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NOTE: Program complete
Course: Aug 14-Dec 8, 2017
Travel: Nov 4-13, 2017
SPC College of Education students will volunteer in the public schools in Negril, Jamaica, for approximately 35 hours in a one-week period, through an organization called Great Shape!, Inc., that was established in 1988.
One of Great Shape’s programs is called SuperKids, an initiative to help improve literacy with Jamaican children. In addition, volunteers work with children in the areas of art, computers, music, and physical education. In the schools, College of Education preservice teachers will teach small and large group lessons, work side by side with Jamaican teachers and interact with children in a variety of activities throughout the school day. The experience would count towards part of the required practicum hours (up to 25) for EDE 4942.
Think you can’t afford to study abroad? Scholarships and other ways to fund your study abroad program are available. Explore scholarship options now.
Available courses – Students must enroll in the course listed below during the fall 2017 semester in order to be able to participate.
Note: Students must confirm with an academic advisor that they meet all college enrollment requirements AND course prerequisites to be eligible to enroll in the course listed. Students receiving financial aid must confirm with a financial aid advisor whether their study abroad course will be covered by financial aid.
Professor: Cher Gauweiler
EDE 4942 Integrated Language Arts, Children’s Literature and Social Science Practicum 1 credit
Lead faculty contacts
After you submit the application online, we will review your application and e-mail you with details of scheduling your interview with the Jamaica program lead faculty, Melissa McAllister , 727-712-5205.
Student Travel Blog – For a taste of what it’s like to study abroad in Jamaica, or to follow our students as they travel, read posts from the Jamaica blog below.
What a magical experience today was. On so many levels! There was so much excitement and anticipation in the air this morning as all of the Great Shape volunteers gathered for breakfast and prepared for our first day in the schools. We boarded the buses and headed for the schools, many of us having never … Continue reading Wow, this is going to be incredible! by Sara Caldwell
That’s what we call them…”love notes.” Those little notes that students furtively slip into your hand on a wrinkled piece of scrap notebook paper. This one from a fourth grader touched my heart and made me laugh out loud at the same time…I just have to share. (Note: I wrote exactly as this student did to keep it … Continue reading Teaching in Jamaica: I have to share my "love note…" by Cher Gauweiler
I have finished teaching my second day in beautiful Jamaica – and what a day! After lunch, I work with a smaller group of students who need extra help. So, there I am outside with about 10 fourth graders, a preservice teacher from Oregon, and an assistant from Mississippi. We were getting started to “make … Continue reading Amazing moment in Jamaica… by Cher Gauweiler
The bags are packed and the 2013 Jamaica: Education Practicum Study Abroad students are ready for their journey to start! The program begins on November 9th, 2013. Below is a video from Great Shape! Inc. on their Book in a Bag program, which started in 2006 to promote reading comprehension, library skills and reading at … Continue reading The Jamaica Study Abroad journey begins! by Anna Faiola
I had so much fun on Friday at the farewell dinner with all of the preservice teachers headed towards Jamaica. November is right around the corner…I know that they are in for an experience they will cherish forever. In the meantime, please see the video from some Jamaican children a few years ago. Georgene Crowe, one … Continue reading Getting ready for Jamaica… by Cher Gauweiler
There is nothing in this world that compares to studying abroad. There are so many things that happen when you’re traveling that no one else understands. One of my favorite things about being on this trip was the relationships I made with everyone. The people of Negril, GreatShapes! Superkids, and even the other fellow SPC … Continue reading Teaching in Jamaica by Megan Marland
When I think of my experience in Jamaica, one of my favorite quotes by Dr. Seuss comes to mind…”Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” As I write this, I’m missing Jamaica – the children in the schools, the teachers and staff at Kendal Primary, the amazing preservice teachers I traveled with, and the … Continue reading "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." by Cher Gauweiler
Everyday people wake up and take for granted numerous things in their lives, even minor things that nobody ever really thinks about. One of these things is a pair of shoes. How often do you really think about how grateful you are for your shoes? We groan over our selection of a dozen, maybe two-dozen … Continue reading Jamaica – Soles4Souls by Camille Lyle
In many ways the students at Kendal Primary school in Hanover, Jamaica are like a lot of students in the U.S. The boys like to roughhouse and the girls like to skip rope. They ran and laughed during lunch/recess and occasionally someone fell, got hurt, and the tears flowed. Some students were eager to please … Continue reading Teaching Jamaican Students by Nancy Davenport
Where do you begin to express your thoughts and feelings when you come back to a hotel filled with every amenity you could possibly need and more, knowing there are people all around you just hoping they could have just one ounce of what you were experiencing. You feel over stimulated with emotions that you … Continue reading The people of Jamaica inspired me to be a better person by KEESHA Graham