Katherine McCaffrey is an associate professor of anthropology and a member of the advisory board of the Latin American and Latino Studies Program.  Her scholarship has focused on the relationship between the military and residents of Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, and the legacies and impact of military occupation and training exercises on the community and environment.  She has authored numerous articles and a book, Military Power and Popular Protest: The U.S. Navy in Vieques, Puerto Rico.  Recently she collaborated with the photographer and video artist, Bonnie Donohue to curate an exhibition, “Killing Mapepe: Sex and Death in Cold War Vieques,” which is currently on view in Puerto Rico. She has traveled extensively in Latin America and has led MSU summer programs in Guadalajara Mexico, as well as Peru.

All students register for one of the following:                
ANTH 150: Cultures of Latin America             LALS 201: Perspectives on Latin America
This class takes an experiential approach and requires students to participate in a service learning experience.  Service-learning is defined as a course-based, credit bearing educational experience in which  faculty, students, and community members participate in an organized service activity that addresses a self-identified community need. By teaching English in the local high school, students will have an opportunity to meaningfully interact with our host community, and to reflect on this hands-on experience in order to achieve greater understanding of course content and to enhance a sense of personal efficacy and civic responsibility.
Students are required to keep a journal and complete some written responses about their experiences during their stay in Peru, however, the main academic component is completed online before departure . Before, during and after return from Peru, students will reflect on their experience in a series of writing assignments. Credit and grades for faculty led programs appear in the MSU transcript as MSU Summer Sessions courses. All study abroad programs may be used to waive the GNED 303 Global Issues requirement. In addition, this course satisfies the GNED Humanities/Non Western Cultures requirement.

Accommodations and Meals
Participants will stay with host families in Vicos and in simple hotels and hostels in Lima and Huaraz.  Most meals are included.  We will experience the Andean mountain culture through homestays with local families in Andean communities. This is a wonderful cross-cultural opportunity to be welcomed into warm, caring families and learn firsthand about indigenous traditions. However, the living conditions in the homestays are more akin to camping than suburban New Jersey life.