Fall 2008

Week 1
September 4th -- Arrival in Caracas, pick-up at airport
September 5th -- Morning orientation and tour of Caracas
Septmeber 6th -- Meetings with community activists in Caracas

Week 2
September 7th -- Arrival in Mérida , orientation and check in with homestay families
September 8th -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
September 9th -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Orienation/class at ULA. Lecture/Seminar topic: Precolombian Venezuela.
September 10th-- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA. Lecture/Seminar topic: Colonial History
September 11th-- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
September 12th-- 9:00am-12:00pm. Tour around Mérida

Week 3
September 15th -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
September 16th -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Political History of the 19th Century
September 17th -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA. Lecture/Seminar topic: Political History of the 19th Century to 1958.
September 18th -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
September 19th -- 2:00pm-4:00pm. Meet with people working in educational program Mission Ribas

Week 4
September 22nd -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
September 23rd -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Democracy from 1958 - 1998
September 24th -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Economic Development in the 20th Century
September 25th -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
September 26th-3:00pm. Leave for Agricultural Co-op Bevere in the town of Tucani, outside of Mérida
September 27th -- 8:00am-6:00pm. Meet with farmers of Bevere, tour farm and meet with government representatives of INTI and those involved in the country's agrarian reform.
September 28th -- 9:00am. Return to Mérida

Week 5
September 29th -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
September 30th -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Petroleum 1

Week 6
October 6th -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
October 7th -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Chavez 1
October 8th -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Chavez 2
October 9th -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
October 10th-3:00pm. Leave Mérida for Centro Campesino in mountain town of Mucuchies
October 11th -- 8:00am-6:00pm. Meet with small farmers and community council members. Take horses to trout farming co-operative. Tour facilities. Group meeting and feedback session at El Convite.
October 12th -- 9:00am. Visit places of interest in the Andes mountians, return to Mérida

Week 7
October 13th -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
October 14th -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Chavez 3
October 15th -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Media
October 16th -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
October 17th -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Venezuelan Foreign Policy 20th -- 21st Century. 5:00pm-7:00pm. Meeting with opposition student movement.

Week 8
October 20th -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
October 21st -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Exam at ULA.
October 22nd-- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Course outline. Venezuelan Demography
October 23rd -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish Midterm
October 24th-- 5:00pm-7:00pm. Visit to community radio station ECOS 93.7 in Barrio Pueblo Nuevo.

Week 9
October 27th -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
October 28th -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Society 1
October 29th -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Society 2
October 30th -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
October 31st -- 2:00pm. Leave for diagnostic centers of health care mission Barrio Adentro.
November 1st-- 8:00am-6:00pm. Tour facilities and meet with Cuban doctors.
November 2nd-- 9:00am. Return to Mérida

Week 10
November 3rd-- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
November 4th-- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Environment 1
November 5th-- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Environment 2
November 6th-- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
November 7th-- 2:00pm-4:00pm. Meeting with members of Forestry Facultly of the ULA.

Week 11
November 10th -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
November 11th-- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Culture 1
November 12th-- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Culture 2
November 13th-- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
November 14th-- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Women in Venezuela. 5:00pm-7:00pm. Meet with gender activists working in research unit of the ULA.

Week 12
November 17th -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
November 18th -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Social Movements
November 19th -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Cooperatives
November 20th -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
November 21st -- 2:00pm. Leave for the city of El Vigia to meet with cooperatives of Mission Vuelvan Caras
November 22nd -- 8:00am-6:00pm. Meet with cooperativistas working in carpentry, tourism, textiles, and the service industry.
November 30th -- 9:00am. Return to Mérida

Week 13
November 24th -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
November 25th -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Indigenous groups.
November 26th -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Indigenous groups.
November 27th -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
November 28th -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Roundtable/review.

Week 14
November 31st -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish Final Evaluation
December 1st -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Exam at ULA. Submission of long essay. 7:00pm-9:00pm. Feeback session and wrap up.
December 2nd-- Return to Caracas
December 3rd -- Departure for the United States

NOTE: Although every effort to replicate the semester academic schedule is made, the above calendar is tentative. All events, visits, and times are subject to change.