Students who are interested in learning a little bit more about another culture while earning college credits may have a chance to do so with the help of the College of Education at Sacramento State.

The College of Education’s Bilingual Multicultural Education Department is organizing its third annual multicultural trip to Oaxaca, Mexico from July 10-25.

The trip offers participants a chance to go to a foreign country and learn about a culture from the people who know it best – the locals; it is a travel study program.

Peter Baird, associate professor for the bilingual multicultural education department, has headed the event for three years and his job is to get people involved.

“Well, it is all about helping students, teachers, or whoever wants to go, learn Spanish but in a cultural context,” Baird said.

Baird has joined the trip the last three years and insists that any person who chooses to go will gain a different perspective on how to speak Spanish.

Those who choose to can go to Oaxaca by themselves or in a group but, while they are there, will be attending school for two weeks.

“It is learning but it is also fun,” Baird said.

While in Oaxaca, participants will attend school from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then return home to their host families.

They have a chance to then return to school in the evening to gain cultural advancement or go into town where there will be a festival celebrating the culture of Oaxaca.

“The town is in party mode. There is dance, music and food for anybody to enjoy,” Baird said.

The teachers that will be giving lectures while in Oaxaca will be Mexican instructors who will perform all of their teaching in Spanish. This immersion is a great way to learn Spanish well, Baird said.

The teachers are from the Instituto Cultural in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Not only do the participants get to learn from their experiences, but they also can receive three units toward graduation.

“In my department, it does satisfy a cultural requirement but it could also satisfy other requirements in other departments,” Baird said.

The travel study program will cost $1,995 and will cover food, housing and two weeks of tuition to school. It also includes textbooks and a guided tour of Monte Alban, a city on top of a Zapotecan Mountain that once ruled over Oaxaca Valley.

Participants will have to buy their own plane tickets and their “family” will meet them at the airport to pick them up.

Christine Ogapa, junior nursing major, went on the study program last year to try and expand her knowledge of the Spanish language.

“I chose to go because I am a nursing student and I thought it would be beneficial to become bilingual and that it would help me to communicate with Spanish speakers,” Ogapa said.

Ogapa said that by going to Oaxaca on her own, she learned to expand her social skills.

“For me, I was not very independent and going to Oaxaca brought a sense of independence and made me develop a lot of social skills. It really forces you to use the language, and not just learn it, but excel in it,” Ogapa said.

Sydney Nelson, who is involved in the BMED, also went on the trip last year and said that the trip made her become more in touch with a different culture.

Nelson decided to extend her stay in Mexico from 15 to 26 days and she said that she gained memories and friends that she will never forget.

“During the two weeks I spent with our group, I experienced more than I could have imagined. Going to seminars, learning about Mexican economy and education in Mexico, and the many excursions all helped me to get a feel for Mexico,” Nelson said.

Students interested in finding more information on the event can attend some of the orientations that will take place on April 21 and June 9 in Napa Hall.

Information such as the itinerary of the study program and information about the program’s leader, Baird, can be found on the BMED website at edweb.csus.edu/bmed/mexico.

Vanessa Johnson can be reached at [email protected]