Eleven Fredonia students traveled to the Universidad de Puerto Rico – Rio Piedras with faculty to study the Spanish language and culture and Puerto Rican society in an intensive, three-week cultural immersion during J-Term.
Accompanied by Dr. Brian Boisvert, who is director of the J-Term in Puerto Rico Program and assistant professor of Hispanic Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition in the Department of World Languages and Cultures, and Diane Everett, assistant director, students were able to earn 6 credit hours in this annual study abroad program.
In addition to the program’s rigorous class work, students gained first-hand experience of Puerto Rican biodiversity in the Las Cabezas de San Juan Nature Preserve and Icacos Island in Fajardo as well as in El Bosque Olimpia in Adjuntas. Culturally, students were engaged in Puerto Rican art at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, Puerto Rican dance at a salsa workshop and also visited Juana Díaz to experience a traditional celebration of Three Kings Day.
Also on their itinerary was the opportunity to experience trips to the historic town of Coamo to enjoy the thermal baths and to El Yunque, the only tropical rain forest in the United States.
