New experiences await for NC students ready to embark on Be World Ready international adventures during mid-term break.
About 130 students will participate in BWR International Field Studies (IFS) trips in February 2020 which have expanded this year with seven break week offerings, including three new destinations: England, Guatemala and Las Vegas (United States).
Whether students are making footprints in the sand or riding the London Underground, each IFS trip fosters a unique academic and experiential learning opportunity, noted cultural and global education manager Maxine Semple.
“These BWR opportunities help diversify students’ resumes allowing them to convey to future employers their global engagement efforts before graduation,” said Semple.
“The BWR program is another way in which NC prepares students to be ‘Monday job-ready’ regardless of where they work in the world.”
Semple noted that the unique experiences available to students through BWR IFS are thanks to the efforts of dedicated members of staff and faculty who lead the trips.
“It is through the devotion of our BWR faculty and staff champions that these programs really find life,” she said.
Check out NC’s exciting February 2020 BWR IFS destinations:
Dominican Republic – Coffee, Co-Operatives and Community
February 22 to 29
For a record sixth year in a row and his 12th trip to Los Cacaos, School of Environmental and Horticultural Studies professor Bill MacDonald will lead a group of students from NC’s Greenhouse Technician, Landscape Technician and Horticulture Technician programs to NC’s partner ASOCAES in Los Cacaos, Dominican Republic.
Over the years, more than 130 NC students and staff have participated in this highly anticipated IFS trip. Students gain exposure to the Dominican Republic’s fair-trade coffee production, greenhouse production and environmentally-sustainable growing methods throughout this international experience.
This trip, however, includes an exciting new addition. Participants have been invited by the Canadian ambassador to the DR to visit the Canadian embassy in Santo Domingo. They will have an opportunity to meet with the ambassador and share their stories and impressions of the experience abroad.
Academic advisor Cynthia Manzo will join MacDonald in leading this trip.
England: Pop Culture
February 22 to March 1
A BWR IFS trip first, NC students from across all schools of study will have a chance to visit iconic landmarks such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and London Eye. Exploring the rich history of Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes and The Beatles, students will travel to London, Manchester, York and Liverpool during their time in England. The trip will be led by School of English Language Studies professor Heather Cordeiro, and International digital media officer Jonathan Belgrave.
Guatemala: Rights and Resistance
February 22 to February 29
Students from across all schools of study will be challenged to think about peace and reconciliation, law and order, human rights, resistance, and the struggle for justice in Guatemala. Led by School of Justice and Fitness Studies professor Jennifer Roue, students will travel the streets of Guatemala’s capital – where thousands of peaceful protesters forced the resignation (and arrest) of the country’s president. They will also visit the more remote corners of Alta and Baja Verapaz where previously war-torn communities are working to reclaim their rights to rebuild their livelihoods.
Guatemala: Healthcare and Service: It Takes a Village
February 22 to 29
Immersed in the complex world of healthcare in Guatemala’s western highlands, students will visit big city hospitals and small rural clinics to learn about the healthcare system alongside a local practitioner. Students will see the challenges for Guatemala’s volunteer first-responders, as they participate in a ride-along with members of the Red Cross and Bomberos.
Additionally, they will meet social workers, teachers and students of Escuela De La Calle – a Guatemalan non-profit organization that has been combating the phenomenon of children living and working on the street since its establishment in 1995 – its ‘Hogar Abierto’ to see how an innovative educational program is impacting health and wellness in Las Rosas.
Both Guatemala opportunities are in cooperation with Operation Groundswell.
This IFS trip is open to students from all schools of study. Dental clinic technician BillyJo Santoro and international student advisor Laura Fakla are leading the trip.
Costa Rica: Hospitality and Tourism
February 23 to February 29
This trip offers an inter-professional experience for NC students from across a variety of program areas to explore the rich history and culture of Costa Rica. Students will learn best practices among mass tourism operations focusing on environmental sustainability, business practices, selective marketing approaches, creative accessibility solutions and the right of wildlife. School of Hospitality, Tourism and Sport professor Agnes Nowaczek will lead this trip along with alumna Carolin Seiferth, who is currently completing an internship in Costa Rica at Hotel Senda Monteverde as part of her studies with Hochschule Stralsund, in Germany. To learn more about last year’s trip, click here.
Costa Rica: Environmental Stewardship and Conservation
February 23 to February 29
This trip will introduce a group of Environmental Studies students to the natural environment of Costa Rica and how its unique wildlife and ecosystems are preserved. Led by School of Environmental and Horticultural Studies professor Katie Altoft, and dean of Environment Al Unwin, students will tour major ecological features, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of issues surrounding ecosystem restoration or environmental sustainability while being immersed in Costa Rican culture and cuisine.
This year’s trip adds an opportunity for the group to gain a hands-on application of their studies at Osa Conservation site in southern Costa Rica. During their time at Osa, students will visit a river restoration site and learn more about restoration project and stewardship in Costa Rica while getting their hands wet monitoring water quality and tree survivorship.
Las Vegas, United States: High-End Hospitality
February 24 to February 28
As a world-renowned entertainment location, Las Vegas offers Hospitality, Tourism and Sport students the opportunity to see some of the finest facilities in the industry, experience high-end hospitality and learn from some of the best in the business. The trip begins with a visit to William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), which is one of the top-rated hospitality programs in the world, for a hospitality workshop facilitated by UNLV faculty. Students will tour the famous Las Vegas strip and a variety of unique sporting facilities, see the famous fountain show at the Bellagio, and take in a Las Vegas Golden Knights hockey game.
This trip will be led by School of Hospitality, Tourism and Sport professors Chris Psutska and Teri Canestraro.
