Faculty-led, world-focused

INFORMATION NIGHT:
Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 5:00 p.m.
234 Burrowes Building
Join faculty and other students to learn more about studying in Mexico.

Penn State faculty-led programs offer students the guidance of trusted faculty, with the freedom to explore the world. Our faculty will create the ideal itinerary for you.

Dispelling cultural stereotypes through immersion in the daily life of Mexico is the thrust of the summer program in Puebla. Studying the arts, culture, and history of central Mexico creates the context for the program. Living with carefully selected Mexican families helps Penn State students develop their language skills while experiencing firsthand the cultural treasures of Mexico. This 9-credit program offers students a unique, creative environment and exposure to a variety of experiences.

Located on a high mountain plain in central Mexico, Puebla is a large city with a small-town atmosphere. A planned city established in 1532 by the Spaniards, Puebla also reflects the pre-Columbian heritage of the region. The city is known for its Spanish colonial architecture and its concentration of contemporary artists and cultural activities. Only eighty miles south of Mexico City, Puebla sits in a rich archaeological area. Day trips to sites including Cholula — the location of the largest pyramid in the world — compose part of the educational experience. As part of the SPAN 497 class contact hours, there also are longer, overnight excursions to other archaeological sites and to some of the contemporary craft villages throughout Mexico. Classes are scheduled four days a week to provide students with long weekends for independent travel as well.

Courses Offered

Participants are required to take 9 credits.

Language (select one or two)
SPAN 099 Foreign Studies (3 credits)
Course offered in foreign countries by individual or group instruction. Prerequisite: None

SPAN 199 Foreign Study — Beginning Conversational Spanish (equivalent to SPAN 003) (3 credits)
Grammar review and practice in oral expression and aural comprehension. Prerequisite: SPAN 002 or equivalent proficiency

SPAN 399 Foreign Study — Spanish (3 credits)
Intermediate or advanced grammar and language development. This course involves intensive conversation and reading. Prerequisite: SPAN 003 or equivalent proficiency

SPAN 499 Translating Modern Mexico (3 credits)
This course will introduce the students to techniques of translation and the specific problems encountered in translation of current texts by Mexican writers from Spanish to English. The students will gain experience in translating both fiction and nonfiction texts that speak to the realities of Mexico today.

Studio Arts (select one or two)
SPAN 497 Special Topics: Central Mexican Culture and Civilization (3 credits)
This course will provide an introduction to Mexican culture and art from the pre-Columbian to contemporary. In addition, the course will provide students with experiential learning opportunities via service learning in Puebla. In this way the course will provide both a historical overview and an experiential cultural component in contemporary Mexican society. As part of the course, we will take three multiday cultural trips and visit a number of major archeological sites.

ART 297 Special Topics (3 credits)
Supervised instruction in the studio arts, focusing on one or more of the following areas: painting, drawing, photography, and collage/assemblage. There will be visits to the studios of artists who are working in contemporary art as well as traditional crafts.

ART 497 Special Topics (3 credits)
Supervised instruction in the studio arts for advanced and graduate students, with independent projects. Prerequisite: 3 credits of 300-level art courses

Eligibility

The program is open to all students with a minimum 2.5 grade-point average. Applicants are considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Students are encouraged to apply early, as enrollment is limited.

Faculty

Peggy Blue is a senior lecturer in the Department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese at Penn State University Park. She has a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and French from Rosary College (River Forest, Illinois). At the University of Kansas she completed a master’s degree and doctorate ABD in Spanish literature. She has taught Spanish translation, interpretation, grammar, and literature at Penn State since 2001. Previously, she worked for the U.S. Army, translating and editing articles for the Hispano-American edition of an army journal and traveling extensively in Latin America to attend conferences as translator and interpreter.

Monserrat Bores Martinez is a Penn State doctoral student in the field of Latin American culture and literature.

 

Expenses

The total program fee includes two components: tuition (9 credits) and a class fee (based on activities and location). All the students will pay the in-state tuition rate for 2010 Summer Abroad programs.

Expenses NOT covered are:

• passport
• personal expenses
• optional excursions
• round-trip airfare (approximately $1,000 plus tax)
• some meals
• textbooks and supplies

Estimated Tuition 

Out-of-state students will be charged the out-of-state tuition rate until the first day of the program. At that time, the students’ bursar account will be adjusted to reflect the in-state tuition rate of $613 per credit.

In-state students will pay tuition according to their standing and the Penn State tuition schedule.

$5,517 in-state/out-of-state

The University reserves the right to revise the schedule of tuition and charges without further notice. For more information on tuition, visit http://tuition.psu.edu.

Class Fee

The class fee of $2,445 includes insurance, room and board, transportation to field sites, and administrative costs.

Estimated Total Program Fee

The estimated program fee of $7,962 includes tuition as well as the class fee.

Financial Aid

For alternative grant, loan, and minority and Whole World scholarship information, visit the Education Abroad Financial Aid and Scholarships Web page.

Refunds

All cancellations must be received by the conference planner, in writing, by mail or fax. Do not use eLion; it does not remove you from the course, and you will be held responsible for all fees. Full refunds minus the nonrefundable $1,000 application fee will be made for cancellations received at least thirty days prior to the first day of the program. Refund requests made after that time will not be honored, and the participant or sponsoring organization will be responsible for the fees.

Information Technology Fee: 1 to 4.5 credits, $78; 5 to 8.5 credits, $170; 9 or more credits, $230

For passport information, visit www.travel.state.gov/passport/index.html.

How to Apply

Financial assistance: The Student Support Initiative for Penn State undergraduates enrolling in our Summer Education Abroad programs will continue for summer 2010. If you would like to be considered for such an award, please indicate this in the required short essay you will submit with your application. Include the reasons why you should receive financial assistance.

Submit your online application through Penn State Education Abroad.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 18, 2010

Cancellation: The University may cancel or postpone any course or activity because of insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances. If a program is canceled or postponed, the University will refund registration fees but cannot be held responsible for any related costs, charges, or expenses, including cancellation/change charges assessed by airlines or travel agencies.

Access: Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing special accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact the conference planner at 814-863-1738.

Space may be available after the application deadline. Please contact the conference planner to determine availability and/or to be added to the waiting list.

Contact Us

Regarding program content:
Peggy Blue
Department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese
The Pennsylvania State University 
237 Burrowes Building
University Park PA 16802
Phone: 814-865-9417
Fax: 814-863-7944
E-mail: mmb21@psu.edu

Monserrat Bores Martinez
Department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese
The Pennsylvania State University
Burrowes Building
University Park PA 16802
Fax: 814-863-7944
E-mail: mzb158@psu.edu

Regarding application process:
Carolyn Andersen, Conference Planner 
The Pennsylvania State University
The 329 Building, Suite 213
University Park PA 16802
Phone: 814-863-1738
Fax: 814-865-3749
E-mail: ConferenceInfo2@outreach.psu.edu

Regarding financial aid:
Office of Student Aid
The Pennsylvania State University
314 Shields Building
University Park PA 16802
Phone: 814-865-6301

For alternative grant, loan, and minority and Whole World scholarship information, visit the Education Abroad Financial Aid and Scholarships Web page.