Health, Environment, Livestock and People:
An International Learning Community

US-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program
Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)
US Students - Program Objectives
An international learning community will be developed through university partnerships to link medical, environmental and social scientists in the United States and Brazil by way of an educational exchange that provides student experiential learning on the interactions of health, environment, livestock and people. A medical 'spatial database infrastructure' will be used to evaluate environmental risks of human and animal disease and societal effects of health issues related to globalization, trade, food security and development. Anticipated total study abroad students 2006-2008: 30 US and 30 Brazil.
Student Travel and Course Schedule (10 weeks)
Funding (Applications due January 10, 2008)

Students selected for awards will receive a $4500 stipend to accomplish their study. Actual expenses will vary with location and circumstance: Travel - airfare $1200; Per diem - $120/wk $1200; Housing - 10 weeks (2 students/apt, private room, shared living area/kitchen) $1000; Operating expenses - project travel, misc expenses in Brazil $100; Portuguese instruction and tutoring - $1000.

May 24           Departure to Brazil
May 25            Arrive Salvador, Bahia
May 26            Welcome Program (Auditorium), Program Introduction
May 27-30       Geospatial Health and Environment (3Cr) - Malone, Bavia
                       Same as LSUSPH Course 6500 (laptop computer required)
May 31            Travel to host university
June 2             All students begin mentored projects
                      Coursework begins (one afternoon per week)
                      Hemispheric Health and Policy (2Cr) - Bavia, Mathewson, Malone,
                      Stromberg, Wiles; Weekly readings/discussion or field trip
                      Understanding Emergence of Zoonotic Diseases (1Cr) Bender
                      Weekly On-Line Class - Same as UMNSPH Course 7200
                      GIS Projects (1Cr) - Weekly On-line Q/A sessions
                      Portuguese - Twice/week tutoring- early evening
Aug 4-6           Students re-assemble at UNESP - Project Reports, GIS Data entry and
                      program evaluation.
Aug 7-8           Return trip to USA

Application
Download the application form for the
US-Brazil Student Exchange Program Consortium Summer 2008 here.

Application Form
Coursework Plan - 'Health, Environment, Livestock and People'

Week One at UFBA in Salvador will include a 1-day program orientation and introduction, and a 4 day medical GIS short course. The GIS course is equivalent of 2Cr for the short course and 1Cr for GIS project work to be presented at re-assembly at UNESP in Jaboticabal, Sao Paulo. Other coursework will be completed in subsequent weekly meetings during the summer program:

1) Mentored Project Course Credits: (3-6 Cr) Mentored project studies done during the summer by students will be assigned 3-6 course credits under catalogue course numbers and titles (eg. Independent Study, Field Study) used by the student's home institution. Projects may be credited as a School of Public Health 'Capstone' or 'Field Experience'

2) 'Geospatial Health and Environment' (3 Cr) - Lecture-Laboratory lessons will be provided on use of ArcGIS software for medical Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and components of a digital database resource for South America. Each student will be assigned a computer equipped with ArcGIS 9.x software and GIS databases. Lessons will be taught in half-day segments as: a) A lecture to introduce the lesson topic, b) instructor-led GIS laboratory exercises, to be completed by each student at his/her computer using the course manual and, c) guided self-study to practice GIS operations learned in the exercises and development of a course project. All students will develop and present a GIS project on a selected health topic at reassembly, supported by weekly on-line Q/A sessions (1/3 credit)

3) Hemispheric Health and Policy (2Cr) - Bavia, Mathewson, Malone, Stromberg. Concepts and issues in public health, animal health, zoonoses, trade and public policy in the Western Hemisphere - Weekly assigned reading/discussion periods and/or field trips on selected topics at host institutions.

4) Understanding Emergence of Zoonotic Diseases (1Cr) - Bender
Weekly On-Line Class - Same as UMNSPH Course PubH 7200

5) Portuguese Tutoring - Arranged at each host institution with approval of directors using paid services of qualified tutors: 10-14 lessons at ~ $250/student (+ $750/student cost for Port 1101)
Projects
March 10 is the due date for submitting a 2-3 page project plan developed by the student and the mentor(s) on a selected topic at UFBA in Salvador, UNESP in Sao Paulo (Jaboticabal or Aracatuba), UFPR in Curatiba or UFPE in Recife. Students who do not complete this requirement by the due date will relinquish their position to a student on the alternate list.
The student should explore topics and negotiate a suitable project related to the mentor's current program that will be an asset to what is already ongoing. There are only 8 weeks to do actual project work. Thus they should be significant hypothesis-based contributions on a topic of hemispheric health importance, but not overly ambitious, (eg. a well-designed pilot study, justifying further work). A list of potential mentors, their discipline/research/clinical interests and email contact information can be provided upon request (malone@vetmed.lsu.edu).
Coruse Credits
The program is designed to give credit for the most appropriate course offered at the home University for work done in Brazil. The mechanisms will vary by campus but students must enroll for at least 3 credits at their home institution, for which they will receive a letter grade. For example, at LSU credit can be given as electives or special topics in the veterinary curriculum, the LSU School of Public Health or the main campus (UG or Grad) depending on the student. Students do not enroll in courses at Brazilian partner institutions.
Language Requirement

Language requirement: One semester or equivalent of basic Portuguese instruction is required before program travel, and is best met by a regular course at the home institution. If no course is available, the directors will help arrange alternatives (eg. private tutor). An LSU instructor, Vera Lazarre, is scheduled to teach the equivalent of LSU course PORT 1101 and will meet from 4-6 Wednesday and Friday of each week at the LSU Veterinary School. She has agreed to interact via Skype live, record class discussions and email assignments for those who must join the class via distance learning. The title of the book we will use is Travessia, which you can buy via Amazon.com: Travessia : A Video-Based Portuguese Textbook Preliminary Edition, Units 1-6 (Paperback) by Jon M. Tolman, J B Jensen, RM Paiva, NP Parsons New $32.50 Used $10 & up.

At the end of the semester a standardized national test will be given to validate mastery of basic Portuguese 1101. Portuguese coursework is meant to provide the fundamentals needed to better learn the language in Brazil, where additional tutoring is required. Students in prior years passed the test with excellent scores and received college credit for the course.

Travel Information
Visa/passports: Students can apply for a Passport and Visa not sooner than 90 days before travel. Each consulate location in the past has varied in visa classification required. For the closest Brazilian consulate to submit visa requests:
http://www.brasilemb.org/consulado/consular_jurisdictions.shtml

Travel health insurance: Inexpensive travel insurance or insurance supplements can be purchased at your home institution.

Vaccinations: Make an appointment at your student health center +/or visit CDC site to determine what vaccinations are advised for travel to your host institution/research site(s).

Air fare: The program directors will arrange group travel rates via STA travel agency and compare this to best rates arranged by individual students. Selection of the home campus will determine flight schedule and destinations. The program in Brazil will begin with one week in Salvador. Students will disperse from there to their host institution (or stay). The return trip will be scheduled after re-assembly in Sao Paulo on August 7.

Housing: The directors will arrange to find furnished apartments for you, sharing expenses with Brazilian students (preferred) or, alternatively, 2 US students per apartment in own bedroom, with shared living area. Housing arrangements must be approved by local directors familiar with local circumstances to ensure appropriate, safe and comfortable housing close to campus within the program budget of students.