Application Deadline: Enrollment for 2012 Program has closed.
Please contact your campus coordinator for information about Valencia, Spain 2013.
Program Dates: January 2013 (arrive in Madrid)-March 2013
Follow the Blog of Rebecca, a Gilman Scholarship Recipient and WCCCSA Faculty Professor Hellen Taylor as they write there way through Valencia, Spain 2012 with WCCCSA.
Getting to know Valencia, Spain begins with a stroll along its streets to discover its rich heritage. Roman, Arabic, Gothic, and Baroque influences can be found throughout the city. Well-known for its history and art, it is also a modern, dynamic Mediterranean city with a population of about one million people making it the third largest city in Spain. Boasting the best climate in all of Spain, the view from the beaches is breath-taking. Students will study at AIP Language Institute situated in a central district of the city, characterized by quiet residential areas and a wide variety of small local shops. Students will appreciate the school’s clean modern exterior and its close proximity to bus routes leading to both the old town and the sea front. Students spend their spare time shopping, visiting interesting places in town, playing sports and enjoying local cuisine with their friends. The fact that the school is right in the center of Valencia makes it easy to enjoy the city’s attractions. AIP Language Institute has a cultural guide, specializing in tourism, responsible for organizing the cultural and leisure part of the course excursions, weekend trips and cultural activities. The culture guide also is a resource for students to help them organize their trips in and out of Spain. Additionally, the school also organizes at least one evening out a week to get to know the exciting sights of the city as well as day and/or weekend excursions to discover the best-kept secrets of Spain.
WCCCSA Budget Request Form, Spain 2012 (.docx)
WCCCSA Scholarship Application, Spain 2012 (.doc)
Faculty
Dr. Helen Taylor is looking forward to helping students apply psychology to their experience in Valencia. She is a full-time professor and chairperson of the Psychology Department at Bellevue College, and also teaches for Eastern Washington University. During her time at Bellevue College, she has served as a Counselor, Director of Faculty Development, and Director of the Center for Liberal Arts. Dr. Taylor loves to teach and has designed a number of courses, both face to face and online. Her areas of specialty are cross-cultural, gender, abnormal, and social psychology. This fall, she will co-teach an interdisciplinary studies course on happiness. Dr. Taylor was recognized with a Margin of Excellence teaching award and an Outstanding Faculty award from Bellevue College. She earned a BA in International Studies from Pomona College, an MA in Counseling from Seattle University, and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Washington. In 2008, she co-led a group of students with the Washington Community College Consortium for Study Abroad to Florence, Italy. She had such a great time, she just had to go again! She credits her own experience as a study abroad student in college as one of the most formative of her life, and is very much looking forward to teaching and traveling with students in Spain.
Courses
Spanish – All Levels (5 credits or 10 credits)
Spanish language classes will be held at and taught by AIP instructors. The Spanish language courses are central to your experience in Valencia and will help you to get the most out of your time abroad. You will have 5 lessons per day (55 min. each) of Spanish as a foreign language, from Monday to Thursday, at AIP Language Institute. There will be a maximum of 8 students per class.
Cross-Cultural Psychology (5 credits)
Cross-cultural Psychology examines psychological theories and research from a cross cultural perspective. Students discuss the impact of culture on thinking, development, emotion, motivation, sex roles, disorders, group behavior, conflict, stereotyping, and prejudice.
Cross-cultural Psychology is the study of the effects of culture on human thought and behavior, of cross-cultural interactions, and of the similarities and differences in behavior across cultures. This class is ideally suited for a study abroad program. One of the goals of the course is to enhance understanding of the ways in which culture, beliefs, values, the environment, and behavior interact. We will be able to explore Spanish culture with a focus on values, norms, and behaviors.
Two additional goals of the class are to develop an appreciation for the wide diversity of human behavior and to develop competencies in functioning in a diverse society, making cross-cultural interactions more productive and enjoyable. And finally, students will gain an appreciation of the wide diversity of human identities as well as of common threads and values.
Psychology of Adjustment (5 credits)
Psychology of Adjustment teaches the scientific principles of psychology as they relate to adaptation to life’s challenges. Topics include the nature and management of stress, coping strategies, interpersonal communication, relationship dynamics, self concept, lifelong learning, and career development.
This course presents the opportunity to apply psychological principles to one’s own life, with a special focus on adapting to, coping with, and managing the challenges of life. The
Psychology of Adjustment class is a cross between a personal development course and a developmental psychology class, with some practical skills thrown in. Topics range from emerging adulthood to intergroup relations, from stress coping to health.
Psychology of Adjustment is the perfect class for students in study abroad programs because it offers the opportunity for students to assess their own adjustment to the travel experience, culture shock, and stressors inherent in living with home stay families. The theme of personal identity, in the context of the study abroad experience, can be explored both academically and personally. Effective communication and developing relationships are other topics in this class that will be studied and practiced in a real-life study abroad setting.
Accommodations
Students will live with local families in their homes. The families are all located at a manageable distance from Valencia city centre and our school, never more than 25 – 30 min away on
public transit. All host families work exclusively with AIP Language Institute and have been screened. In-house laundry service provided at least once a week.
Program Dates and Deadlines:
Program Dates: January 6, 2012 (arrive in Madrid)-March 19, 2012
Costs:
$6400- $6900* (Based on 16+ students)
Final price will be confirmed at the start of Fall Quarter. Please check with the study abroad coordinator at your campus for full details.
*Based on currency exchange rate on 11/14/2010 and subject to change. Payment is due in full November 7, 2011 by wire transfer to AIP; final price will be confirmed at the start of Fall quarter. Please check with the study abroad coordinator at your campus for full details.
INCLUDED
- Transfer from / to Madrid airport
- Experience 2 days in the heart of Madrid, including, accommodation and halfboard, cultural visits to major museums, monuments and other highlights
- Host family with individual room, with half board (2 meals per day) Monday through Thursday, and Full board Friday through Sunday
- Daily Spanish as a foreign language lessons, Monday to Thursday, at AIP Language Institute. Maximum of 8 students per class
- Full day excursion to Valencia region, panoramic bus welcome tour, and fullcalendar of weekly activities
- Enjoy the unforgettable Festival of Valencia, Las Fallas, March 16th-19th, accommodations and full board included
- AIP Orientation Handbooks will facilitate your immersion process into the Spanish culture; includes a “Before Coming” and a “Living in Valencia” handbook
- Medical insurance
NOT INCLUDED
- Airfare
- College Tuition and Fees
- Some Meals
- Passport Fees
- Wire Transfer Fees
- Optional weekend trips and excursions guided by an AIP leader
Orientation
When: November 19, 2011
Where: Bellevue College
Time: 10am-3pm
What to bring: Students need to bring (a) a signed copy of the Student Guidelines, (b) a copy of your passport, (c) flight itineraries for students not on the group flight, (d) a notepad to take notes, and (e) questions. Student participants should also invite parents, guardians, or whomever they feel should attend with them.
Coffee will be provided in the morning and lunch will be served. The faculty will be available to discuss their courses and expectations.