Belize

This summer, the UMB Field School in Prehistoric Archaeology (June 16 to July 10, 2011) will be working at the Maya ceremonial center of La Milpa, the third largest site in the country of Belize. We will also be excavating and mapping some of the smaller agricultural sites associated with La Milpa.  The project is a collaborative effort with a number of different individual research components within a larger regional perspective that allows for a more complete understanding and reconstruction of ancient Maya society.

Our camp is located in the middle of a tropical rainforest within a conservation area rich with flora, fauna, and archaeological remains. It is quite common to be woken up in the morning by the sounds of howler monkeys, parrots, or toucans. In the field, students will learn how to excavate different types of structures and will also spend time the lab processing the artifacts that are recovered. This is a great opportunity for students to participate in exciting new archaeological research and spend time in a beautiful jungle environment. Please contact Lauren Sullivan ([email protected]) for more information. 

Caribbean

Locations: University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras, University of Puerto Rico at Cayey (UPRC); the Vieques Cultural Center at Vieques, Puerto Rico; The University of the Virgin Islands, Saint Croix campus; and the University of the Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas campus. Students will be lodged in university dorms and/or hotels. Students will be able to use the library and computer labs at all the locations with the exception of Vieques.

Duration: Two weeks in Puerto Rico (San Juan, Ponce and Cayey), one week in Vieques, four days in St. Croix, and one week in St. Thomas, including a two-day visit to the St. John Carnival and a one-day excursion to the British Virgin Islands. The program will run from June 6 to July 5.

Description: This course will offer students an interdisciplinary approach (sociological, anthropological, and historical) to learn about Caribbean societies and cultures. Emphasis will be placed on the idea of the Caribbean as a natural laboratory of cultural and ethnic diversity, and the study of the historical, socio-political and economic structures and processes that helped shape the Caribbean as such. It draws heavily on the study of material culture and cultural productions (archeological sites, architecture, literature, plastic arts, etc.) as “texts” that speak about the political, economic and social contexts in which they were produced, and which ultimately point to the debates that play a key role in the construction of contemporary identities in the region. Although emphasis is placed on the Spanish and English-speaking Caribbean, the course broadens to include the study of the wider Caribbean, both insular and continental.

London

Visit London this summer! Starting at UMB, the summer course Theatre in Londonintroduces students to the history and traditions of the English stage. The class goes to London for a ten day immersion experience at one of the great international centers for the arts. During their time in London, students will attend no fewer than ten shows (last year we saw twelve) at the most significant theatres in England, including the new Globe, the National, the Royal Court Theatre, the Old Vic, and more. Additionally, the class will go to extraordinary museums, London Tower, Buckingham Palace, and Westminster Abbey, where the Kings of England have been crowned, wedded, and buried for the last millennium.

Theatre in Londonis not just for Theatre majors. In fact, usually only half of the students are from the department. The rest are simply students who enjoy drama, are prepared to work hard, and want to have an incredible experience in one of the most exciting cities in the world. Interested students who have questions should contact the instructor, Dr. Robert Lublin at [email protected].

Haiti

Since the late 1990s, The Africana Studies Department, through the Haitian Studies Project in collaboration with University College and the Trotter Institute at UMB, has organized a premier study abroad program that serves as a model for a series of other study abroad program on this campus and at several universities in the US, Canada and Europe. Haiti Today: People, Culture and Politics, has attracted students from many leading institutions of higher education from the all over the nation.

This on-site course of study in Haiti explores the history, politics, economy and culture of Haiti from both external and internal perspectives. It further examines current economic, political, and social issues in Haiti and how they are being addressed within existing national and local institutional structures. Linked to this issue is the impact of the global political economy on events in Haiti, particularly the role of the United States, France, and Canada.

The course facilitates further understanding of Haiti through total immersion into the country’s cultural, economic, political and social realities. Students visit public and private institutions as well as significant historical, cultural, and ecological sites in various towns. Furthermore, participants interact with local students from various public and private universities to strengthen their cultural immersion experience.

Over the years, the program has expanded this international experience by offering a service learning component for students who have completed the Haiti Today study abroad program and willing to pursue a career in international setting.