JMU Summer in Kenya

Summer 2012: June 7 to July 19 (tentative dates) Internship may be available

Location

Kenya is located in East Africa and is bisected by the equator.  Home to a part of the Great Rift Valley, Kenya features salt and freshwater lakes, as well as arable highlands rich with volcanic soils.  Kenya also features broad semi-arid grasslands teeming with wildlife and domestic livestock; Mt. Kenya, Africa’s second tallest mountain, topped by glaciers; the shores of the Indian Ocean; and the bustling capital city of Nairobi, population of 3+ million.

Cities: multiple, including but not limited to the three largest cities of Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu, as well as many smaller cities and towns, including Nakuru, Naivasha, Kericho, and more

Overview

Designed to serve majors from different disciplines, JMU’s Kenya Field School (6 weeks, 9 credit hours) offers a unique opportunity to learn about peoples, cultures, and environments of contemporary Kenya through direct interaction.

Read more about us in Montpelier.

Academic Program

Preparing a meal outside of Amboseli; Mt. Kilimanjaro in the background	Mwalimu Judy leads Kiswahili class, Kakamega District

INSTRUCTION

The Kenya Field School focuses on three broad themes, each supported via site visits, homestays, lectures, readings, and Kiswahili lessons:

1. Histories and Cultures of Kenya – the diversity of cultures extant in Kenya, the impact of colonialism on Kenya, and the meaning of post-colonialism and nationalism in the context of Kenya.

2. Human-Environment Interactions and the Quest for Sustainability – dimensions of rural life in two districts of Kenya, impacts of major cities in Kenya, varied land uses and pressures on the land, and use and potential of renewables, with comparative considerations in all areas.

3. Education in Kenya – the history of the education system in Kenya, its challenges and achievements, and local responses to the educational system.

Internship opportunities may also be available.

JMU is also offering a great option where students can take an intensive Kiswahili course at JMU from 14 May – June 6 to prepare for Kenya.

Upon successful completion of the program, each student will have earned nine credit hours:

• The core course (3 credit hours) will engage the three primary themes and cover learning objectives listed above. 
• The Kiswahili course (3 credit hours) will be taken as either introductory or upper level, depending on each student’s proficiency.
• The elective course (3 credit hours) provides a choice from the following:
• Political Ecology of Kenya
• Education in Kenya
• Guided Field Study

The Kenya Field School includes lectures and class discussions, guided tours, fieldwork, reading and writing assignments, and more.  On a regular basis we will be involved in collecting and analyzing data, individually and in small groups.  We will share and discuss our data and experiment with ways of writing about and understanding our observations. 

Final evaluation will depend upon the students’ active participation in and contribution to the field assignments, journals, and final essays, as well as their demonstrated ability to relate their respective projects to the wider Kenyan context.  The instructors will assess student work throughout the program and will work closely with students in the development of their research and observational skills.

Students’ assignments will not focus solely on information recall or summaries; they will provide opportunities to reflect upon, critically engage with, and evaluate course materials and experiences. 

Additonally:

• Certain immunizations and anti-malarial medications are required; see http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/kenya.htm for details
• Visas are required to enter the country
• Cell phones will be shared and are provided by the program
• Detailed packing list is provided to all acceptees

Tentative Courses:

• ANTH 391-1- Kenya Field School Core Course (3)
• ANTH 391-2- Guided Field Study (3)
• FL 490- Kiswahili (various sections offered depending on language proficiency) (3)
• GEOG 350- Kenya Field School Core Course (3)
• GEOG 490- Political Ecology of Kenya (3)
• GEOG 491- Guided Field Study (3)
• HIST 391- Kenya Field School Core Course (3)
• IDLS 490- Education in Kenya (3)
• ISAT 480- Political Ecology of Kenya (3)
• SOCI 391- Kenya Field School Core Course (3)
• SOCI 391-2- Guided Field Study (3)
  

Kakamega (rural, agricultural)
While in Kakamega, host families will serve as our guides and co-instructors.  Although we will continue to meet in classes, we will accompany members of our host families to work, school, church, and markets as appropriate.  Day trips include Kakamega National Forest and local bullfights. We will also visit Kisumu and Lake Victoria.

Kajiado District (rural, pastoral)
By visiting area residents, game ranches, and national parks, we will learn about the ways in which wildlife and ecosystems are understood, managed, and contested in areas popular for tourist safaris.  Of particular interest will be current debates surrounding conservation, biodiversity, and ecological change as manifest in “wildlife-human conflicts” and impacts on local habitats and residents.

Nairobi (urban, industry & service)
With a population of about 3 million, Kenya’s capital city Nairobi continues to grow and expand.  We will be staying with and learning from our hosts at Kenyatta University.  Classes and field trips will provide insights into the birth and growth of this large urban center. We will also visit the city center, as well as the ever-growing suburbs. Field trips will include visits to the industrial sector, a grassroots health clinic and other Carolina for Kibera projects in Kibera, Nairobi National Museum, NGO offices, a bus tour of the “White Highlands”, and more.

Room & Board

Although we will stay in lodges and hotels during some portions of the program, we will also be hosted by Kenyan families, conference facilities, residence halls/ dormitories and tents. The program will provide some group meals.

Program Costs

For the current projected costs for this program, please click on the following link to the Fees for JMU Study Abroad Programs page.

The program fee includes all housing, all meals, and all program-related excursions in Kenya. Additional costs (costs NOT included in the program fee) include tuition, airfare, immunizations, passport and visa fees, and spending money.

One of the schools in Kakamega District supported in part by our program.

Application

For more detailed instructions and to download the application, please click on the following link to the Applications and Forms section for JMU Short-Term Programs.

In addition to the application form, to be eligible for the Kenya Summer Program you must have a minimum GPA of 2.5. A personal interview may also be required.

To apply include:

1. two letters of recommendation from faculty members
2. a brief essay (no more than two typed pages) explaining your interests in this particular program, as well as one or more possible topics to pursue for your guided field project
3. a copy of your transcript (if you are a JMU student, this can be printed directly from ECAMPUS)

Faculty

For more information about the Summer in Kenya program, please contact the program director:

Dr. Jennifer Coffman
Associate Executive Director
Office of International Programs
Tel: 540-568-3376
E-mail: coffmaje@jmu.edu

 

Links

• Read Kenya's The Daily Nation
• Visit the Kenyan Embassy website
• See the Kenyan government website
• Get updates from BBC news
  
• You should visit the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) website for information about immunizations and health care while in Kenya.
• You may track travel advisories issued by the U.S. State Department
  
• Read the U.S. State Department’s Consular Information Sheet on Kenya
• Begin to learn Kiswahili at:
  • UPenn's Site
• Yale University
• Read and hear BBC news in Kiswahili
• Visit Carolina for Kibera, Inc., to learn more about CFK projects in Kibera, Nairobi