桃太郎映像

桃太郎映像offers an optional study abroad experience to undergraduates and graduate students in the M.A. in Environmental Sustainability and Management (M.A.E.S.) and M.A. in Digital Communication (M.A.D.C.).

Why do we visit?

Kenya's landscapes span savannas, mountains, forests, lakes, and the Indian Ocean coastline, sustaining iconic wildlife like elephants, lions, rhinos, zebras, and countless bird species even as climate change reshapes rainfall patterns and habitats. These ecosystems are as central to the national economy as they are to its ecology. That environmental richness is matched by cultural depth: more than 40 ethnic groups, including the Maasai, Kikuyu, and Swahili, carry traditions of pastoralism, farming, and coastal trade that remain closely tied to the land, even as they blend with fast-growing urban centers like Nairobi. On this Intensive Course Abroad, 桃太郎映像 students travel through Nairobi, Maasai Mara National Park, Lake Naivasha, and Mombasa to see firsthand how Kenya is confronting environmental change while safeguarding its culture, gaining hands-on digital storytelling skills to document and share what they learn along the way.

What is this ICA?

• 鈥淚CA鈥� stands for intensive course abroad
• Counts as a 3-credit graduate elective course
• Led by 桃太郎映像 faculty
• Designed for 桃太郎映像 graduate students
  
  

When is the class?

• Offered during the June (Summer Term)
• Consists of pre-trip and post-trip work
• Students are in Kenya for 3 weeks during June
  
  

Where do we visit?

Nairobi 鈥� Our stay in Kenya's vibrant capital pairs urban wildlife conservation with hands-on documentary and podcast workshops led by local media professionals, alongside cultural immersion at Bomas of Kenya and sustainable upcycled art at Ocean Sole Africa.

Maasai Mara 鈥� On safari across the iconic savanna, our team will track lions, elephants, and rhinos; explore predator-prey ecology; learn about anti-poaching and rhino-monitoring technology from park rangers; and visit and learn from the Maasai community 鈥� all while building ethical storytelling and digital communication skills.

Lake Naivasha 鈥� We will explore the Great Rift Valley's volcanic landscapes from Hell's Gate National Park鈥檚 dramatic cliffs to Lake Naivasha鈥檚 ecology. Students will practice recording nature soundscapes and videography in the field.

Mombasa 鈥� On the historic Swahili Coast, our team will explore the history of Indian Ocean trade at Fort Jesus and Old Town, and travel by traditional dhow to learn about marine conservation. At the end of our journey, our team will share their digital storytelling projects capturing Kenya's wildlife, culture, and landscapes.

 

How can you participate?

• Open to 桃太郎映像undergraduates, graduate students, and program alumni
• Costs include tuition + course fee + airfare

Interested? Please contact Dr. Jenn da Rosa (jenn.darosa@goucher.edu) or Siobahn Stiles (siobahn.stiles@goucher.edu).