Students in Quebec for J Term 2019

Hartwick Students Making the Most of J Term Off Campus Programs

January 11, 2019

Hartwick College students take advantage of a host of unique experiential learning opportunities across the country and around the world during the College’s annual January Term (J Term) session. From January 3 through February 1, more than 130 students fan out across the globe to take courses and earn valuable work experience.

“Off-campus J Term is an important part of our mission to promote liberal arts in practice,” said Director of Global Education and Service Learning Dr. Godlove Fonjweng. “International and domestic J Term programs provide a pathway for us to advance Hartwick College’s vision of being the best at melding liberal arts and experiential education.”

For international study, students selected one of nine J Term courses led by Hartwick faculty. Students are studying music in Italy, nursing in Jamaica, or anthropology in South Africa. They chose courses taking place in Peru, Thailand, Bahamas, or China.  A host of scholarships are available for students to help leverage these opportunities.

A domestic course is also being offered in Hawaii, along with more traditional – yet no less intense – classes held on the Hartwick campus.

Along with the option of taking courses, students can create their own internships, both domestic and abroad. This year students have arranged internships in business administration in Barcelona, the education field in California, and across many disciplines in New York. Some students also use J Term to extend fall internships.

On top of carrying out work responsibilities, students will be required to create reports, projects, or make final presentations to earn their internship credits, depending on academic department guidelines.

Trevaughn Smith ’21 and Karmeen Ho ’19 are completing internships as a component of Dr. Laurel Elder’s “Politics in Action” class. A political science and computer science double major, Smith will work with the Creating Rural Opportunities Partnership Program (CROP) in schools across Otsego County. He will create a Model United Nations curriculum for after-school programs to promote civic engagement and foster complex ideas among elementary and middle school students.

“Working with the younger generation in order to teach them about government and how to be an active citizen in this democracy has always been a passion of mine,” said Smith. “This internship will give me hands-on experience in figuring out why the younger generations don’t seem as interested in government.”

Ho, a political science major and Three-Year Degree Program student, will be interning with the Court Attorney for the Otsego County Court in Cooperstown, NY. She will be shadowing an attorney and attending Drug, Family, and County Court.

“I am excited to see what happens between cases and within the court system,” said Ho. “Since I want to go to law school, this internship gives me the insight I need and shows me what steps I need to take.

For more information on the College’s J Term program click here, or contact Fonjweng at fonjwengg@hartwick.edu or (607) 431-4414.