State University of New York at Cortland
AC-5: Immersive Experience

REC 478 – Expeditionary Learning Practicum Opportunities for development of leadership skills, outdoor recreation skills, social and environmental responsibility, and cultural awareness through outdoor adventure/education pursuits. Understanding will come through shared challenging outdoor experiential learning tasks in a contrasting and dynamic environment. (1-3 cr. hr.) This 10-day intensive study-abroad experience provides students with the opportunity to engage in a Costa Rica Rainforest Outward Bound course with an emphasis on cross-cultural aspects of international adventure/eco-tourism and environmental conservation. Accompanied by bilingual instructors, participants will trek through tropical alpine tundra, enjoy a farm stay with a local ‘Tico’ family in the rainforest mountains, hand harvest and process sugar cane, rappel down a waterfall, try your hand at surfing and finish the course with a two-day sea turtle conservation project. Two bi-lingual native Costa Rican instructors will accompany the group sharing unique knowledge of the species, habitat, and cultural characteristics of the area. Opportunities to discuss equity issues and the cost/benefits of eco-tourism are included in the experience. All instruction is in English, but there will be ample opportunity to practice the native language. Previous wilderness/backcountry experience is not required. This is an embedded study abroad experience led by Dr. Amy Shellman, Recreation, Parks & Leisure Studies, SUNY Cortland. Students will be required to attend class during second quarter of fall term and participate in the culminating experience abroad in Costa Rica.