first post!

hello to my loyal blog readers! after receiving much harrassment, i've decided that i'm going to do a blog, after all. i'll try to post as many pictures as possible, as often as possible, and i apologize in advance if my posts are few and far between. i'll try my best!

i thought for my first post it would make sense to give you some basic information about my program.

my program is conducted by World Learning, a global non-profit organization that operates in more than 75 countries worldwide. S.I.T. Study Abroad is World Learning's international education program for undergrads. the program i'm doing is called Uganda: Development Studies. here is the website for my program, where you can find info about the program, my courses, my excursions, my program directors, etc.: http://www.sit.edu/studyabroad/ssa_ugd.htm. there will be about 40 students from other colleges in the u.s. participating in this program with me. we'll be in the same classes and going on the same excursions, but each student will live with a different family and will spend the last 6 weeks of the program conducting an independent research project (the Practicum) of their own design.

the boren scholarship [which i know i haven't done a good enough job explaining the difference between it and the s.i.t. program] is a scholarship i won which is administered by NSEP [National Security Education Program] and "focuses on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad." so, basically, i applied along with thousands of other u.s. students and was awarded $10,000 to study in uganda. everyone applies to study in different places, so my application was specifically for me to do this s.i.t. program in uganda, but other people were awarded the scholarship to study in places all over the world. within 3 years of graduating from smith, i have to work for the government [dept of state, defense, or homeland security] for at lease 1 year as a condition of receiving the scholarship.



here's a short outline of my program schedule:
Week 1: orientation in Kampala and Jinja; visits to historical and cultural sites, including Sezibwa Falls and the source of the Nile River
Weeks 2 and 3: homestay; language and culture study; development studies seminar; field study seminar; NGO site visits; progressive preparations for the development practicum
Week 4: educational excursion to western Uganda and to Rwanda; visits to NGOs; Ankole culture study; visits to genocide memorial sites and to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Weeks 5 and 6: continued homestay, language study, development studies seminar, in-depth study, field visits, and progressive preparations for practicum
Week 7: educational excursion to eastern Uganda, including rural homestay
Week 8: continued homestay in Kampala, language study, development studies seminar, field study seminar, final preparations for practicum
Weeks 9-14: practicum period
Week 15: practicum paper presentations; semester evaluation; preparations to leave uganda

well i think that's gonna be all for tonight! sea world bright and early tomorrow morning with auntie cynthia, uncle dane and chessa!