North Carolina State University
ER-12: Sustainability Immersive Experience

Study Abroad Program to Costa Rica: Sustainability of Tropical Agroecosystems Co-instucted by NC State University and the University of Georgia This program provides a valuable hands-on experience in examining the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of tropical agricultural production systems. Participants will travel from the Central Valley to both the Atlantic to Pacific oceans, exploring all of the major ecosystems and major agricultural areas of Costa Rica. In only three weeks, studens will visit numerous sites such as Irazu and Arenal volcanoes, EARTH and CATIE agricultural universities, Tortuguero, Monteverde, and the University of Georgia's Ecolodge in San Luis. In this course students will become familiar with sustainable agriculture and agroecology in a global context, important crops grown in the tropics and the problems facing tropical agricultural and sustainable development. What is unique about this course is the amount of valuable interactions among various local farmers, Costa Rican researchers and students, course participants and faculty course instructors with expertise in sustainable agriculture. Through a combination of farm visits, hands-on activities, discussions, and research projects, students learn how to evaluate environmental, social and economic sustainability of these production systems from first-hand experiences and contact with Costa Rican citizens. Students participate in guided hikes in cloud forests and tropical rainforests, tours of banana packing and production sites, visits to cattle farms, and visits to coffee farms and processing facilities.