UF students will now have the opportunity to visit the island of Hispaniola this summer.
The trip will be May 9 through June 4, and it will begin in Port-Salut, Haiti, and end in the Dominican Republic.
“This trip is about showing students the connections across the islands,” said Jocelyn Widmer, the program director and assistant scholar for online degree programs in the Department of Urban & Regional Planning at UF.
This program is unusual because students will be working with companies in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It focuses on sustainability, resiliency and social justice.
The trip will be split between the Puntacana Ecological Foundation, where students will investigate how communities are impacted through local investments, and the Restavek Freedom Foundation, where students will work with local teams to explore technology.
“I think it is a super awesome way to connect my interests of water and the Caribbean,” said Kyle Dost, a first-year master’s student in urban and regional planning.
“We all think that we can change the world. What this trip will be about is regulating that ambition with the realities and more systematically giving students the tools to change the world,” Widmer said.
Excursions are incorporated into the trip, including time in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and time on the beach. Students can receive up to six credits in the program.
The cost of the trip is $3,655 for undergraduates, not including airfare. However, financial aid and scholarships are available.
Applications are due March 18. For more information, stop by the UF International Center or email Widmer at widmerj@ufl.edu.
