Honduras: Health Care in Central America, the J-Term study abroad program that enables students at Fredonia to serve on medical brigades, has received a competitive $4,000 Innovative Study Abroad Program grant from the State University of New York.
The grant – one of only four awarded within SUNY – will fund scholarships for student participants and the student leaders who will provide guidance and mentorship before and during the program to be held January 2020, said Erin Willis, assistant director of Study Abroad and Student Exchange.
The SUNY Office of Global Affairs supports the educational mission of SUNY by working with campuses to foster the delivery of educational services of the highest quality to empower students and prepare them for the interconnected nature of today’s world.
Increasing the number and diversity of students participating in education abroad by supporting the development of new study abroad programs or improving existing programs, adding unique subject areas and promoting study in less commonly visited geographical locations are goals of the Chancellor’s Grant for Innovative Study Abroad Programs.
Fredonia’s Honduras program, offered for the first time this year, is coordinated by Department of Biology Professor Ted Lee. Student participants are required to enroll in a pre-departure course during the fall semester to help them prepare for their time in a developing country.
During the J-Term, students participate in medical brigades in rural parts of Honduras that allow individuals – some who travel great distances – to received free medical care. Organization of these brigades and interaction with local patients and families while they wait to be seen by a doctor are primary duties of the students.
