The objectives of the program are:

· To explore efforts to achieve social justice in Guatemala, a country with a history of ethnic and class violence
· To examine health disparities in Guatemala through applied medical anthropology theory and human rights discourse
· To understand the determinants of health and basic epidemiology in developing nations
· To provide a transdisciplinary fieldwork opportunity to students of occupational therapy, anthropology, and related subjects
· To promote social justice through partnerships in and around Antigua, Guatemala with NGOs, community groups, health care workers, and other social change agents
· To explore the concept of “occupational justice” as an emerging practice area in occupational therapy and applied anthropology

Applicants students will have the opportunity to work in one of three project groups:

• Midwifery:  Cultural Complexities and Health Care Accessibility
  
• Pediatric Practice: Play as a Therapeutic Practice for Undernutrition, Feeding, and Development
• Short-term Medical Missions:  Critical Humanitarianism

Students also will study Spanish a minimum of 9 hours per week, working one-on-one with certified language instructors at their own level and pace.  Visit our website for more information at www.napaotguatemala.org