The purpose of this course is to allow you to blend the scholarship and practice of environmental communication through first hand experiences and interactions with experts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), a small island developing state (SIDS) in the Eastern Caribbean. Readings, discussion, and journaling will complement this study-abroad trip. This program takes an integrated approach to environmental management and sustainability by exploring interactions among several sectors, including fisheries, forestry, agriculture, national parks, tourism, law enforcement, and disaster management.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNA1mjENWJ8&t=6s

Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is a multi-island country with 32 islands and cays and diverse habitats with a myriad of observable environmental impacts (including those related to climate change). It is part of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, located in the southern Caribbean. The geography of these volcanic islands is rocky and steep, with forested hills sliding down to meet the ocean at rocky cays and sandy beaches. The capital of Kingstown is the country’s largest city, with a population of just over 16,000 residents, and the country’s main port. SVG is the perfect backdrop for studying environmental issues and the importance of effective environmental communication.

Students participating in this program will be enrolled in COM 370 or ENV 304 (3 hrs): Environmental Communication: A Caribbean Context. Students will be provided the opportunity to learn through firsthand experiences how environmental communication functions in the field. By visiting St. Vincent and the Grenadines and interacting with stakeholders, communication practitioners, and policy influencers in various environmental sectors, students should have a more concrete understanding of how theory connects (or does not connect) with practice in this small island developing state (SIDS) context. Moreover, during the second week of the program, students will participate in an environmental education program, the annual Fisheries Youth Summer Program, which was started by one of the Wake program faculty in 2010. There will be four course modules that each focus on environmental communication in a specific sector: fisheries, forestry, agriculture, and national parks, and one module that addresses how these sectors integrate environmental communication with each other and with other sectors such as tourism, public health, and disaster management at the local, regional, and international level. By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• Discuss environmental communication challenges in SVG’s socio-economic context in broad and nuanced ways
• Articulate perspectives about environmental management and sustainable development among stakeholders in local economic sectors
• Describe environmental communication practices at community, national, & regional levels in governmental and NGO settings
• Draw connections between environmental communication practice in SVG and theory/research
• Explain how environmental communication theory can be applied to practice (e.g., public education efforts) in SVG

Dr. Rowena Kirby-Straker
Assistant Teaching Professor of Communication
Phone: (336) 758 5405
Email: kirbysrr@wfu.edu

Dr. Leslie Straker
Assistant Teaching Professor of Environmental Studies
Email: strakerl@wfu.edu

Students and faculty will stay at Hotel Alexandrina (hotelalexandrina.com) located about 10 miles from the capital, Kingstown. 

NOTE: All students participating in the WFU Saint Vincent and the Grenadines program are required to live in program-provided housing. Housing accommodations you may have on campus do not automatically transfer to abroad and certain housing accommodations (single rooms and private bathrooms, for example) may not be available.

Students will participate in hikes, tours, observation, stakeholder interviews, hands-on activities (e.g., tree-planting), and participation in the Fisheries Ridge to Reef Youth Summer Program.

The Faculty Directors are responsible for the selection of each group based on the following criteria:

• Be interested and open to traveling to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a small island developing state. 
• All students must meet with a faculty director in order to be accepted into the program
• No prerequisites are needed for this course

The total cost of summer study abroad can be broken down into four categories:

Program Fee – Usually covers room, in-country travel, excursions, some meals and other costs associated with the program.
Airfare (estimated) – Varies per location. Students are responsible for their own airfare/driving costs to Charlotte unless otherwise noted.
Personal Expenses (estimated) – These will vary depending on the students’ spending habits, cost of living in the destination country, and the number of meals included in the program fee. This may also include visa fees, vaccinations, academic supplies/books and other miscellaneous daily expenses.

Program Fee (estimated) – $2,716
Airfare – $0-450 (Students will need to factor in driving/flying costs to Charlotte. This cost will vary greatly depending on starting location. The flight to St. Vincent and the Grenadines is included in the program fee from the Charlotte airport.)
Personal Expenses (estimated) – $100
Estimated total cost – $2,816 – $3,265

Scholarships are available through the Center for Global Programs and Studies.

The deadline for summer scholarships is December 1st.   

Passport Information
Students need to check their passport’s expiration date and ensure that it will be valid for at least 6 months after the program’s end date.

Students going on a spring short-term program need to make sure their passport is valid through at least January of the following year.

US passport holders who need to renew their passport should visit the U.S. Department of State’s passport website for information on this process.

Non-US passport holders who need to renew their passport should refer to their home country’s passport office.

Visa Information
If you are a US citizen, you most likely will not require a visa for your summer abroad program. If you do, details will be shared with you by GPS. Non-US passport holders should check with their host country’s embassy or consulate to find out if a visa is required for their program or not.

Dr. Rowena Kirby-Straker
Assistant Teaching Professor of Communication
Phone: (336) 758 5405
Email: kirbysrr@wfu.edu

Dr. Leslie Straker
Assistant Teaching Professor of Environmental Studies
Email: strakerl@wfu.edu

Amanda Batten
Study Abroad Advisor
Center for Global Programs and Studies
Phone: (336) 758-3194
Email: battena@wfu.edu