Samoa (WSR) Program Links
Contact Us
Phone:
802.258.3212
Toll Free Within the US: 888.272.7881
TTY:
802.258.3388
Fax:
802.258.3296
Kipling Road, P.O. Box 676,
Brattleboro, Vermont USA 05302-0676
Samoa: Pacific Islands Studies
Program Highlights
Based in Apia, Samoa, this program allows students to compare Pacific Island communities, while connecting deeply with the Samoan community. Samoa, rich in tradition and changing rapidly, provides students a unique lens through which to view culture, development, and the world.
Students explore topics such as:
- Social questions surrounding education, infrastructure, resource management, and community support
- Attitudes of younger Samoans towards traditional Samoan culture and American cultural influence
- Role of religion in Samoa
- Regional politics and Samoa’s place in the South Pacific
Most importantly, by living and studying in Samoa, students are quickly faced with a different value structure and social norms. They are welcomed into Samoa, and students appreciate the deep connections they make to the culture there.
Travel in the Pacific
In this program, students see the many layers of the Pacific and look closely at the issues affecting these populations. While working with local Hawaiians in their lo'i talo, students learn about the Hawaiian sovereignty movement and the struggles faced by indigenous Hawaiians. In Fiji, students visit an eco-tourist village, followed by an excursion to the cosmopolitan city of Suva.
Live with Pacific Islanders and International Students
When not on excursion or at the village homestay, students live in dorms on the Alafua campus of the University of the South Pacific. Many roommates and dorm-mates hail from locations all over the South Pacific, and students continue to understand differences and connections among the islands through their relationships at USP.
Village Homestay
Living with a village family allows an individual to experience firsthand this communal society with designated roles for each family member.