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Mexico

Courses and Academic Information

The Mexico Culture and Language program takes place during the fall semester.

Orientation

Students accepted to participate in the program are required to participate in the orientation sessions prior to departure. Orientation is designed to prepare the student for the cross-cultural experience and will include readings, films, lectures, discussions with former participants of the program, and information and issues related to health and diet. Students will receive 1 semester hour (ID24) for successful completion of the orientation.

Coursework

Students earn 18 semester credits for successful completion of the program. The faculty leader teaches a course in his or her area of expertise. Students also take: Spanish language (4 hrs), Creative Writing (1 hr), Mexican Literature (3 hrs), a topics course (2 hrs.) and Internship/Field Study (4 hrs). In addition, students will participate in an experiential seminar on the marketplace and food preparation in Mexico. The group visits several nearby towns such as Cuernavaca, Puebla, Tepoztlan and Tlayacapan. There is also a week long excursion to various towns in the state of Oaxaca.

The on-site faculty for the Earlham program includes language instructors, Gregorio (Goyo) Velasco and Patti Bernal; literature professor from the University of Mexico, Claire Joysmith; educational specialist Enrique Beristain; artist and cultural historian Rolando Guillermoprieto; and cooking instructor, Carmelita Navarette. Jacqueline Gillermoprieto is the on-site program coordinator. She assists with host family arrangements, coordinates activities and field excursions, and assists students in all aspects of their adjustment to Mexico and to Cuautla. Courses are held at Earlham's Academic Center, Casa Sol, in Cuautla.

Ethnographic Field Studies

The field study, developed from each person's specific interests, allows the students to integrate into and to become participant-observers of a particular community or micro-culture of Mexican society. The internships in the Mexico program have included education in private and public elementary schools, rural health, pottery, theater, alternative medicine, popular dance and ritual dance, and political and environmental organizations. Students often fulfill major requirements in fields that require an internship or field study.

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