34th Annual Conference

Culture, Sustainability, and Environment in Latin America

 

Palenque, Mexico  —  March 8-11, 2023

Conference Activities and Sessions

Our 34th Annual Conference, Culture, Sustainability, and Environment in Latin America, was held March 8-11, 2023, in Palenque, Mexico. AAPLAC is grateful to our conference co-hosts—Natik Esperanza and the Municipal Tourism Office of Palenque—and our co-organizers—the Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas and the Universidad Politécnico de Chiapas.

*All times are shown in US Central Standard Time (CST).

This schedule is subject to change and will be updated as needed.

Wednesday, March 8
9:00 AM-1:00 PMPopular Education Forum
SADEC Headquarters, Avenida Campeche s/n esquina Quintana Roo, Colonia La Mielera

Interactive forum with Chiapas NGOs working with local change-agents with ample practical experience, but minimal formal education.

The fee for this optional activity is $35.
5:30-7:00 PMWelcome and Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Maya Tulipanes, Salón Múltiple ZAFIRO

Keynote Address by Dr. Rubén Monroy Hernández
Director of the Autonomous University of Chiapas, Mayan Faculty of Agricultural Studies
7:00 PMWelcome Reception
Maya Tulipanes
Thursday, March 9
9:00-9:30 AMConference Opening and Welcome
Maya Tulipanes, Salón Múltiple ZAFIRO
9:30-10:20 AMSession 1: Preparing Diverse Student Populations for Study Abroad Success
Salón Múltiple ZAFIRO
Moderator: Steve Gardner, Illinois College

Preparing Students for Greater Growth in Intercultural Competence in Short-Term Study Abroad Programs
Jane E. Hardy, Wabash College

Using FLIP to Connect Students across Borders
Elizabeth Rodas, CEDEI Ecuador
10:20-10:45 AMCoffee Break-Light Refreshments
Sponsored by Albright College ELCDC
Albright College logo
10:45 AM-12:00 PMSession 2: Indigenous Rights and Language Preservation
Salón Múltiple ZAFIRO
Moderator: Hannah Palmer, Tulane University

Zapatismo, Environmentalism, and the Mayan Train
Will Baynard, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Student-Led Indigenous Language Collaboration: The Successes and Challenges of a Maya K'iche' Conversation Group
  • Emily Taylor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Polly Lauer, Yale University

Miskitu Language and Culture
Laura Herily, University of Kansas
12:00-2:00 PMLunch on your own
2:00-3:00 PMSession 3: Transdisciplinarity in Study Abroad
Salón Múltiple ZAFIRO
Moderator: Kim Justeson, Albright College

The Framing of Study Abroad in Academic Journals (Virtual)
Margaret Rakus, Gwenydd Mercy University

Conservation and the Importance of Knowing the Culture: Interdisciplinary Collaborations between the Global Studies and Biology Departments at Illinois College
Steven Gardner, Illinois College
3:00-3:15 PMDiscussion/Coffee Break
Sponsored by Albright College Environmental Studies Program
Albright College logo
3:15-4:45 PMSession 4: Holistic Understanding through Experiential Learning
Salón Múltiple ZAFIRO
Moderator: Abel Rubén Hernández Ulloa, Universidad de Guadalajara

Using an Ecopedagogy Approach to Achieve Praxis through Experiential Education: Learning Experiences in Amatlan de Quetzalcoatl, an Indigenous Community in Morelos, México
Fátima Mendoza, Augsburg University, Center for Global Education and Experience (CGEE)-Mexico

Cuidadores de la Tierra: Cuatro llaves para ayudar a los jóvenes a vivir en armonía con la Tierra
  • Bruce Johnson, University of Arizona
  • Todd Fletcher, University of Arizona
  • Andrea Bennett Gutiérrez, University of Arizona

Reciprocal Scholarship in the Ecuadorian Tropical Rainforest: Reflections on a Research-focused Conservation Model
  • Liat Perlin, Tulane University
  • Liv Davison, Tulane University
4:45-5:00 PMCoffee Break
Sponsored by Tulane University Stone Center for Latin American Studies
Tulane University Stone Center for Latin American Studies logo
5:00-6:00 PMSession 5: Roundtable: Sustainable Study Abroad Practices in the Wake of the Pandemic
Salón Múltiple ZAFIRO
Moderator: Annie Gibson, Tulane University

Participants:
  • Annie Gibson, Tulane University
  • Hannah Palmer, Tulane University
  • Malcolm Botto, Brigham Young University
  • Deborah Colvin, Natik
Friday, March 10
10:00-11:30 AMBusiness Meeting
Salón AMBAR
Discussion of the future of AAPLAC. All conference attendees have voting rights.
11:00-11:15 AMCoffee Break-Light Refreshments
Sponsored by Tulane University Center for Global Education
Tulane University Center for Global Education
11:30 AM-12:30 PMSession 6: Community Engaged Projects
Salón Múltiple ZAFIRO
Moderator: Todd Fletcher, University of Arizona-Reslandor International

Valley Craft: un proyecto de educación no formal e informal de lo Global y lo Local
Dania Abigail Acosta Ramírez, Colectivo Yomajso Valley

Colaboración internacional para la educación intercultural y el desarrollo comunitario
Abel Rubén Hernández Ulloa, Universidad de Guanajuato
12:30-1:30 PMSession 7: Identity Construction and Study Abroad
Salón Múltiple ZAFIRO
Moderator: Jane Hardy, Wabash College

Salient Identities Abroad; How Students' Identities Shape their Study Abroad Experience
  • Brian Jennings, Albright College
  • Kim Justeson, Albright College
  • Estefania Cenci, Albright College
  • Ryan Elmore, Albright College
  • Tasia Cowert, Albright College

Constructing Spaces of Identity, Agency, and Scholarship in a Critically Integrated Classroom
Kevan A. Kiser-Chuc, University of Arizona
1:30-3:15 PMLunch on your own
3:15-4:15 PMSession 8: International Education in Theory and Practice
Salón Múltiple ZAFIRO
Moderator: Annie Gibson, Tulane University

The Future of Education Abroad: Global Learning Reimagined
Katherine Heird, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Ungrading Education Away
  • Morgan Halstead, Malcolm X College
  • Kathleen McInerney, Saint Xavier University
4:15-4:30 PMCoffee Break
4:30-5:45 PMSession 9: Liberation, Empowerment, and the Arts
Salón Múltiple ZAFIRO
Moderator: Katherine Heird, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

The North American No Borders Movement: How We Can Follow the Example of the Monarch Butterflies and Indigenous Peoples
Jan Hanvik, Crossing Bridges LLC/Puentes y Redes A.C.

La Casa de Papel: Percibiendo el alcance cultural y los sentidos humanos de las experiencias migratorias
Elizabeth Astorga Gaxiola, University of Arizona

"Who Casts the First Stone": a documentary short about an experimental social reintegration project in Mexico City
  • Nahui Twomey, Independent Scholar and Artist
  • Michael Twomey, ConArte
5:45-6:00 PMIntroducing Cali, Colombia
Salón Múltiple ZAFIRO
Location of the 35th Annual AAPLAC Conference
February 21-24, 2024
Saturday, March 11
9:00 AM-1:00 PMTour of Palenque Ruins

Palenque is one of the most studied and documented Mayan archeological ruins. Our visit to the archeological site will be accompanied by a professional guide and culminate with a visit to the site museum, where the artifacts that were uncovered during many decades of excavation and reproductions are well documented.

The fee for this optional activity is $35.
7:00 PMConference Dinner
Restaurante Maya Cañada, across the street from conference venue
Included in conference registration fee.

Call for Proposals

The 2023 conference theme is Culture, Sustainability, and Environment in Latin America. We are especially interested in proposals that align with this theme as it relates to AAPLAC’s long-standing mission of facilitating and strengthening study abroad, intercultural exchange and global learning among Latin American, Caribbean, and US institutions.

Register Now

Register now for AAPLAC 2024 in Cali. You'll find conference registration fees and costs for optional activities here as well.

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