Location

Santo Domingo, Las Canas, Dominican Republic

Program Description

This program is designed to introduce students to cross-cultural studies using elements of Environmental Science as a theoretical framework. During this course, we are going to be visiting caves (commercial and non-commercial) in the Shenandoah Valley and the Dominican Republic. Students will also engage with the local community through service-learning projects. In addition, students will have the opportunity to experience the Dominican culture through excursions, food, and historical sites.

During the program, students will learn and review geological topics such as karst topography, caves, and speleothem development. In combination with place theory, Caribbean history, and geotourism. Geotourism will be used as a framework to study the interaction of human-geology. In addition, students will experience different communities in the Dominican Republic and have the opportunity to explore Dominican culture through service-learning projects and excursions.

Location Description

Students will experience the urban capital of Santo Domingo and the coastal town of Las Canas on the northern shore of Dominican Republic.

Director

Felix Wang | wangch@jmu.edu | Honors College

Ángel García | garci4aa@jmu.edu | Honors College

Accommodations

Students will live in shared rooms with local NGO and hostel.

All meals will be provided as part of the program. Some of the meals are provided by local families. Students will also receive a stipend to explore local restaurants.

Additional Items to Consider

This program is funded in part by a grant from the United States Department of State. The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.

No visas needed for travel to the DR.

Applicant Criteria

Applicants must have a GPA minimum of 2.0

No language requirement

Students of all levels: first year, sophomore, junior, or senior standing