Experiential Amazon Learning / Social Justice & Sustainable Development Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The work here is very experiential. We take Portuguese and then also have technically 3 other classes over the course of the semester. Two of the classes are more or less blended together and include learning about the culture here, the traditional populations, the ecology of the area, the political history of resource use, and other things like that. Most of this is done through lectures or conversations with numerous important people in the area. There are also 2 main excursions. One is a 2 week boat trip up the Rio Negro and Amazon river that's amazingly beautiful, extremely interesting, and everyone learns a lot. The second one is a trip to the southern area of the state where we looked more at the agriculture in the area as well as the impending hydroelectric dam being built (Belo Monte) and the numerous issues surrounding that. The last class is an independent study project (ISP) that each student decides and does during the final month of the semester. We had 2 finals at the end before the ISP period

On-site administration of your program

The program is really well run and its obvious that everyone involved knows what they are doing and are prepared for any situation. The program director, Gustavo Negreiros, is Brazilian, is very intelligent and has many contacts and connections in the area. The only complaint that I can say is that sometimes there is a lack of communication about what exactly the student is supposed to do.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host family was amazing! They were really welcoming and accommodating, which was especially wonderful in the beginning when I had more trouble communicating because of the language barrier. They treat me like family. My host mom introduces me to everyone as her American daughter. I have 2 host sisters who are both college students. They are really nice and willing to converse with me and explain things I don't understand. Now we talk more easily, but in the beginning they were very patient with me when I didn't understand or wanted to communicate something and didn't know how. The neighborhood isn't extremely dangerous, but muggings are common and it isn't a good idea to walk around at night too much, especially alone. The house is small, but nice. I have my own room. We don't have internet, but I use my computer at the program office almost every day, and there is wireless there. During the excursions, we stayed at different places. On the boat we slept in hammocks. Sometimes we stayed in hotels. There is also 2 rural homestays, one along the river and one in the southern region of the state. The first rural homestay was really interesting although I found it really difficult to understand their thick accent and fast way of speaking. Nonetheless, they showed me around and let me get to know their every day life and participate in making farinha (a food staple made from manioc) I loved the second rural homestay, with an Landless Worker's Movement (MST) family.

I've been a vegetarian since I was 8 or 9, but here I eat chicken and fish. It's not impossible to be vegetarian here, but it is definitely really difficult and I would feel uncomfortable imposing that on my host family, who eats some sort of meat every day. I do know that some past students have been vegan or vegetarian and done fine. There are beans and rice everyday, normally some sort of meat, and there is always a lot of fruit around. The fruit is wonderful and there are many different kinds that I had never heard of or seen before. The juice is also phenomenal. I will definitely miss certain foods here and have to bring some back with me.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

This program lets you see so much, it is difficult to explain everything. There were a bunch of different excursions that we went on where we learned about tons of different subjects. We go see a bunch of different NGOs and projects around the state. I would definitely recommend going to a soccer game here.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

In terms of safety, I would say it's important to use common sense. Don't talk on your cell phone on the street or on the bus. Muggings do happen, as they do in any big city. I haven't had any health issues. Although, from what I've seen, the program works hard to make sure that every student is healthy and happy. If there is an issue our homestay coordinator will bring you to a doctor or hospital and deal with it there.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I didn't speak any Portuguese when I arrived. Now I can carry on basic conversations and understand a lot of what is said. We use Portuguese every day. We live with Brazilian families who mostly only speak Portuguese. Some of the students have one host brother or sister that might speak a little English, but mostly it's solely Portuguese. We take the language class which helps a lot.

Select all that apply

• Host Family
• Other

Select all that apply

• Host Family

• The excursions
• The people, including the professors, the other students, and my host family here.

• Communication about what exactly is academically due.