India: Child and Adolescent Development: Cultural Perspectives - A Punjabi Immersion Experience

January 3-24, 2009

EDHD 498 (3 credits)

This three-week, 3-credit human development program in Amritsar, Punjab, India provides students with a basic understanding of human development from conception through puberty. The course will examine physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development, and how the sociocultural context affects these developmental processes. Moreover, students will have an opportunity to observe classrooms in Indian schools around Amritsar.

Excursions and Accommodations

Thanks to the gracious invitation of Dean Jaswinder S. Dhillon, Principal and Dean of the Khalsa College of Education of Guru Nanak Dev University, students will be housed in dormitories on the campus in Amritsar. Khalsa College of Education is an historic institution that was established in 1892. Students will have many opportunities to interact with students at Khalsa College and to observe Punjabi folk heritage including dance (Bhangra and Sammi), martial arts (Gatka), and music.

In addition to formal classes with lectures, discussions, readings, and interaction with Khalsa College faculty and students, the program also will include visits to nearby sites to acquire a greater understanding of the history, culture, and economic conditions of the region. These sites will include the Golden Temple, the sacred shrine of the Sikhs; Rambagh Gardens; the Maharaja Ranjit Singh's summer palace which now houses a museum; the Durgiana Temple which is a center of pilgrimage for devout Hindus; Hall Bazaar; and changing of the border guard at Wagah. Amritsar, Punjab Amritsar is located about 30 km. from the Indian - Pakistani border in the Punjab, the Sikh home state in northwest India. Amritsar, a city of 1,500,000 citizens, is a major commercial hub of northern India.

The last day to apply for this program is October 2, 2008.

Faculty and Staff

Dr. Elizabeth A. Robertson-Tchabo is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development/Institute for Child Study, College of Education, University of Maryland College Park. She is interested in sociocultural influences on human development and academic achievement. She was the Director of the Saturday Academy at the University of Maryland College Park, an academic enrichment program sponsored by the College Board and Prince George's County Public Schools for middle school students and their families. Please contact Dr. Robertson-Tchabo for more information about the course content and itinerary.

For questions about the application, registration and pre-departure logistics, please contact the Study Abroad Office.