Fall/Spring Semesters

Week 1
Thursday - Arrival in Caracas, pick-up at airport
Friday -- Morning orientation and tour of Caracas
Saturday -- Meetings with community activists in Caracas

Week 2
Sunday -- Arrival in Mérida , orientation and check in with homestay families
Monday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Tuesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Orienation/class at ULA. Lecture/Seminar topic: Precolombian Venezuela.
Wednesday-- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA. Lecture/Seminar topic: Colonial History
Thursday-- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Friday-- 9:00am-12:00pm. Tour around Mérida

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

Week 4
Monday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Tuesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Democracy from 1958 - 1998
Wednesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Economic Development in the 20th Century
Thursday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Friday-3:00pm. Leave for Agricultural Co-op Bevere in the town of Tucani, outside of Mérida
Saturday -- 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.
Sunday -- 9:00am. Return to Mérida

Week 5
Monday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Tuesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Petroleum 1
Wednesday -- 2:00pm -5:00pm. Class at ULA. Lecture/Seminar topic: Petroleum 2
Thursday - 9:00am -- 12:30pm. Spanish class.
Friday - 2:00pm -- 4:00pm. Meeting with representative of PDVSA

Week 6
Monday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Tuesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Chavez 1
Wednesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Chavez 2
Thursday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Friday -3:00pm. Leave Mérida for Centro Campesino in mountain town of Mucuchies
Saturday -- 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.
Sunday -- 9:00am. Visit places of interest in the Andes mountians, return to Mérida

Week 7
Monday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Tuesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Chavez 3
Wednesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Media
Thursday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Friday -- 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
Monday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Tuesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Exam at ULA.
Wednesday-- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Course outline. Venezuelan Demography
Thursday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish Midterm
Friday -- 5:00pm-7:00pm. Visit to community radio station ECOS 93.7 in Barrio Pueblo Nuevo.

Week 9
Monday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Tuesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Society 1
Wednesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Society 2
Thursday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Friday -- 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.
Saturday -- 9:00am. Return to Mérida

Week 10
Monday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Tuesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Environment 1
Wednesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Environment 2
Thursday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Friday -- 2:00pm-4:00pm. Meeting with members of Forestry Facultly of the ULA.

Week 11
Monday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Tuesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Culture 1
Wednesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Culture 2
Thursday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Friday -- 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
Monday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Tuesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Social Movements
Wednesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Cooperatives
Thursday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Friday -- 2:00pm. Leave for the city of El Vigia to meet with cooperatives of Mission Vuelvan Caras
Saturday -- 8:00am-6:00pm. Meet with cooperativistas working in carpentry, tourism, textiles, and the service industry.
Sunday -- 9:00am. Return to Mérida

Week 13
Monday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Tuesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Indigenous groups.
Wednesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Indigenous groups.
Thursday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish class
Friday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Class at ULA.Lecture/Seminar topic: Roundtable/review.

Week 14
Monday -- 9:00am-12:30pm. Spanish Final Evaluation
Tuesday -- 2:00pm-5:00pm. Exam at ULA. Submission of long essay. 7:00pm-9:00pm. Feeback session and wrap up.
Wednesday -- Return to Caracas
Thursday -- 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.