Peru: Culture+ Spanish &
Sustainable Development
| Dates: | June 29– July 27, 2008 |
| Cost: | $4275 |
| Application deadline: | April 20, 2008 |
Field Studies
Intrax's cutting-edge curriculum takes learning out of the classroom and into the field where you'll put your language and intercultural competence skills to practical use during community-based service projects.
Field-based studies will give you the opportunity to make the Sacred Valley your classroom and independent study laboratory. Explore the historic Incan capital city of Cusco, the pre-Incan ruins at Pisac, the spectacular Moray salt flats, the last Incan fortress of Ollantaytambo and the ancient Incan citadel of Machu Picchu. While hiking the winding paths of the high Andes, you will spend your nights in remote local villages and interact with indigenous peoples who live much as their ancestors have for hundreds of years. Explore small villages along the mighty Urubamba River and snake your way on a scenic train down the majestic river valley to Aguas Calientes. A highlight of your experiential learning is a trek to Machu Picchu, once considered an elusive, mythical Incan fortress that stands as one of the world's most magnificent archaeological wonders. Through this experience, come to understand how in-depth study of this and other ancient sites in the Sacred Valley has expanded our understanding of the powerful impact a people's natural surroundings have on the development of their culture.
A crucial component of your field studies is an independent study project supervised by the ICC instructor that incorporates reflection papers, one-on-one contact with locals, more language acquisition and group discussions on how your ICC training has honed your global skills.
Once familiar with Peruvian culture from your time in Cusco, you will travel to and live in mountain communities near Urubamba, the hub of the Sacred Valley. The Quechua mountain communities of Patakancha and Kkapakmachay are nestled high in the Andes at an elevation of 16,000 feet. Traverse rugged mountain roads past breathtaking scenery on your trek to villages that have been virtually untouched by the modern world. At the end of the road, hike to the remote community of Kkapakmachay, where learning will come alive as you work side by side with Quechua Indians to help the local communities. Through recent efforts of the Willka T'ika Children's Fund these remote communities now enjoy housing for teachers who previously could not stay in the villages to teach the local children. Hot meal programs now in place provide much-needed nutrition to youngsters who sometimes need to hike 2 hours to get to the local school. Your work on these and other projects will have a lasting and positive impact on the sustainable development of these small communities.
