Land of the Inca: Ecology and Culture in Peru

This unique program will take place in the majestic settings of the South American Pacific Rim, the Andes Mountains, and the Amazon rainforest. Our five-week study abroad program will provide first-hand exposure to the natural environment, archaeology, history, culture, and people in Peru. Following our first stay in Lima, we will move to our base in Cusco, one of the oldest cities in the Americas, nestled in the Peruvian highlands.

Cusco is one of the most beautiful and most unique cities in the world, blending layers of environment, history, and culture into a complex tapestry. From Cusco, we will travel for excursions to the Sacred Valley of the Inca, Machu Picchu, the Manu National Reserve in the Amazon, and the island of Amantani in Lake Titicaca. We will work with a non-profit agency named Centro Tinku which helps arrange study abroad. Central to this center’s philosophy is the opportunity for total cultural immersion through “homestays” with selected families in Cusco. These families live within a few-block radius, allowing students and professors to socialize easily with one another or arrange plans for evenings and free time. Also, students may reside singly or as pairs with individual bedroom and a shared bathroom.

Dates of Travel: May 24 – June 28, 2010
Program Fee*: $6,015 per student
Tuition for 6 credit hours + $20 fee: $1,208 per student
Personal Expenses**: $500 per student

Total Approximate Cost: $7,723 per student

Non-refundable Deposit: $500 due December 4, 2009
Second Non-refundable Deposit: $1500 due February 5, 2010

Remaining Balance due by March 5, 2010 (refund policy explained in program description handout)

* Program fee includes roundtrip airfare from Springfield to Lima, Centro Tinku all-inclusive package, health insurance fee, and faculty expenses.

**Personal expenses Aside from the fact that the Centro Tinku package is truly all-inclusive, it is wise for students to bring money for souvenirs, meals during international flights, airport taxes, books, passport fees, and other expenses outside the program.
There are 10 spots available for the program and will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Students are required to take both courses through the program.

Courses:
SOCI/SPAN 330: Society and Culture in the Andes (3 credit hours; satisfies the “Minorities and Indigenous Cultures” GP21 requirement)
NSCI 361/BIO 391: Undergraduate Research (3 credit hours; satisfies the “undergraduate research” GP21 requirement)

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Michael Hill
mhill02@drury.edu
(417) 873-7883

Dr. Wendy Anderson
wanderso@drury.edu
(417) 873-7445