ICADS Semester

This semester-long course allows students to develop their Spanish language skills and to gain a deep understanding of the Central American region through study at the Institute for Central American Development Studies (ICADS). The ICADS program focuses on women’s issues, economic development, environmental studies, public health, education, human rights and wildlife conservation. Students can choose to participate in one of two tracks. One is the ICADS Semester Internship and Research Program, where after a four-week language and culture orientation students spend eight weeks on an independent project in Costa Rica or Nicaragua, followed by a final two weeks at ICADS to present the students’ experience. The internship can be with one of many types of organizations. The second track is the Field Course in Resource Management and Sustainable Development, where after a four-week language and culture orientation students spend five weeks in small groups in three to four different areas within Costa Rica where they learn about a diversity of ecological zones and systems of regional development. The second track concludes with a five-week independent study in one of the previously visited locations, chosen by the student, and a final presentation. For more information on ICADS, go to the website: http://www.icads.org/. To apply for the program, contact a Spanish professor in the Department of International Languages and Cultures. The awarding of the full 16 credits is dependent upon successful completion of all components of the ICADS semester. Prerequisites: ILCS 102 or 110, or any higher level ILCS course, and permission of the ICADS faculty liaison in the Department of International Languages and Cultures.