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Service-Learning Semester in Bolivia
Bolivia Service-Learning Semester
Title: Bolivia Service-Learning Semester
Credits:15 credits: 6 political science, 6 Spanish, and 3 History
Approximate Dates:
Fall Term 2008, September 15 to December 15
Tuition: $8,750*
Program Overview
Bolivia Service-Learning Semesters include long-term service placements, continuous language learning and cultural immersion, and coursework examining the structure behind the issues Bolivians face today. In the Andean city of Cochabamba students have home stays with local families, serve with local nonprofit organizations, and take classes with Bolivian students. Read on to learn about the courses you’ll take, the service you’ll complete, and the city you’ll call home.
 Academic Courses
Service-learning semester students enroll in five courses worth three credits each, to earn a total of fifteen credits during the term. Six credits are dedicated to Spanish language courses, and students will be accommodated at all levels of language learning, from introductory to advanced. The remaining three courses are International Development, Global Service-Learning, and Contemporary Bolivian Issues. Together, these courses are designed to provide theoretical and historical perspectives on international and Bolivian political and ethical concerns. The Global Service-Learning course, in particular, focuses on the relationship between individual ethics, localized service efforts, and international dilemmas. Courses will be taught in English by Bolivian and US instructors.
Integrated Community Service
Amizade has partnered with nonprofit organizations in Bolivia for over ten years. After a brief period of acculturation and settling in, students will begin service placements with one of Amizade’s nonprofit partners. The placements will be organized through consideration of community and student interests together. Service may include working with orphans, teaching English at local schools, spending time with children with disabilities, assisting in a home for elderly individuals, or other social service opportunities. Once service placements begin, students will volunteer 2 – 3 hours every weekday morning.
 Location
Bolivia’s third largest city, Cochabamba rests on a fertile plane in the Andes Mountains, surrounded by the breath-taking Andes Mountains, and boasts of its perfect climate with a daytime seasonal average of 72 F with no humidity. Cochabamba is a bustling city of 400,000 people, home to many beautiful plazas, fountains, churches, and the largest open-air market in the Americas, La Cancha. Despite the beautiful scenery and perfect climate, Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in all of the Americas. Cochabamba faces major problems such as shortages of water for farming, poor soil, and lack of industry.
An academic semester in Bolivia offers students opportunities to experience both the urban and rural aspects of Bolivia, with field trips and excursions to regional cities, a high altitude rainforest, Inca ruins, and several local festivals. Students will have home stay accommodations with Cochabamba families, allowing for deeper language learning and understanding about local life and culture. The home stays are arranged in neighborhoods in easy reach of classroom and service sites, and Cochabamba is a very walk-able city overall. Cochabamba is famously pleasant and sunny; residents regularly gather under palms to discuss politics and life in plazas ringed by sixteenth century Spanish buildings.
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Program Tuition Includes:
- 15 undergraduate academic credits through West Virginia University
- Arranged home stay with a local family in Cochabamba and housing during field trips
- Two meals per day at home stay families & 3 meals per day during field trips
- Three field trips during semester and scheduled educational, cultural and service activities
- Comprehensive Travel Insurance
Additional Program Related Expenses:
- Airfare to Cochabamba, Bolivia and travel related expenses
- Course textbooks, course packet and materials
- Supplemental meals
- Personal spending money
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Read more about Global Service-Learning & Program Expectations
Boliva Spring Global Service-Learning Course: Introduction to International Development
Bolivia Semester Application (pdf)
* Fees do not include airfare, passport or visa costs, or immunizations.
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Global Service-Learning & Program Expectations >>
Bolivia Semester Application (pdf)
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