VIU Students Apply Now 2023 WLCE@VIU New Zealand Field School
VIU students in good standing are invited to apply to the 2023 WLCE@viu field school to New Zealand's South Island. This six-credit field school using place-based learning to explore local and indigenous perspectives on emergency and risk management in one of the top adventure tourism destinations that happens to be an incredibly active seismic zone!
From earthquakes and volcanic eruptions to domestic terrorism and global pandemics, New Zealand leisure professionals, governments, and communities have dealt with significant emergencies that impacted locals and visitors. The first week (Nov 29 - Dec 6) of this field school begins in Christchurch where students will learn how the community experienced a major earthquake and what they have learned for the future. Our stop in Queenstown will introduce students to an adventure playground, where we will explore the ways that tourism and recreation operators plan for emergencies and manage risks associated with their businesses.
The second week of the trip (Dec 7-16) we will be staying at the University of Otago in Dunedin. Field school participants will join students from around the world for the World Leisure Centres of Excellence field school (Dec 7-10) before attending and presenting at the 2023 World Leisure Congress! The the WLCEs field school focuses on leisure access for equity deserving citizens including members of the 2SLGBTQAI+ community and Indigenous Peoples.
Funding for Eligible VIU Undergrads
We have done our best to keep the costs of the field school low; however, New Zealand in summer is not a cheap destination. The price of the field school is $5,500 - this does not include flights, tuition, or insurance*; however, the WLCE@VIU has secured funding through VIU Global Skills Opportunities program. This program provides funding for for eligible undergraduate students** who need support to go on international experiences. We have a maximum of 11 awards - 6 awards of $10,000 and 5 awards of $5,000. Additional funds may be available to students through the VIU Students' Union and the Student Research Office - for conference attendance and presenting. *A full list of inclusions and exclusions is contained in the Detailed Info & Application Form. **Not all students are guaranteed funding AND GSO funding is not a requirement of participating in the field school.