Educational Experience

The objectives of the Border Studies Program require that students play an active role in their educational experiences and in striving to understand the complexities of the border region and the effects of globalization. The program design brings together three distinct components in this binational, multicultural region: homestays, courses, and field studies. Each of these provides quite different perspectives and contributes to a multidimensional understanding of the borderlands.

Participants on the Border Studies Program will benefit from the expertise of faculty at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) www.utep.edu and faculty at the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juaréz (UACJ) www.uacj.mx. UTEP has approximately 15,000 students: 2/3 are Mexican American and almost 10% come from Mexico. Students take an elective course at UTEP and have access to student services such as the computer labs, the library and sports facilities. UACJ was founded in 1973 and is now recognized for its academic level that makes it one of the best universities in the north of Mexico. All students will take one course at UACJ, Perspectives on the Border, and have access to the main library and all of its resources. Qualified students may take their elective at UACJ. Program participants will also benefit from the expertise of faculty at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces (NMSU), the Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF) in Ciudad Juárez, and other educational institutions in the region.

The Program also works in cooperation with the rich variety of human, educational, and organizational resources in the Ciudad Juárez /El Paso area devoted to border issues.

"Value everything: make sure to have lots of conversations about why you’re here and how you feel. Learn to use language wisely, but don’t be afraid to talk in class, check all of your assumptions, don’t let work or people stress you out too much; it’s just life. Appreciate the skies, go to Big Bend!"-2003 Program Participant

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