Trinidad & Tobago, St. Augustine

Overview

Established over twenty years ago, the Gateway Program in Trinidad and Tobago offers students the opportunity to enroll in classes at the University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine Campus, a major research institution in the Caribbean region that attracts scholars from all over the world and which provides a broad set of courses available to students in most majors. The program’s robust network of contacts with local intellectuals, artists, social activists, non-profit and government organizations, moreover, provides an array of  volunteer and for-credit internship opportunities designed to engage participants more fully with “Trinbagonians” in their places of work. Further engagement with the twin nation’s diverse communities is facilitated through student preparation and participation in Trinidad’s world famous annual Carnival, and through study tours and lectures focused on topics ranging from environmental sustainability, the country’s reliance on petroleum, and the recent revival of the cacao industry, to the uniquely “Trinbagonian” expressions of the Hindu spring festival of Phagwa, the West African Orisha and the Muslim Hosay commemoration.  Students live in UWI residence halls, which encourages interactions with non-U.S. based students and have easy access to shops, parks, and weekend recreation destination.

Program Goals

• Broaden understanding of the colonial conditions of slavery, indentureship and class/color hierarchies, and the artistic expressions that developed in resistance to these conditions.
• Deepen understanding the history and current interactions of the diverse heritages of Trinbagonians and how they compare to the diversity of the United States.
• Explore Trinidad and Tobago’s place in a global economy- as a producer of oil and gas, as a tourist destination, and as an environmentally sensitive habitat.
• Apply and practice cultural fluency in a service-learning/internship experience with a local organization focused on an issue related to one’s academic, personal or professional goals.

Minimum GPA required by host program: 2.7 GPA (3.0 preferred). 

Academics

Students will earn 17-18 credits. All coursework is taught in English.

Students will take four required courses (*), provided by the program -- one in January (4 credits) and three during the Spring semester; Caribbean Culture & Society (4 credits), Living and Learning in Trinidad and Tobago (2 credits), and Carnival Performance (1 credit).

Required Courses (11 credits)

Study Tours and Cultural Activities

Integral to the Caribbean Culture and Society course, group study tours guide participants through the cultural, environmental, religious, and artistic diversity that makes up two islands of Trinidad & Tobago.

Tobago:  Students will spend several days in early January in Man-o-War Bay, the traditional fishing village of Chartlotteville, Tobago and explore marine biodiversity sustainability. This prepares students for their experience in Trinidad, later in the program, when they help clean a beach in anticipation of spending an evening watching large sea turtles at close range as they lumber up the beach to lay their eggs.

Caribbean Culture & Society course:  lectures and readings come to life as students participate in Trinidad’s expressions of the Hindu spring festival of Phagwa, the West African Orisha and Shouter Baptist festivals, the Muslim Hosay commemoration, and the world famous Trinidad Carnival.

UWI Elective Courses (3-6 credits)
Beyond the required courses, students will take 1-2 elective courses of their choice based on their academic interests or needs at the University of West Indies (UWI). Courses are taught by UWI professors and are typically 3 credits each. To search for UWI courses, view the Faculty Booklets. Students should choose from "Semester 2" courses and should be prepared to meet any prerequisites. For example, if a student wishes to register for Botany II at UWI, they need to have successfully completed Botany I prior to the program start date. Courses offered within the Faculty of Medical Sciences are not available. Students should reference the Interactive Equivalency Guide to see which UWI courses have already been approved to fulfill particular Major, Minor, or GenEd requirements.

(OPTIONAL) COOP 477: International Work Experience (4 credits)
Students who wish to pursue an internship in their academic discipline will take 1 elective course at UWI (instead of the usual 2 elective courses). Students will need this extra time in order to complete the necessary 100+ internship hours, plus seminar meetings. Possible internship placements include:

• Agriculture

• Community arts

• Community development

• Environmental studies

• Micro-business

• Youth services

Housing

Participants live in the Sir Arthur Lewis Hall of Residence,  a co-ed dormitory at the University of the West Indies opened in 2010. This new residence provides students with a modern, safe living environment and is located a ten minute walk away from the main UWI campus; a regular bus shuttle service also operates to and from the campus. The hall is fully gated with surveillance cameras monitoring, access swipe card entry, and 24-hour security. Residents have access to complimentary WiFi, common rooms with TV and work tables, recreation room, mini mart, computer lab, and a large outdoor courtyard with additional recreational seating and activities. Students also have the opportunity to participate in university activities such as fitness classes, hall events, and other social events at the residence.

Meal Stipend

On this program, you would receive a monthly meal stipend to go towards the cost of groceries and the independence to prepare your own meals.

Dates

This program is available during spring semester. The spring semester begins in early January and ends in late-May.

Cost

Please see the Willamette Sponsored Programs Cost Matrix for a detailed explanation of the cost of each program. 

Resources

• PLU Program Page
• Host Institution: UWI
• Local Weather
• Lonely Planet Guide