Coral, Climate, and Conservation
Enjoy your spring break on a small island near the northern coast of Venezuela with Dr. Pamela Grothe of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department. Working closely with Scuba Shack Fredericksburg, you will have the opportunity to explore local reefs and marine life right before your eyes. Most importantly, you will gain hands on experience in coral restoration practices, helping to restore the shallow reefs of Bonaire.
Students will be studying:
- coral conservation methods with emphasis on coral restoration in Bonaire
- climate change and how it is affecting coral reefs
- anthropogenic stressors on coral reefs
March 1 – 8, 2025
Program Fee: $3,898
Registration and $500 non-refundable deposit due: November 1, 2024
Final Balance ($3,398) due: November 24, 2024
Supplemental Fee of $1,081 for students completing the SCUBA and PADI certification (required for participation)
Use the Make a Standard Payment button below to pay your deposit and regular program balance payment. Use the Make a Flexible Payment option to pay an alternate amount (such as additional insurance or payment in a different amount as a result of a scholarship award).
Online payees have the choice of either credit card or eCheck (ACH) payment. ACH transactions will be charged a flat fee of $0.50 per transaction. All credit card payments will incur a 2.95% service fee. For credit card payments, a minimum convenience fee of $3.00 will be applied to transactions over $20.00 and under $102.00.
Students can avoid fees by paying in-person at the UMW Cashier’s office by cash or check (made out to “UMW”). The Cashier’s office is located on the 2nd floor of Lee Hall.
In addition to the program travel during spring break, students will enroll in the Spring 2025 course EESC 360D: Environmental Exploration for 4 credits (to be taught for the first 8 weeks of the Spring 2025 semester).
This course satisfies the Beyond the Classroom general education requirement.
Students will stay at Buddy Dive resort. Rooming configuration will be decided at a later date but students should expect shared rooms and living areas.
There are no academic prerequisites for this course though the course is by Permission of Instructor (POI). Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA in order to participate. This program is open to all UMW students regardless of major or year of study though preference is given to those in the EESC major. Space is limited and in addition to registering for the program, students need to complete the UMW in Bonaire Application (Application Deadline: October 6, 2024). Once completed, send the application via email to Dr. Pamela Grothe (pgrothe@umw.edu). The program is also open to non-UMW students but enrollment in EESC 360D for the Spring 2025 semester is required.
Due to the nature of this program, students must be able and prepared for rigorous hiking and water activities, to include swimming and open water snorkeling and SCUBA diving, as part of the course expectations.
Students are required to be SCUBA (open water and nitrox) certified in order to fully participate in the coral restoration course in Bonaire. Those not already SCUBA certified will have the opportunity to complete their open water and nitrox SCUBA certification with an additional PADI Coral Restoration Diver Specialty as part of the program for an additional cost of $1,081 (includes gear rental).
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Included in the program fee:
- Accommodations
- Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners (except on travel days in-airport)
- International airfare
- In-country transportation including airport transfers in Bonaire
- Group excursions per itinerary
- Reef renewal certification
- Exit tax
- UMW Education Abroad Fee
- International medical insurance
- SCUBA dive gear
Excluded in the program fee:
- UMW Tuition (may be included into your spring term course load)
- Passport and/or visa fees
- Souvenirs and other personal expenses
- Personal health costs (ex. vaccination fees, COVID-19 testing, etc.)
- Supplemental snacks/drinks
- Personal dive gear (mask, snorkel, booties, and fins)
Due to the nature of this program, students must be able and prepared for rigorous hiking and water activities, to include swimming and open water snorkeling and SCUBA diving, as part of the course expectations.
International travel may require immunizations or preventative medicines. Please refer to the US Center for Disease Control’s Traveler’s Health Information Page for recommendations. The UMW Health Center provides free travel consultations by appointment, as well as travel information for UMW students. The Center for International Education recommends that each student have a personalized medical consultation prior to international travel.
Visit CIE’s Scholarships & Funding webpage to learn more about financial options as it relates to education abroad including Financial Aid, 529 Plans, etc.