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Pitzer Study Abroad Program in Costa Rica: Culture Environment and Ecology
Four hours southwest of San Jose and two kilometers from the Pacific Ocean, the program is located in the tropical rainforest on land owned by Pitzer College. The 150-acre reserve, known as the Firestone Center for Restoration Ecology, is home to pre-Columbian petroglyphs, a harvestable bamboo forest, a riparian zone with waterfalls and s... read more
Four hours southwest of San Jose and two kilometers from the Pacific Ocean, the program is located in the tropical rainforest on land owned by Pitzer College. The 150-acre reserve, known as the Firestone Center for Restoration Ecology, is home to pre-Columbian petroglyphs, a harvestable bamboo forest, a riparian zone with waterfalls and streams, secondary growth forest in former pasture, intentionally replanted hardwood forest, original rainforest, a four-pond water catchment system, a seedling nursery, and a new Ecology Center with science and classroom facilities. With adjacent Hacienda Bar, a wildlife refuge of 800 acres to the west; the ecologically significant Osa Peninsula to the south; and Manuel Antonio National Park to the north, students have ready access to a variety of tropical ecosystems and rich biodiversity.
* Intensive Spanish:
This 80-hour course is provided by ICADS in San Jose, where students will stay for the first month of the program. As part of an integrated approach to the teaching of language and culture, students will also participate in a homestay with a Costa Rican family. In addition, students will participate in afternoon field trips and lectures designed to provide background knowledge on Costa Rican culture, history and important local and national issues. Classes are from 8 AM to noon followed by lunch and afternoon activities.
* Core Course:
During the first five weeks of the program, students will participate in the first half of the Pitzer Core Course: a seminar offered through ICADS entitled Latin American Perspectives on Justice and Sustainable Development. The course includes lectures, study trips in and around San Jose, discussion sessions, a variety of oral, interactive and written assignments and a longer study trip to Nicaragua.
The second half of the Pitzer Core Course focuses on developing oral proficiency in Spanish while deepening students understanding of Costa Rican culture. This half of the core course facilitates students integration into surrounding communities through ongoing interviews and ethnographic work with local host families and community organizations. Students also complete a series of field book exercises designed to help students integrate personal experience with readings and lectures, as they reflect upon important issues and critically examine aspects of their own culture learning process. Finally, this half of the core course provides support for both conducting the Directed Independent Study project (DISP) research in Spanish as well as writing up the final project report and conducting an oral presentation to fellow students, program staff and local community.
* Tropical Restoration Ecology:
Using the Firestone Center as a biological field station, the course provides a field-intensive exploration of the terrestrial and marine ecology of the neotropical region, with an emphasis on Costa Rica and tropical restoration ecology. The course covers physical geography, biodiversity theory, and practical methods of data collection and analysis. Field and laboratory work focuses on the terrestrial, estuarine and marine ecosystems of southwestern Costa Rica, with additional visits to contrasting ecosystems. Special emphasis is given to the theory of restoration and its practice on the property of the Firestone Center. The course is taught on site by faculty from the Joint Science Department of The Claremont Colleges and a Costa Rican specialist in restoration of the biological corridor of the Path of the Tapir. This course satisfies the natural science graduation requirement at Pitzer College.
* Environment, People and Restoration:
Taught on site by faculty of The Claremont Colleges along with guest lectures from local experts, this course is designed to explore special topics in relation to the rich cultural and ecological resources available at the Firestone Center, its neighboring communities, and local protected areas. Topics may change from year to year, but past semesters have included conservation policy and governance, agroecology, and protected areas. Each course segment is taught as an intensive seminar that combines theoretical considerations, case studies, methodologies, and fieldwork.
* Study Trips:
A wide range of study trips to enhance curriculum is an important part of the educational program. Destinations may change from semester to semester.
* Directed Independent Study Project:
Students may focus on one aspect of human or tropical restoration ecology to study in greater depth through an independent research project or internship. Students may also participate in one of the longitudinal research projects set up by scholars from the US and Costa Rica that contribute to the biological baseline assessment for the property. Some topics may have prerequisites. All projects require a final written report with a significant analytical component as well as other appropriate documentation of learning.
* Accommodations:
Costa Rican host family stays provide a window into the culture as the families include students in their daily lives and introduce students to relatives from a variety of age groups and backgrounds. Through discussions with the family, students begin to give a human face to important issues and ideas covered in their courses. Often relationships developed with host family members turn into friendships that last long past the end of the program.
Students will have two main family stays. The first will be for one month in San Jose while students study Spanish intensively. Students second family stay for the remainder of the semester will be with a rural farming family. Homes are usually small with simple amenities and less chance for privacy. Less
