Past Review
By Marcy L (History and Environmental Studies, Pennsylvania State University - Altoona) for
Penn State Altoona: Traveling - Alaska and the Yukon
My cultural awareness of native North Americans was certainly improved. If I succeed in my plan to become an environmental historian and teacher, I will remember the tremendous value of getting out of the classroom to take a look at what I've been reading about, and attempt to arrange experiences like this for my own students.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
All the education was informal, not classroom, and was an excellent way to put our classroom material into context. Really, this was not study abroad in the usual sense; it was more like an outstanding field trip. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
n/a |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorms were comfortable, but needed some basic kitchen equipping which was a little difficult to do because getting into town was somewhat inconvenient. Plus, we were only going to be there a few days and didn't want to buy a lot. Food eaten in or out was expensive in Alaska and we would have appreciated being able to fix meals, not just microwave food. |
| * Food: |
We did not eat a bad restaurant meal; the local seafood and game was so good! If you are in Juneau, just about any place will be good quality. It's all expensive. In White Horse, I especially liked the little coffee shop with food down by the river in the middle of town. Get the cranberry spelt muffins even if you've never tried spelt. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The two meetings we had with the leaders of First Nations (native American/Canadian tribes) were some of the highlights of the trip. Especially memorable was our chance to be included in a smudge ceremony with the members of the First Nation organization in White Horse. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Didn't need any care, felt safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Anyone interested in environmental issues or the history of the North American frontier would benefit from this program. |
