Dixie State College of Utah students and St. George residents who either register for Geography 2990 or Community Education course 0290 this Spring semester will have a chance to earn college credit out of the confines of the classroom setting. Students will not find the class anywhere on the DSC campus, or in the United States for that matter. In fact, it is scheduled to take place abroad.
Instead of sitting in the classroom learning about the geography of the country of Costa Rica, as many as 12-20 students will spend 10 days exploring Costa Rica's tropical rain forests, beaches, volcanoes and culture first-hand and earn college credit while doing it.
The two-credit Costa Rica trip will take place during DSC's spring break, which is scheduled for March 14-23, 2009. The trip to the Central America country has been an annual occurrence since 2003.
According to DSC professor and course coordinator Kelly Bringhurst, the trip will partially consist of various hikes, which will expose the group to a variety of wildlife and terrain. He went on to say that in addition to visiting various geographical wonders, students can expect to see a variety of wildlife, hike, snorkel and take part in a service project as part of the course. One year, Bringhurst and his students delivered 40 pounds worth of fiction and non-fiction books from the DSC library to a Costa Rican elementary school.
The course is open to students, faculty and staff, and community members and can be applied as elective credit toward a degree. Cost of the trip is $1,395, which includes all Costa Rican transportation, lodging, meals, and guides. The price does not cover airfare or transportation to and from Las Vegas' McCarron International Airport.
Students or community members wishing to participate on the trip are asked to drop off a $40 flight deposit to Mary Curtis at Murdock Travel by Friday, Sept. 26. In addition, a $500 trip deposit is due to the DSC Cashierıs Office by Tuesday, Sept. 30, and the full balance is due by Tuesday, Dec. 16. An orientation meeting will be scheduled for sometime in February 2009.
For additional information and to fill out an application for the course visit www.dixie.edu/travelstudy/index.html. Interested students and community members may also contact Kelly Bringhurst at 435-652-7768 or bringhur@dixie.edu with questions.
