ARchives, historical memory and cultural heritage in guatemala

CCNY-CIRMA Program in La Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala (January 5-26, 2013)

Do you want to immerse yourself in Central American history and culture, learn a Mayan language, perfect your Spanish, study Mayan historical memory or meet ex-guerrillas from the revolutions of the Cold War? Study in La Antigua Guatemala, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

CCNY newest program in Latin America is set in Antigua Guatemala (Old Guatemala), a living sixteenth-century colonial town tucked in a valley surrounded by mountains, volcanoes and lush forests in the Guatemalan highlands.  Moreover, Old Guatemala has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This highly interdisciplinary 3-credit course, “Cultural Memory in Guatemala and Latin America” (taught in English) offers a rich selection of topic for students interested in anthropology, photography, archives, cultural studies, geography, sociology, indigenous and human rights, and Latin America during the Cold War. 

Our program’s host institution, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales de Mesoamérica (CIRMA), is the most prestigious social science research center in all of Central America with a diverse faculty uniting from different parts of the world.

Students will have the opportunity to work with local Mayan communities, research in CIRMA’s immense archives and libraries, enjoying the natural beauty of the highlands and live with local families in one of the safest and most picturesque locations in Central America.

Program cost: $2,090 PLUS tuition (3 credits) and airfare.

Services Included

• Guatemalan home-stays for students and leaders in Antigua with 3 meals a day Monday-Saturday
• 45 hours of 3-credit interdisciplinary history/culture/geography class (including 10 hours of enrichment activities/colloquia); service-learning internships; educational tours of historical Antigua, Guatemala City and the La Azotea coffee plantation
• All lodging and food during excursions outside of Antigua as listed on the itinerary
• Transportation in private, insured bus
• All entry fees, tour guides, and activity fees
• Group pick-up and drop-off at La Aurora International Airport
• Welcome lunch and goodbye dinner
• Extensive orientation on health, security and emergency protocols and introduction to CIRMA and Antigua
• Backup and logistical support for group
• International Health Insurance
  

Costs Not Included

• Purchase of Guatemalan cell phones for students (required; approx. $32 plus phone card)
• Sunday meals in Antigua, laundry, snacks
• Independent travel (not recommended, given short duration of trip)
• Materials needed for class (photocopy pack, e.g.)
• Airfare from/to USA