Puerto Rico Program 2012

For other upcoming GET programs check  South Africa (2012).

This year, GET is offering a unique opportunity through a partnership with the Wisconsin K-12 Forestry Education Program (LEAF). The GET program to Puerto Rico 2012 is for LEAF teachers and will focus on forests in Puerto Rico.

Graced with an array of breathtaking landscapes, Puerto Rico offers a tremendous amount of beauty and biodiversity. From mangroves to dense tropical rainforests to dry forests where drought tolerant species prevail, this island offers a glimpse of great forest diversity, all enclosed in an area about the size of Delaware. Explore forest flora and fauna, diverse cultures and customs, and compare how this culture views and uses its forest resource. This unique opportunity is offered to K-12 educators who have previously participated in LEAF professional development.

Spanish is the native language in Puerto Rico, however, all presentations will be in English. (A little Spanish is helpful though.) Emphasis will be placed on taking the information we learn and inserting it into your curriculum at home, regardless of the subject you teach. Our presentations and conversations will stress the similarities and differences between the perception and use of forests in Wisconsin to those in Puerto Rico.

The LEAF Puerto Rico program includes three components:
Part One: Online course – 1 graduate credit – April 2012. An online course is required prior to departing for Puerto Rico. This course includes an introduction to island ecology and Puerto Rican culture, and is intended to prepare educators prior to traveling. Graduate tuition for this course is included in the cost.

Part Two: Orientation – Late May, 2012. Get to know your traveling companions. We’ll meet each other and make our travel plans. Meeting arrangements will accommodate participants’ schedules and may be done on-line or in person.

Part Three: Travel – July 8-14, 2012. One week exploration of Puerto Rico. Visit various forest types at sites like Las Cabezas de San Juan (mangrove forests), El Yunque National Forest (tropical rainforest), and Guanica Dry Forest Reserve. An optional credit is available with the cost being the participant’s responsibility. Graduate credit cost is $406.23.

Participant Cost: $1,500*
Includes:
• 1 graduate credit
• Food (all meals)
• Lodging (double occupancy)
• Entrance fees
• Transportation (in Puerto Rico)**

*Cost is based on estimated fees and may change.
**Airfare to Puerto Rico is not included. You will be responsible for booking your own travel.

Deadline for application is January 30, 2012

Application: To apply download, complete, and mail the following application to the LEAF office.

2012 Puerto Rico Application Click Here

For more information, contact Sarah Gilbert at Sarah.Gilbert@uwsp.edu or call 715-346-4924 or visit the LEAF web site at:   http://www4.uwsp.edu/cnr/leaf/Educators/professional_development.aspx