health, peace and justice). Through the practicum experience, students will gain a better understanding of the day-to-day work of development practitioners. In addition, students will develop and implement a research project related to the organization, utilizing such skills as participative investigation, proposal writing, program evaluation and report writing. | 2 semester hours |
Apply
Submit a preliminary application to the the off-campus programs office. Once your eligibility for the program is determined (within 1–2 weeks), you will be sent an application. The final application deadline for this program is March 15, 2013.
Guest students may apply for this program.
Contact
Program Director
Professor Kurt VerBeek, sociology
Email: joannKurt@gmail.com
