University of New England

Photo taken in Guatemala by Randy Morrison, Alumni Student '06, Sociology Major

Explore the life and culture of the peoples of Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Improve your Spanish language skills while living with families in the Guatemalan highlands (5 weeks). Study the role of the church within the situation of political oppression and social injustice in El Salvador (4 weeks). Examine the theory and practice of economic development and the impact of social change movements in Nicaragua (6 weeks). Earn credit in Spanish, Economics, Religion and Interdisciplinary Studies.

Based in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala (5 weeks); San Salvador, El Salvador (4 weeks); and Managua, Nicaragua (6 weeks). Students live with a family in Guatemala, stay in a guest house in El Salvador, and, in Nicaragua, have the choice of staying in the study center or with a family.

Gui Barbosa, Sociology Major, enjoys his home stay in Guatemala. Read more...

The program includes field trips within each country, for example:

• In Guatemala, traveling to an indigenous community to learn about the struggles for survival these people face.
• In El Salvador, spending a weekend with church based organizations working for social change.
• In Nicaragua, studying sustainable agriculture practices, the peasant movement, and local experiences of environmental protection and conservation in rural areas.

There are also opportunities for individual travel on weekends and during breaks.

• Week 1 Orientation in Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
• Weeks 2-5 Language study/family stay in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
• Weeks 6-9 Religion course in San Salvador, El Salvador.
  Includes weekend field accompaniment in repopulated community in Usulután
• Week 10 Fall/spring break
• Weeks 11-16 History and economics courses in Managua, Nicaragua.
  Includes short trip to rural area.