Overview:    Teach English Service Learning
Teach English Service Learning is a SELT Program

SELT was initiated in 1997 as a 3 year community action research project. In 2010 OSEA inaugurated a renewed and updated teaching English program that is both Service Learning for participants and a community action project that provides a fundamental service to the community.

 
Teaching English is a Community Action Research Project

Choose to participate as a Student (& receive credit) or as a Volunteer Participant

Download the SELT Teach English Service Learning Brochure

Read Student Evaluations and Comments from Previous Field Seasons

Participants in the SELT Teach English Service Learning Program gain hands-on, practical experience teaching English as a second language to children and adults in a Maya community of Yucatán. Participants are trained to teach English as well as do ethnography of the educational process that is created in the classroom spaces. As well, SELT participants learn about Maya culture and learn basic communicative skills in Maya language as an essential means by which to work with the OSEA staff to develop a pedagogy that relies on local cultural knowledge and traditions. As ethnographers, English teachers study not only the learning experience of students in terms of success/achievements of the English language learners, but their own interactive engagement with Maya people, culture, language. As ethnographers and teachers of English participants investigate the transcultural dynamics of interaction that is established in and by the SELT program.

OSEA offers One-Week Intensive Spanish Immersion courses for OSEA Participants

Summer:         5 week program
Dates:             Sunday Noon, June 30 to Saturday, August 3, 2013
                        
Start:              Start date is day of ARRIVAL on-site in Pisté in time for 2pm orientation meeting
End:                End date is the earliest date of Departure for successful completion of program. 
Location:         Pisté and Chichén Itzá, Yucatán, México

Student Participant, with Course Credits
Cost                   Tuition plus Room & Board
Tuition:               $1800
Credits :          6 credit hours at either undergraduate or graduate level
Accreditation:       Accredited Transcript by the Universidad Autonóma de Yucatán
Course Type:       Service Learning / Hands-On Interactive Learning; Field Practicum
                           See course descriptions

Volunteer Participant, no Course Credits
Cost                   Participation Fee plus Room & Board
Participation Fee:               $600

Room & Board, for participants in either program
These fees are posted in the fall of every year based on current exchange rates. Housing costs are adjusted and confirmed by April 10.
Room & Board:    Option A. $1000 Single Room in Posada Olalde & 2 meals with Maya family
                          Option B. $900 Limited Availability Option for Homestays (3 meals)

Registration Fee:    $250 non-refundable fee is submitted with the enrollment application. The fee is an advance partial payment of the Tuition or Participation Fee. Please review Schedule of Fees for amounts and dates of payment. Please review payment options

Eligibility:
Program is open to: undergraduate majors and graduate students in any field of study
Non-students who have completed a BA, MA, or other higher degree are also accepted

Mexican and other Latin American Nationals not Studying in the USA:
Special pricing for Mexican and other Latin American citizens is available. To be eligible you must (1) not have US citizenship or passport nor have a dual citizenship with the USA and an other country. (2) You must not have studied for or be currently enrolled in a high school, bachelors, masters, graduate certificate, or doctoral program in the USA or in any country of western Europe. (3) You must reside in Mexico, Latin America or other qualifying country with full time residency.

Mexican, Latin American and other qualifying nationals can receive up to a 55% discount on OSEA programs. Each program rate is different. Discounted rate to participate in SELT for credit is $900 and as a volunteer participant $400 with proof of advanced levels of English proficiency in conversation, writing, reading, listening, speaking.

Requirements:
GPA of 2.3 for coursework taken to date
Completion of Freshman year of college, university, or equivalent institution
Minimum 4 semesters of Spanish or demonstrated fluency/proficiency
No prior coursework or knowledge in Maya language is necessary

Weekends: The weekends are free for participants without program obligations. All weekend activities and travel are out of pocket expense covered by SELT participants.

Field Excursions:Participants in SELT Teaching English are provided the opportunity to participate in local group field trips with participants in other OSEA programs at no additional cost (cost calculated in fees). These sites include Chichen Itza, Yaxuna, Yokdzonot, and other nearby locations. Long distance ethnography field trips is optional for SELT participants and requires on-site payment of an additional participation fee. Conflicts in scheduling of required activities in the different OSEA program may prevent participation by SELT students.

Out of Pocket: Personal items, consumibles, incidentals, laundry, travel to/from Pisté to participate in program, international airfare, ground transportation to/from airports, weekend expenses for travel, meals and lodging while away from arranged meals and lodging in Pisté; one meal if Posada and 2 meals with Maya family is the lodging option selected by participant.

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Lodging:   OSEA partners with the Posada Olalde a Maya family-run posada that offers superior linguistic immersion and cross-cultural experience. Victor Olalde, owner and tour guide, has been a friend and collaborator of OSEA for over 20 years. He has significant cross cultural experience with OSEA students and tourists and he has often worked as the Student Liaison for OSEA. This experience helps make the Posada Olalde a particularly welcome place to stay. The Posada Olalde provide a comfortable experience with privacy, study areas, internet, immersion, and ease of a hotel. The Posada Olalde is ideally situated within 2 blocks of the OSEA Headquarters, one block from the main road of Pisté, and 20 minutes walking distance from Chichén Itzá.

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Enrollment
* Direct OSEA Enrollment allows students from any university with any residence status or nationality to enroll directly with OSEA. By arrangement with their institution's financial aid office, students can apply their award to the OSEA Program. All payment is made directly to OSEA by the student as per guidelines described in the application process. Upon completion of the program the student receives an OSEA transcript and an accredited transcript from the Facultad de Ciencias Antropologí Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (UADY), OSEA's partner institution in México. The UADY is an institution on the list of accredited Mexican institutions accepted by US institutions. In order to facilate the transfer of credits, students receive two copies of each transcript in a sealed envelope. This envelope is then hand-delivered by the student to the registrar of their university in order to comply with your registrar rules for acceptance of transfer credits. It is recommended that every participant discuss the credit transfer process with their departmental advisor to secure pre-approval of transferability of course credits.