Guatemala Term - Learning with your mind and your heart.

Bethel University's Guatemala Term is open to students from any college or university.

Bienvenidos a un semestre en Guatemala!

Guatemala Term 2007 departed January 28 and returns May 23. Think ahead to Guatemala Term 2008! Bethel students should stop by the Office of International Studies to pick up an application. Students at other colleges and universities should send an e-mail with their name and mailing address to d-sullivan@bethel.edu to receive an application.

What is Guatemala Term?
Guatemala term is a cross-disciplinary program designed to provide students an opportunity to improve their ability to communicate in Spanish, to participate in the culture of Guatemala, to develop an understanding of the connections between community ministry and community development, and to integrate experiential learning with formal academic study.

The semester begins with a brief orientation in Guatemala City. The rest of the term is divided into four course blocks. Two of these blocks are dedicated to intensive one-on-one language study at one of the most prestigious language schools in Guatemala. Engagement in community-based ministry programs located in local villages is combined with the academic study of holistic ministry for the other two course blocks. Through face-to-face experiences, reflective analysis and direct hands-on service, students learn ways in which cultural perspectives, economic factors, and various other forces impact village life and existing human needs.

This unique combination of hands-on experience and academic study is guided by ministry site leaders and a Guatemalan faculty member experienced in helping North American students better understand the Guatemalan culture they are studying and living. Students live with a Guatemalan family and interact with the community of Antigua throughout the semester. Orientation and an end-of-semester debriefing in Guatemala City as well as three other organized excursions to other parts of Guatemala allow students to experience the diversity and richness of Guatemala.

Who can participate in Guatemala Term?

Guatemala Term is open to:

All majors (We can work to make a semester in Guatemala fit with your four-year plan.)
Anyone who has or will have completed SPA 102 before Guatemala Term begins
Students who want to improve their ability to speak and understand Spanish
Students interested in getting first-hand experience doing cross-cultural ministry
Students in business, nursing, pre-med, social work, and education who want practical experience in their field
Anyone who wants to spend part of the winter in a warm and sunny climate
Students from any college or university

Who are the partner agencies of Guatemala Term?

Students International

Students International (SI) will host students for the semester. SI is a nonprofit, evangelical Christian mission organization that strives to serve the poor through long-term community development ministries. SI intentionally provides students with opportunities for dynamic hands-on experiences that relate to their specific major and skills. Qualified Guatemalan and American staff oversee the specific long-term projects and are involved in the community-oriented lifestyle of the organization. Each ministry site is structured to facilitate student engagement and provides an opportunity to be part of an ongoing ministry that will impact many for the Gospel.

Centro Linguistico Maya

CLM is a language school certified by the Guatemalan Ministries of Education and Tourism. Located near downtown Antigua, CLM offers individualized instruction and optional weekly field trips to sites around Antigua.

SEMILLA

SEMILLA provides several days of orientation at the beginning of the semester as well as the opportunity for students to complete their coursework and process their experience at the end of the term.

Guatemala Term - Learning with your mind and your heart.

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