First-year students: If you’re interested in traveling this upcoming January, apply for the J-Term first-year abroad experience in Belize. This co-curricular experience abroad will immerse first-year students in a global, reflective, experiential learning program focused on one of the pillars of Drake’s mission statement—responsible global citizenship. The application deadline has been extended to Nov. 1.

Belize experience: Ethical Chocolate: How does that cacao actually get into my chocolate bar?
The Toledo district of Belize produces some of the finest chocolates in the world. In our trip to Belize, we will look at all stages of the production of chocolate. We will go to the forest to see the tree that produces the cacao bean, see (and most importantly, taste) the finished chocolate, and look at all the stages in between. We will talk to people who are involved in the production of chocolate and learn how one organization ethically and sustainably treats both the ecosystem and the workers that produce chocolate. To provide context and contrast, we will visit other food production facilities in Belize including a large-scale banana plantation, an agro-forest, and small-scale farms. We will meet with farmers and managers to learn the benefits and challenges of the different systems. To complement the program focus, we will travel by boat to Payne’s Creek National Park as well as have fun exploring diverse ecosystems and participating in an array of adventure and cultural experiences in Belize.

Apply for the Belize program through Drake’s online application portal for travel experiences, Terra Dotta. Use your Drake ID and password to login.

$1,000 Scholarships are available! To apply for a scholarship, you complete a scholarship form in Terra Dotta as a part of your program application. Scholarship deadline Oct. 22.

For quesitons, contact Nathan Jacobson, education abroad coordinator, at nathan.jacobson@drake.edu.

— Maria Rohach, Director of Education Abroad