BahamasShorts Spring Break

Scattered like dabs of possibility on an adventurer’s palette, the Bahamas are ready-made for exploration. Just ask Christopher Columbus, he bumped against these limestone landscapes in 1492 and changed the course of history. But adventure didn’t end with the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. From pirates to blockade dodgers to rum smugglers, wily go-getters have converged and caroused on the country’s 700 islands and 2400 cays for centuries.

Lonely Planet (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/the-bahamas)

Developed in cooperation with the College of the Bahamas in Nassau, the class is designed with underclassmen, primarily freshman, in mind.   Students should have an interest in culture, tourism, hospitality management, and business.

Christopher Columbus bumped into these limestone landscapes in 1492, and since that time the area has been the scene of countless struggles between the European powers of France, England, and Spain, and for a brief period of time it was ruled by pirates!  Today it is a prosperous nation that recently was ranked by Bloomberg Business Week as the 5th happiest country

Learning Outcomes

· Students will understand the realities of a small island developing nation.

· Students will gain practical knowledge/experience in tourism, business, or small island sustainability.

· Students will understand the history of the Bahamas and how the strategic importance of the islands have shaped its history from colonialism, pirates, slavery, and plantation agriculture, to tourism and banking.

· Students will interact with Bahamians and begin to learn about small island living

· As a result of this experience, students may be more willing to consider studying abroad for a semester or academic year later in their academic career.