May Term Travel

Though Brazil has the largest population in Latin America (211 million), the largest economy (2.1 billion), and the largest territory (8.5 million km2), in the US we don’t pay much attention to Brazil. In fact, Brazil is very similar to the US in many ways – the same size as the continental US, ethnically diverse with a substantial history of immigration, and blessed with abundant natural resources. In this travel course, we will have the opportunity to engage in depth with these similarities, as well as the major differences between the US and Brazil. While this course will focus on the historical development of Brazil (through numerous museums and national landmarks), we will also explore economic issues (sugar cane processing and oil exploration), educational issues (visits with students at the Federal University of Alagoas), and political issues (meeting with the governor of Alagoas). We will also experience Brazilian culture through attending soccer games and making in-home visits, as well as visiting many consider the most beautiful beaches in the world, in Maceio and Rio.

Professors Eduardo Magalhaes and Xiaoshu Bei

This course offers students a unique opportunity to explore England, Ireland, and Scotland as they navigate questions of identity shaped by Brexit, independence referendums, and ongoing political divisions. Students will examine how historical conflicts and the interconnected relationships of the British Isles continue to influence political communication, national identity, and public debate. Through visiting museums, castles, memorials, and breathtaking landscapes, students will engage with local communities and significant political sites to understand how the past is remembered, debated, and communicated in contemporary political discourse.

Activities include guided walking tours of historical and politically significant sites, exploring the Blarney Castle for its connection to political resistance against English colonialism, visiting the Edinburgh Castle for its importance as the fortress of the city and a monument of Scottish independence, and participating in British Parliamentary debates to apply historical insight to contemporary political issues.

This immersive experience is designed for any student interested in history, culture, and political communication, not just debate enthusiasts, offering a chance to explore, reflect, and engage with the legacies of the British Isles complex past.

Professors Tiana Brownen and Marisa Mayo

Trade the classroom for turquoise water and white sandy beaches! This course takes you to Little Cayman Island in the heart of the Caribbean, where coral reefs surround you and learning happens underwater as much as it does on land. Through SCUBA diving and snorkeling, you’ll explore vibrant fringing and barrier reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, and intertidal zones—places most students only ever see in textbooks. You will gain hands-on experience with real reef monitoring and research techniques while learning to identify corals, fishes, turtles, and marine invertebrates in their natural habitats. Along the way, you’ll tackle urgent questions about reef ecology and conservation, including climate change, tourism, and other threats facing coral ecosystems worldwide. Working in teams, you’ll design and carry out your own marine biology research projects and present your results, just like professional scientists. You will live and learn at the Little Cayman Research Center, an active research station where you can interact with and learn what a day in the life is like for marine biology researchers. If you like adventure, care about the ocean, want to learn to SCUBA dive, and crave an unforgettable, resume-building research experience, this course is for you!

Professors Ryan Rehmeier and Lauren Points

Have you ever wondered where the Mafia originated or how it came into power? This course will analyze the history of the Mafia and the Anti-Mafia movement in Southern Italy and related areas through cultural analysis and on the ground experiences in Sicily, Naples, Capri, and Rome. The course will include amazing discussions with anti-mafia and criminal justice speakers (along with corresponding site visits). Within the backdrop of the cities we visit are beautiful beaches, markets, and historical sites. Through this experience, you will gain a strong understanding of how the Mafia rose to power and how communities have come together to combat its influence.

Professors Denise Leifker and Mark Freyberg

For Japanese people, mountains are sacred and deeply connected to spirituality, representing the homes of gods, sources of life, and places for spiritual enlightenment. This course will provide students with a rare opportunity to visit the sites of three sacred mountains. First will be the Deka-yama (Deka-enormous, yama-mountain) featured in the Seihakusai Festival, a three-day extravaganza in the city of Nanao showcasing enormous wooden floats that are pulled by the crowd through the streets of the city. Students will then travel to Mt. Minobu, one of the three Great Sacred Mountains of Japanese Buddhism, where they will visit the headquarters of Nichiren Buddhism and immerse themselves in the depths of Japanese history and tradition. Finally, students will explore Kofu, the home of Mt. Fuji, where they will spend several days visiting students at Yamanashi Prefectural University, making new friends and building intercultural bridges. Students will also spend a few days in Tokyo (Shibuya and Akihabara), taking in the sights, sounds, and tastes of the largest city in the world.

Professors Kiyo Matsuyama and CoryAnne Harrigan

In a country about twice the size of Iowa, New Zealand offers an incredible array of landscapes. The relatively small country offers mountains, glaciers, beaches, fjords, plains, and volcanoes all offering beauty and opportunities for exploration. This is an active course and several small or half-day hikes will be included in the activities. This course will allow students to explore the country through photography, capturing the diverse geography through hands-on learning and activities that will provide students with useful skills and worldviews to take into their lives at or after Simpson. Through photo assignments, students will learn new perspectives, manual photography skills, and Adobe Photoshop techniques. Students will also gain insight into the Māori culture through culturally immersive experiences. Students must provide their own photography equipment.

Professors Luke Behaunek and Tayler Keitzer

Ever been interested in Northern Europe and wanted to learn more about Nordic countries, this is your chance. We will be traveling and learning about the cultures of Norway, king of the fjords, and Finland, happiest capital of the world. If you are interested in learning more about the importance of education, human services, psychology, and the intersection of how we treat one another, this is the trip for you. From the architecture and café culture of Helsinki to the fjords and nature of Norway everyone is going to find something for them.

Professors Kate Lerseth and Linda Jermeland

How would you like to experience life in Madrid and Barcelona, Spain’s two largest cities and two of top travel destinations in all of Europe? This course allows you to do exactly that as you examine the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) in its urban context, both past and present. Students will visit museums and memorials, participate in planned tours, and meet urban residents who have been impacted by the War either directly or indirectly. Throughout the course, you will examine the importance of historical memory as well as social and political movements that have served to give a voice to the voiceless during the violent conflict and the thirty-six-year dictatorship of Francisco Franco which followed. In the one-credit pre-course, you will prepare for the trip abroad with readings in Spanish literature and history as well as feature films and documentaries which will assist you in better understanding the impact the Spanish Civil War has had on the residents of the urban centers throughout the last century. In both Madrid and Barcelona, you will be given free time to explore these dynamic and fascinating cities! Students are NOT required to speak Spanish to take this class.

Professors David Foshee and Mark Ruelas

Travel through some of the most powerful landscapes in the American West while exploring questions of meaning, place, and responsibility. This course includes visits to national parks and public lands across Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and California. Students will engage with these places through reflection, discussion, and creative exploration, considering how national parks reveal historical, cultural, and ethical values. The experience encourages thoughtful observation and invites students to reflect on their relationship to the land and their responsibilities to protect and care for shared public spaces.

Professors Chad Timm and Mara Bailey