SUMMER 2018: Special Education and Social Services in the Azores, Portugal

DATES Travel Dates: June 4-June 14 (dates may vary slightly)

• In Country preparation: (TBD) There will be a pre-class meeting held in the spring semester

2018 and a 2-hour long online module meant as an orientation before leaving for the travel course.

• Travel Dates: Sao Miguel, Portugal from June 4- June 14

This group will travel together to and from Boston’s Logan Airport, leaving on June 4th. Students will need to purchase their own airfare and make arrangements to get to Logan Airport.

Students are not required to return home on a specific flight and may choose to stay in Portugal or travel elsewhere after completion of the program.

All significant transportation in Portugal during the program is included in the course fee (with the exception of taxis taken at student discretion).

APPLICATION Application Deadline December 1, 2017

Application Process Students must complete the online application in order to be considered for the course. We will also interview all applicants before acceptance into the course. Applicants should make themselves available for an interview before leaving UVM for break.

Notification and Registration Students will be notified in mid-December if they have been accepted into the course. Accepted students will receive additional instructions about the course including specific program fees and associated costs. COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course offers students the opportunity to explore education and social service systems outside of the US, in the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. With a specific focus on family partnership with professionals, we will visit various schools, programs, and social service agencies, seeking to understand and experience their work and policies. This daily experiential learning will be complemented by lectures and discussions led by local experts on the subjects at hand. With a specific focus on family, school, and community partnerships we will visit various schools, social service agencies, and explore Portugal’s progressive public health approach to addiction. During our time in Portugal, we will discuss similarities and differences in professional education and social service practice, participate in cultural events, and experience the natural charm of ocean side volcanoes and hot springs. Through cultural immersion, lectures, small group discussions, agency visits, excursions, and informal interaction, students and instructors from different countries learn about the issues and challenges faced by education and social services organizations and explore the effects of cultural context on system development.

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES Program Activities include:

ü June 4: Orientation to Portugal, San Miguel Island, and Ponta Delgada ü June 5-8: Education in Global Context

Ø Morning visits to schools and educational programs (may include a special education magnet school, teaching English, service learning)

Ø Afternoon sessions will be held at the University of the Azores with local experts. ü June 9-10: Cultural Immersion and exploring natural environment

Ø Cultural immersion experiences will be planned for the weekends (may include visit to local villages, museums, hot springs, volcanoes, beaches, hiking)

ü June 11-13: Social Services in Global Context Ø Morning visits to social service agencies (may include mental health, substance

abuse, and child welfare). We will explore Portugal’s progressive public health approach to addiction.

Ø Afternoon sessions will be held at the University of the Azores with local experts. PREREQUISITES Eligibility

• Students do not need to speak Portuguese in order to participate in this course. • The course is primarily for advanced undergraduates and graduate students, but interested

sophomores can enroll with permission of an instructors. Please contact the instructors for further consideration.

• Final decisions about course acceptance are made by course instructors following an application and interview.

In order to participate in this course, students will need to:

• Have a valid passport • Sign a contract with the course instructors about conduct in the Azores. • Follow all UVM policies and procedures.

HOUSING AND MEALS Housing Students will stay in dorms or a hotel near the university in the city of Ponta Delgada. Students will share a room with other students.

Meals Students are responsible for their own meals on this trip. Accommodations may provide cooking facilities.

COSTS AND FEES

The program fee for this course is currently TBD. Students also pay for the following on their own:

• Airfare • Food • Souvenirs • Occasional transportation costs for personal travel