Fireflies, South India: Excursions and Field Trips

A total of forty-six days will be spent outside of Fireflies during the 105 day program.  This includes a thirty-day period of independent study where the location will depend on the individual choice for fieldwork and study.  (Those who choose to do independent study in and around Bangalore will stay at Fireflies.) Trips to the Center for Development Studies (in Trivandrum) and to the Institute of Social Analysis (in Mandurai) are part of the culture and development seminar visits to historic and cultural sites and field trips to development projects around Mysore, Chennai, Pondicherry, Hampi, and Bangalore are also included.

ADATS, Bagepalli
Bagepalli town is situated 100 kms north of Bangalore on the Bangalore-Hyderabad National Highway.  ADATS is a comprehensive rural development organization working in the fields of Community Organization, Adult Literacy, Children’s Education, and Community & Referral Health

Andhra Pradesh, Anantapur District
In the town of Anantapur, students will work with the Rural Development Trust (RDT) and the Women Development Trust (WDT). These two organizations are playing a leading role in improving the living conditions of the Dalits and tribal groups.

Kanavu Tribal School
Kanavu, an alternative learning center, nestles among the rolling hills of North Kerala’s Wayanad. Writer and social activist K. J. Baby set up this school to help tribal children stand on equal footing with the kids in the city. The school discards conventional practices, and teaches self-reliance to children. Tribal folk songs and rituals form the core of the effort to reinforce a positive sense of identity.

Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary
The Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary is a forest garden on the Western Ghat Mountains of Kerala, India. Bordered by the Arabian Sea on one side and vast arid areas on others, this mountain system supports a unique endangered flora. The Ghats have been identified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as one of the 25 centers of biodiversity in the world. Founded in 1981, the Sanctuary is the Noah’s Ark of wild plant species grown in a beautiful tropical garden at the edge of a large rainforest reserve. Students will engage in a hands-on experience of conservation and education.

Location and Contact Information
The Office of Study Abroad is located in the Anisfield School of Business, room ASB-123. Our phone number is (201) 684-7533. E-mail - goabroad@ramapo.edu

[ return to top]