Fall '09 Study Abroad in Costa Rica

Study Abroad in Costa Rica
January 8 – 17, 2010
Intercultural Communication (COM 1030)

This course offered students the unique opportunity to travel to Costa Rica to experience first hand the central role that culture plays in all forms of communication. Most of our time in Costa Rica was spent in rural regions and featured many opportunities to learn about the natural environment as well as engage in cultural experiences. The course required being in good physical condition with a willingness to spend extended time outdoors. The first half of our trip was centered in the mountain community of San Luis, near the “Tico” village of Santa Elana, and adjacent to Monteverde, one of the world’s most famous tropical cloud forest reserves that sits high along the continental divide. The second half was spent in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, a tiny and lively beach village on the Southern Caribbean coast that is home to many distinct cultures, including Indigenous, Afro-Caribbean, and Spanish peoples. In both locations were immersed in Costa Rican culture by engaging in a wide variety of educational and nature-based activities.

Highlights of the time in Costa Rica include:

• Experiencing the music, dance, food, art, sport, and language of two distinct Costa Rican communities.
• Visits to cultural centers and local markets, including one of Costa Rica’s largest and most diverse traditional craft villages
• Excursions to Monteverde Reserve, Selvatura Bridges, Finca La Bella coffee tour, waterfalls, a chocolate tour, and to workshops of local folk artists.

The course included 3 pre-trip meetings and one post trip meeting at CCV Upper Valley.

FACULTY: Amy Beth Kessinger is a long-time faculty member at CCV Bennington. She taught secondary school in the Caribbean, attended graduate school in England, and most recently participated in an exchange program to Australia. Amy Beth is an intrepid traveler and has led many groups abroad.