ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Many participants travel to Copán Ruinas in the mountains of western Honduras for 1 or more weeks to study at the Ixbalanque School, live with host families, and enjoy a wide range of cultural activities including visits to the beautiful Maya ruins of Copán.

This is independent travel study so you pick the dates; classes typically begin on Mondays. You'll study for 3 or 4 hours per day either morning or afternoon and can register for 1 to 4 weeks and receive 60 Clock Hours/PDUs or 6 quarter credits (equivalent of 4 semester credits) per week.


PLEASE NOTE: The Heritage Institute courses receive Continuing Education Quarter Credits awarded by Antioch University Seattle at the 400 and 500 levels. Call 800.445.1305 or log onto The Heritage Institute’s website policies page for more information.

www.hol.edu


If you're interested in studying in a coastal city or on one of the Bay Islands of Honduras, check out the link for the Central American Spanish School with bases in La Ceiba and on Utila and Roatán. The 2 schools work together so you can combine weeks at each if you wish. If you prefer a different location or Spanish school, arrangements can be made; please contact the instructor.

For information about similar programs in other Latin American countries as well as credit for volunteer and cultural learning projects, click here or on the bottom link, below. For contact info click the REGISTRATION or SYLLABUS links.

To view the 2008 Live and Learn group trip blog, scroll to the Blog Archive (lower right) and click the 1st post you want to see (they're listed bottom to top chronologically, you may need to click the arrow by July to see the earliest ones). Click "Newer Post" at the bottom of each post to view the next one.

About Me

My photo
I was a teacher for more than 34 years and retired 10 years ago from directing Structured Learning Centers for kids with autism and multiple disabilities. Gaining conversational ease in Spanish has been an important goal for me and I find attending Spanish schools in Latin America and volunteering with local organizations both productive and addictive. In the course of my immersion studies in Latin America, I fell in love with the people of San Pedro La Laguna, Sololá, Guatemala and for the last 15 years have managed a nonprofit that matches scholarship sponsors with promising students in San Pedro who would otherwise be limited to 6 years of school: BecaProject.org My frequent visits to Guatemala, surrounded by their gorgeous textiles, reignited my interest in fiber arts which I’ve added to my list of passions along with family, Beca Project, camping, travel, and photography.

Ixbalanque Spanish School

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Tuesday at the bird park and Maya mudeum






Hi, all -

Today those of us who study in the afternoons met in the park in the morning and hopped on mototaxis (like golf carts) for the 10 minute trip to Macaw Mountain Bird Park. We divided into 2 groups, 1 with a Spanish speaking guide and 1 with an English speaking guide, and walked around and through dozens of huge aviaries with rescued birds that are native to Central America. Most were pets that didn't work out - 42 this year alone - and none were wild caught unless they were too injured to survive in the wild. PHOTO 1 is a young toucan and PHOTO 2 a blue and gold macaw. Near the end of the tour they have an area where tame birds are sitting around on perches and we got to hold them (PHOTO 3), though it wasn't without risk to clothing, buttons, and earrings.
In the afternoon Kathy and I walked with our teachers to an old fort 4 blocks north of the parque central that has been renovated in recent years and is the new home of the wonderful children's interpretive museum about Maya history. Among other activities we made our birthdays in Maya calendar characters (PHOTO 4) and posed in a stela (PHOTO 5).
We are feeling the days fall away behind us faster and faster and have less than a week left before our time in Copan comes to an end. Happy trails!

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