Trip Details
 Students who travel to Nicaragua spend a couple of days in the colonial city of Leon, one of the oldest and safest cities in Central America, near the country's Pacific shore. Then they move to the capital city of Managua in order to conduct the core of their data gathering, taking advantage of the academic resources and comfortable guest houses provided by Fairfield University's partner in Nicaragua, Universidad Centroamericana (UCA). While in Managua, Fairfield University students have also an opportunity to interact with English speaking UCA students from different disciplines and know nearby points of interests, such as the Masaya Volcano, the beautiful city of Granada, Masaya's market, and Lake Nicaragua.
Getting Ready - Steps to Follow
Although the course's field trip is coordinated in such a way to make of it a highly productive, pleasant, and rewarding experience for students, there are a series of provisions they must take in advance to the traveling dates, concerning the following details:
Step 1: Students who register for LAC 300 will receive invitations (via their Fairfield University's e-mail account) to attend one or two meetings during the semester previous to the one when the course will be taught. These are informational meetings that offer very useful information concerning the requirements and dynamic of the course, forms to be filled, applications for financial aid for the trip (for those who need it and qualify), and answer to questions students and/or their parents may have. (top)
Step 2: Students under 21 years of age who want to take the field trip to Nicaragua must have a parent or legal guardian signing a consent form authorizing them to travel (students who are 21 and older can sign the form by themselves). A good time to do this is during the December break, right before the spring semester begins. (top)
Step 3: A passport valid for six months or more after the travel dates (usually during spring break week) is required. For non-U.S. citizens, a valid residence card, official permission to travel outside the U.S., and/or a temporary visa. Non-U.S. citizens are encouraged to check Fairfield University's Office of International Student Support Services, the U.S.Citizenship and Immigration Services' web site, the U.S. Department of State and the Nicaraguan Consulate in New York - (212) 986-6562 - to obtain details concerning their specific travel status and requirements. (top)
Step 4: It is advised that students traveling to Nicaragua get preventive shots and medicines for hepatitis A, yellow fever, typhoid, malaria and, if needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria and measles. For an updated list of recommended immunizations and other traveler's health notices, please check the Department of Human Health and Services. To obtain the immunizations, you can ask your personal physician, or find a Travel Medicine Clinic near you at the following web page. (top)
Step 5: Students traveling to Nicaragua are required to pay a $300 security deposit by the second class session of the course. This non-refundable deposit will allow the coordinators of the field trip to negotiate an early group discount rate for the airfare to Nicaragua. After this and the other costs of the trip are settled (based on group size) students will be asked to pay the rest of their individual traveling fees. This usually occurs by mid-February. Payments can be made in cash or checks/money orders made payable to Fairfield University. (top)
Step 6: Whether traveling or not to Nicaragua, students must choose a topic for the course's final research paper. This topic should address an issue related to development and justice from the perspective of the student's particular discipline or field of study. For those taking the field trip, this is a crucial step to help coordinators to arrange relevant interviews and data gathering activities in Nicaragua. (top)
Step 7: Nicaragua is a hot weather country, so bringing light clothes is advisable. However, it's important for traveling students to remember that they should maintain appropriate dress and appearance during those days they conduct interviews, attend presentations, or visits to organizations for their data collection. For other field trip activities, more informal attire is accepted. A swimsuit may be needed if the trip includes a visit to the beach while the group is visiting León. Towels and bed sheets are provided by the hotels and guest houses where the group will stay during their trip to Nicaragua. Please bring sun screen lotion, insect repellent, and any personal medication. (top)
Important: Because of airlines restrictions and limited space capacity in the shuttle transport that will take the group to and from the airport, each student traveling to Nicaragua is allowed only one medium size (up to 25" high) piece of luggage. (top)
Useful links
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General information about Nicaragua's geography, culture, tourism, events, and basic facts, provided in English by ViaNica.com. The "about Nicaragua" and "practical information" links are particularly helpful for first-time travelers.
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Web portal of the Government of Nicaragua (in Spanish)
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Travel advisories and travel information from the U.S. Department of State. (top)
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