½ elective credit and AALIM certificate

This two-week summer study abroad class in 2017 offered the opportunity to study Arabic, explore Morocco, and experience its unique culture. Students traveled to Meknes and the northwestern Moroccan region, studied at the Arab American Language Institute (AALIM), and lived in a riad (dorm) in Morocco. This course included classes conducted in Arabic, in-depth touring, and experiential learning.

For this language and cultural experience Ursuline partnered with API, a study abroad organizer for high schools and colleges. Classes were taught by both Arabic AALIM faculty members and UA faculty Monday - Friday mornings. Experiential activities were offered in the afternoons and weekends at different cultural sites.

Prerequisite: One year of Arabic at UA

1/2 credit - Social Studies Elective

The three-week Wimbledon Educational Exchange combined coursework with cultural experiences in and around London, England. During week one (in Dallas), students studied the relationship between the United States and Great Britain during World War II and the Cold War. In addition to daily discussion of readings, key topics and events, students engaged in informal debate from the American and British perspectives. During weeks two and three students stayed with host families and attended history classes taught by Social Studies teachers at Ursuline High School in Wimbledon.

In London, Ursuline exchange students toured the Houses of Parliament, the Churchill War Rooms, Whitehall, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, Trafalgar Square, and the Imperial War Museum. Students also participated in a Serviam activity. Assessments were based on student journals, quizzes, and oral presentations.

1/2 credit - Social Studies Elective

Curriculum for this 10-day experiential learning trip to the Dominican Republic included studies in literature, social studies, and environmental science. In preparation for the trip, students read In the Time of the Butterflies, a historical novel by Julia Alvarez set in the time of the Trujillo dictatorship.

In their learning, students compared development of the Dominican Republic to Haiti, considering the impact of historical events and geography. They also explored human rights and other issues faced by women in the Dominican Republic compared with those of women in the U.S. Other questions examined include the relationship between man and geography, how land impacts the way humans live, and how human lifestyle impacts the geography around us. Experiences in the Dominican Republic included museum visits, a tour of Colonial City and sugar cane mills, and visits with service activities in a batey (marginalized community) and at the Jarabacoa women’s cooperative.