Study Away
“Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.” — Marian Wright Edelman
Studying Away & Interdisciplinary Studies
Dr. Gaines is excited to be able to plan, organize, and implement a semesterly study away course for her students.
The study away is a semester long Interdisciplinary course, with the travel/trip occurring between 1 and 2 weeks at the mid semester point.
It is an opportunity for students to learn about a diverse or marginalized community, gain new or build upon previous knowledge of the research process, and benefit from a high impact learning experience.
Dr. Gaines piloted the first IDS study away during the spring of 2022 to St. Augustine, Florida. The second study away took place during the Summer 2022, where the course traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana. The third was to San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 2023, and the most recent took place in 2024 through the Gullah Geechee Corridor.
Gullah Geechee Cultural Corridor
Summer 2024
During the Summer 2024 semester, Dr. Gaines led students through the Gullah Geechee Cultural Corridor, where they studied Gullah Geechee culture, history, and experiences in Georgia and South Carolina. Specifically, the course visited Brunswick, Beaufort, St. Helena Island, Sapelo Island, Savannah, and Charleston. The students were able to visit sites such as the International African American Museum, Georgia Southern University’s Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Center, McLeod Plantation, the Avery Research Center, the First African Baptist Church of Savannah, and the Penn Center. Among many things, the students learned a few Gullah words and phrases, explored archival materials, and practiced sweetgrass basket making.
Puerto Rico
Summer 2023
Dr. Gaines led a group of 12 students to San Juan, where they were able to immerse in local communities, and research Afro Puerto Rican history, culture, and experiences. The students took a cooking class where they learned how to cook an Afro Puerto Rican dish, mofongo. They also learned an Afro Puerto Rican dance, Bomba. Some of the site visits students were able to tour include: El Yunque National Rainforest, Bio Bay, Las Cavernas de Rio Camuy, and much more! Please see some photos from the course below.
New Orleans Study Away
Mixed Method offering in Summer 2022
During the Summer 2022 semester, Dr. Gaines led a class of 7 undergraduate students and one graduate student assistant to New Orleans, Louisiana. Simultaneously, Dr. Gaines had 1 student learning online, and experiencing all of the site visits virtually. Every tour, museum, and site visit that my in-person students experienced, was video recorded and placed on Canvas for my online student to engage with. See pictures of our travels below.
New Orleans Study Away
Summer 2022
-
Treme Walking Tour
The class took an hour long walking tour of the historic African American neighborhood of Treme. Students were able to meet and speak with neighborhood leaders, learn the history of the area, tour community centers, and view local landmarks.
-
Wiliam T. Frantz Elementary School
While touring the city of New Orleans, students were able to visit the elementary school that was bravely desegregated by a young Ruby Bridges.
-
Congo Square
The tour guide (pictured in the center, to the right of Dr. Gaines), gave the class an in-depth discussion of Congo Square’s unique history as a gathering place for the enslaved. Today it remains a sacred space of African Americans and those who practice New Orleans voodoo.
-
Studio Be
Students enjoyed a tour of Studio Be, a creative art space. The class was introduced to the work of local New Orleans artists, and social justice artwork.
-
Whitney Plantation
At the Whitney Plantation, students learned of the experiences of enslaved African Americans. To be respectful of the space, the students took a photo in the parking lot instead of on the plantation grounds.
-
Louis Armstrong Park
Located in the historic neighborhood of Treme, the Louis Armstrong Park tells the story of Black artists through sculptures and plaques. Students were able to tour the park and some of the buildings that surround the park.
-
Back Street Cultural Museum
Students were able to learn about the Back Street Cultural Museum, the history of New Orleans Black Mardi Gras, the contributions of the Skull and Bones Mardi Gras Gang, and the legacy of Mr. Sylvester Francis.
-
Big Chief Allison "Tootie" Montana
The Big Chief Tootie sculpture tells the story of elaborate Mardi Gras costumes, Black New Orleans culture, and competitive pageantry. It was here, that the students learned of the history, culture, and contributions of the Black Indians, and the historic Big Chief Tootie.
-
New Orleans African American Museum
Learning about the unique art and history of African Americans in New Orleans, the class was able to see the New Orleans African American Museum.
St. Augustine Online Study Away
Spring 2022
The first study away that Dr. Gaines piloted for students was an online course for students to be able to experience studying away, without having to physically travel. Below are some of the digital resources that were provided to Dr. Gaines’ online learners.
Black History, Culture, and Experiences in St. Augustine
While in St, Augustine, Dr. Gaines was able to visit the Accord Freedom Museum, walk the Accord Freedom Trail, tour the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center, Engage with the St. Augustine Colonial Experience, walk the Castillo De San Marcos National Monument, see the historic site of Forte Mose, and more. The videos were filmed by a faculty member from the University of Central Florida’s Center for Distributed Learning. That Faculty member was able to create consumable clips from each site visit, and Dr. Gaines provided those clips to her students. Some examples of those clips are included here.
I was able to interview a park representative at Fort Mose. That short interview is available above.
The curator of the Accord Freedom Museum gave us a guided tour of the center. A portion of that tour is above.
Castillo De San Marcos is a centuries old fortress with vast history. Our visit here had a focus on the fortress’ African American history.
The video above reflects some desegregation efforts in St. Augustine. Specifically, the tragic incident at the Monson Motor Lodge Pool.
Other Courses Taught
-
The University of Central Florida
Interdisciplinary Studies
IDS 3053: Interdisciplinary Research Methods
IDS 3333: Issues in Diversity Studies
IDS 3933: Cornerstone Experience
IDS 4602: Reviving the Past: Researching Lost Communities
IDS 4686: Diversity, Popular Media, and Representations
IDS 4903H: Honors Directed Readings I
IDS 4904H: Honors Directed Readings II
IDS 4934: Capstone Experience
IDS 4970H: Honors Thesis I
IDS 4971H: Honors Thesis II
-
The College of Wooster
Africana Studies
AFST 200: Education of the Africana Child
AFST 240: Black Women in America, 1619-1960
AFST 241: Black Women in Contemporary Society
AFST 401: Junior Independent Study
AFST 451: Senior Independent Study Thesis
AFST 452: Senior Independent Study Thesis
-
San Jose State University
African American Studies
AFAM 2A: African Americans and the Development of America’s History and Government
AFAM 2B: African Americans and the Development of America’s History and Government
AFAM 22: The Humanities in African American Culture
AFAM 25: The Changing Majority: Power and Ethnicity in America
AFAM 110: Education of the Black Child
AFAM 111: African Nations, History, Politics, and Culture
AFAM 120: Sociology of African American Communities
AFAM 134: The Black Civil Rights Movements
AFAM 180: Individual Studies: New Orleans: Community Building and Beignets (Faculty Led Program to New Orleans, trip canceled due to COVID-19, course continued online)
AFAM 190: Internship in Community Development