Guatamala Flag

The Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Arizona and the Center for Mesoamerican Research (CIRMA) invite you to participate in a study abroad program in Antigua, Guatemala. This is a summer, spring and/or fall semester program. Students receive a University of Arizona transcript. Most courses can be taken for honors credit, and some can be taken for graduate credit.

The real uniqueness of Study Abroad at CIRMA is our commitment to a transformational pedagogy. Our program weaves together rigorous theoretical engagement in themes such as human rights, development, climate change, and indigeneity with ongoing reflection of current events, home stay experiences, top/notch language training and profound encounters with Guatemalan activists, artists, students and scholars.

https://www.facebook.com/StudyAbroadCirma

Program highlights include:

•  a variety of Latin American Studies, History, Anthropology, Politics, Environmental Studies and Spanish classes, taught by professors, scholars, and practitioners from Central America. Students can also study a Mayan language.
•  classes give an in-depth and on-the-ground view of the history of revolution in Central America and contemporary social justice, peace and development issues, and ethnic relations.
•  engaging field trips throughout Guatemala related to course material.
•  opportunities to travel on your own (Guatemala is incredibly beautiful, complex and fascinating!)
•  a home stay with a Guatemalan family.
•  for-credit internships at CIRMA and use of CIRMA’s extensive research library. CIRMA is located in a stunningly beautiful colonial mansion in the center of Antigua, Guatemala.
•  internships and volunteer opportunities in the surrounding community, organized according to student interests.
•  study abroad students are also doing internships at Safe Passage/Camino Seguro (www.safepassage.org) in Guatemala City. Safe Passage provides life-transforming aid to children of families who live in a barrio marginal. Study abroad students have found that lending a hand to this incredible organization not only makes a real difference in the world, but that it changes their own lives as well. This internship can be accompanied by a directed reading in Latin American urban history or urban anthropology.
•  a colloquium series that brings in renowned political, social and cultural leaders to dialogue with the study abroad students.

In both Fall and Spring, CIRMA offers an optional, 2-credit field learning experiences. We team you with top experts and bring you to places tourists never see, into direct contact with Mayan or other Central American communities who have risen from the ashes of the civil wars and are doing amazing grassroots projects, recovering historical memory and/or promoting sustainable development. Students say that these trips, like their CIRMA experience in general, change their lives.

Deadline to apply for Spring 2014 is Oct. 15. For deadlines for summer and fall 2014, please click on the U of A study abroad link below.

For program information, including price, see:

http://global.arizona.edu/study-abroad/program/center-mesoamerican-research-cirma-guatemala or visit http://cirma.org.gt

Contact Toni Dye in the Education Abroad office if you are interested in taking advantage of this program.