This August, UW System students will travel to Santiago, Chile for a 13-day educational and fun-filled adventure led by UW-Green Bay professors Dr. John Katers and Dr. Mike Zorn.

The Chile Travel Course (August 8 to 21) is open to all UW students, including those in UW Sustainable Management bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. If you attend as a Sustainable Management master’s student, the course will count as an elective and you will earn three credits toward your degree.

Already interested in the Chile Travel Course? To sign up or ask questions about the trip, contact Jemma Lund, the UW-Green Bay study abroad coordinator, at lundj@uwgb.edu. The deadline to sign up is February 10.

How the Chile Travel Course Got Started

Dr. Katers teaches courses in the online UW Master of Science in Sustainable Management program. Two years ago, Dr. Alex Godoy and 17 students from the Universidad del Desarrollo (UDD) in Santiago visited UW-Green Bay to learn about Wisconsin’s sustainability practices. In 2015, Dr. Godoy returned the favor and hosted Dr. Katers and a group of UW students in Santiago. (They had a blast! See their recap of the trip here.)

Next summer, Dr. Godoy will once again host the UW group and teach them about Chilean sustainability. “Alex is a wonderful person, and I know he’s going to roll out the red carpet to make this a fantastic trip just like he has previous years,” Dr. Katers said.

An Adventurist’s Dream

Chile occupies a long, narrow strip of land on the western side of South America. If you traveled from one end to the other, you’d encounter rich forests, grazing lands, volcanoes, a labyrinth of fjords, Easter Island, and the driest desert in the world.

Chile is one of the most stable and prosperous nations in South America, and it’s also one of the most sustainable. Most of the Chile Travel Course will take place in Santiago, a thriving metropolis surrounded by mountains and vineyards. It’s the cultural, political, and financial center of Chile with countless things to see and do.

What to Expect

Though the trip itinerary was developed with UW Sustainable Management students in mind, business and Spanish department students at UW-Green Bay are also encouraged to attend. “The trip is really open to anybody who wants to join us,” Dr. Katers said. “If you want to bring your partner, the more the merrier.”

The trip includes a tour of a sustainable vineyard, Santiago, and Valparaiso as well as lectures at UDD. While the 13 days are packed with tours and trips, students will have plenty of time to explore the city’s winding streets and art deco buildings.

“We will get to visit an emerging economic center in South America, and students will have opportunities to talk about business and environmental issues and learn how Chilean government and businesses deal with them,” Dr. Katers said.

A Lower Trip Fee

This year, UW-Green Bay was awarded an innovation grant of $25,000 to increase study abroad opportunities between the United States and Latin American countries. Because of this grant, the Chile Travel Course fee is significantly lower at $3,700. Considering the three credits a master’s student would earn on this trip, it could be a very good deal for some.

The trip fee covers airfare, accommodations, excursions, and transportation to and from the hotel, which is located in the financial district.

UW Sustainable Management master’s graduate Alexandria Skoch attended the 2015 Chile Travel Course. She had this to say: “If you are considering going on the next trip, go! There are very few opportunities in your life to experience something like this and to travel to such a fantastic place. If you can make it work in your schedule, I promise that it is absolutely worth it.”

For more about the trip’s tours and activities, see the tentative itinerary below.

August 8: Depart from Green Bay and meet other students in Chicago or Houston

August 9: Arrive in Santiago; settle at the Hotel Atton

August 10: Tour Nueva Renca, a thermoelectric central combined cycle power plant; UDD tour and lectures

August 11: Visit to Vina Ventisquero, a sustainable vineyard

August 12: City tour of Santiago and visit to Los Dominicos Market

August 13: Visit to Valle Nevado ski resort

August 14: Tour of Chagres Foundry, a copper foundry; UDD lectures and meetings

August 15: Tour of Port of Ventanas

August 16: Visit to Valparaíso, a World Heritage Site, and Viña del Mar

August 17: Fly to Concepcion; tour of Refinery Petrox; lectures and meetings about water economy and management

August 18: Visit to Chillan

August 19: Visit to Huachipato Port

August 20: Depart from Santiago airport

August 21: Return home in the afternoon

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