Program Duration

Summer Session: Four weeks in June

Program Description

The UW-Madison Crossing Borders program introduces an interdisciplinary group of students to the environmental justice issues of the border towns of Brownsville, Texas and Matamoros, Mexico. This three credit program is offered in the summer and provides students a unique community-based service learning experience. The program is especially designed to allow students to gain an appreciation of the issues affecting border communities.

Students will have one week of instruction at the UW-Madison before they proceed to the border region. Students will spend two weeks on the border where they will engage in a combination of lectures and service learning projects.

Matamoros has historically been an important port city within Mexico which is home to 300 maquiladoras (assembly plants, mostly US owned) and employs approximately 120,000 Mexicans. Since the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the city has experienced unprecedented population growth which has taxed the city’s infrastructure (like other border cities.) The workers have migrated from rural Mexico to the border town in hopes of finding stable employment while housing shortages and other standard of living issues make workers' lives difficult. Despite the infrastructure stresses and strains, the city prospered under NAFTA. However, since China has been luring US companies to move further abroad, jobs have been lost and maquiladoras have been closed. Nonetheless, the border town remains an exciting city with a rich historical place in Mexico’s economy and will continue to be an economic player considering that the cost of doing business in China includes transporting goods over very long distances.

The environmental justice issues related to being part of NAFTA have grown significantly along the Mexico/U.S. border. Workers and worker rights advocates have been active in asking both the Mexican and US governments to deal with on site health and safety issues for workers and post production waste disposal within Mexico.

Students will learn about the border region from multiple perspectives as they work in neighborhoods in both Mexico and Texas to address environmental justice issues.

Academics

Students will earn three Letters and Science Interdisciplinary 400 credits after successful completion of the summer program. During the weeklong course in Madison, students will be provided with background information on environmental issues and projects they will experience on the border. On the border, students will hear lectures from UW- Madison faculty and Mexican and Texan specialists for part of the day. During the remainder of the day, students will participate in service learning projects and field trips to enhance what they are learning in the classroom. In the past, students have explored such topics as: community waste management issues, housing resettlement, housing renovations, and health issues.

Housing

Housing and meals are included for the duration of the program while on the border. Students must provide their own housing and meals for the one week course in Madison.

Excursions and Activities

Students will participate in service learning projects and field trips to enhance their learning on both sides of the border. Students will visit community organizations, industrial parks, and environmental waste management sites.