Allison Johnson
a_j153@txstate.edu
SAN MARCOS, Texas ¬¬ On Thursday, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication announced plans for the 2018 Study-in-America program. The second annual program will hit the road in summer 2018 to visit National and Texas State Parks.
The SJMC Parks trip made its debut last summer. Senior lecturer Dale Blasingame, is behind the inspiration for the program. Blasingame visited all 95 Texas State Parks in 1 year.
Inspired by the environment, Blasingame and the Office of Distance and Extended Learning established this as a chance for SJMC students to learn how to tell a story outside of their comfort zone.
Study-in-America program assistant, Nicole Hengst, said the program has dual missions. Besides serving to obtain course credits, the other mission is to learn outside the classroom and to take advantage of state and national parks.
“Some of the places that we’re seeing are very different from San Marcos,” said Hengst.
The group traveled to State and National Parks in Texas and New Mexico for 2 weeks. Parks included were Big Bend Ranch State Park and White Sands National Monument. Some participants in the program were novice campers.
Some hiked and traveled out of a 50-mile radius of where they lived for the first time. One student even faced their fear of horses and liked horseback riding during the trip.
“I was very surprised at how much our students were willing to push themselves,” said Hengst.
There isn’t an extensive list of criteria for participating in the program. Besides being a full-major SJMC student, your attitude coming into the program is more of the focus for a successful trip. In preparation for the trip, there is a research component to prepare for feature writing.
The assistants will give a brief layout on assignments throughout the trip so students get the most out of their learning experience. The students complete assignments based off their environment. Students pair up and make short documentaries and packages of stories focused on their assigned park.
Their goal is to promote the parks with creative content, such as mobile-storytelling. A social media presence is crucial here.
The Office of Distance and Extended Learning aims to keep the Study-in-America program cost effective. Last year it was $750 per course. The program fee is $900 and is separate from tuition. It covers lodging, activities and most meals. Financial aid may assist in covering some costs.
The trip will be 2 weeks long, but there will be fewer stops and more driving. The program assistants are planning to get the students to more states. The Grand Canyon is on the list for places to visit next summer.
This is an alternative to study abroad. Be sure to stop by the Study-in-America panel at Mass Comm Week to get more information on how to participate.
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