HR: 11:05h
AN: ED42A-04    [Abstracts]
TI: Interdisciplinary Environmental Summer Study Abroad in Southern Africa as a Mechanism for the Development of an International Research and Education Consortium
AU: * Swap, R J
EM: swapper@virginia.edu
AF: Dept. of Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Virginia, POB 400123, Charlottesville, VA 22904 United States
AU: Sabea, H
EM: hs4b@virginia.edu
AF: Dept. of Anthropology, Univ. of Virginia, POB 400120, Charlottesville, VA 22904 United States
AU: Annegarn, H
EM: han@na.rau.ac.za
AF: Dept. of Geography and Environmental Management, Univ. of Johannesburg, POB 524, Johannesburg, 2006 South Africa
AU: Ford, C
EM: fordc@cltd.wits.ac.za
AF: Univ. of the Witwatersrand - Rural Facility, P/Bag X420, Acornhoek, 1360 South Africa
AU: Netshandama-Funyufunyu, V
EM: vhonani@univen.ac.za
AF: Health Sciences, Univ. of Venda for Science and Technology, Thohoyandou, Limpopo, 0959 South Africa
AU: Omara-Ojungu, P
EM: omara@univen.ac.za
AF: Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Univ. of Venda for Science and Technology, Thohoyandou, Limpopo, 0959 South Africa
AU: Vaz, K
EM: ktv4e@virginia.edu
AF: Faculdade da Agronomia, Univ. of Eduardo Mondlane, UEM, Maputo, 9999 Mozambique
AU: Ribeiro, N
EM: nsr8s@virginia.edu
AF: Faculdade da Agronomia, Univ. of Eduardo Mondlane, UEM, Maputo, 9999 Mozambique
AU: Twine, W
EM: rcrd@global.co.za
AF: Univ. of the Witwatersrand - Rural Facility, P/Bag X420, Acornhoek, 1360 South Africa
AU: Terni, C
EM: cterni@virginia.edu
AF: Dept. of Anthropology, Univ. of Virginia, POB 400120, Charlottesville, VA 22904 United States
AU: Estes, L
EM: lde2c@virginia.edu
AF: Dept. of Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Virginia, POB 400123, Charlottesville, VA 22904 United States
AB: We describe an interdisciplinary course for non-specialist undergraduates in which the students experience firsthand issues of regional environmental complexity and have the unique opportunity to gain insight into the role the environment plays in shaping the people and culture of southern Africa. Undergraduates receive 3 hours of credit both in Environmental Science and Anthropology for the ``People, Culture and Environment of Southern Africa" study abroad program. The program is an intensive introduction to the physical geography, history and culture of the region and involves an intensive blend of in-class lectures and field trips with daily debriefing discussions. Over the duration of the 30 day program, students are exposed to elements of geology, ecology, hydrology and atmospheric science and how the interconnectedness of these different aspects of the physical environment help shape the history of the people and their culture in the region. Information about logistics and course development as well as to how this summer study abroad program has contributed to the development and expansion of the Southern Africa Virginia Networks and Associations (SAVANA) consortium will be detailed. The program builds upon more than 12 years of relationships between UVA faculty and their southern African colleagues developed during the course of several regional scale research programs with the most recent being the Southern African Regional Science Initiative - SAFARI 2000. Students enrolled with the UVA program are joined by their counterparts and interact with faculty from institutional partners both in the classroom and in the field. Participants operate out of four major locations: Johannesburg, RSA (Univ. of the Witwatersrand); Thohoyondou, RSA (Univ. of Venda); Maputo, MOZ (Univ. of Eduardo Mondlane); and Acornhoek, RSA (Univ. of the Witwatersrand - Rural Facility). Class size is limited to 15 students from UVA and about 6 SAVANA consortium students. This pairing with SAVANA students provides a unique, `round-the clock' learning experience for both U.S. and southern African students. Program participants have come from a variety of student backgrounds and majors including: Anthropology, African American Affairs, Architecture, Biology, English, Environmental Thought and Practice, Environmental Science, History, International Relations, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology and Women's Studies. Many course alumni have participated in Peace Corps, Teach for America, Americorps as well as to volunteer in South Africa or have pursued graduate degrees often related to various aspects of their experience.
DE: 0800 EDUCATION
DE: 0810 Post-secondary education
DE: 0820 Curriculum and laboratory design
DE: 0825 Teaching methods
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005