Who can go on this program? Is it just for IDS majors?

This program is open to all students at Calvin College, not just IDS majors. IDS major receive 100% of financial aid, and non-IDS majors 50% of financial aid. Please see the Financial Aid for study abroad page for more. Other scholarships may be available for the Thailand program. Please see Dr. Hoksbergen for more information.

How much credit will I get?

Calvin College will grant 16 credits for the full semester. The Foundations course satisfies Calvin's Global and Historical Studies core requirement and the adventure education component of the semester satisfies a core P.E. requirement. Students in the International Development Studies (IDS) program receive credit for the ENST 210/ BIO 364 requirement as well as three IDS electives. Other credit and requirements should be discussed with your academic advisor and the Calvin Off-Campus Programs Office.

Is this a Christian program?

ISDSI is a secular organization with Christian leadership. The instructors are a mix of Christian and non-Christian people. Calvin students participate in a seminar on stewardship, led by a Christian instructor at ISDSI. The seminar explores issues of stewardship and environmental care from a Christian perspective. Other students on the program come from different faith perspectives, from other Christian schools and secular college and universities. It is a great program to learn about other perspectives and the views of Christian and non-Christian peers within a supportive and encouraging environment for Calvin students.

How is this different from the programs in Honduras or Ghana?

The Thailand program is also focused on development issues, but with more of an emphasis on looking at sustainable development through an examination of the relationship between culture and ecology. Ecological sustainability is a core concern of the program. Each course is designed with a local community, and students will live in homestays as well as on their own during the program. One of the more unique aspects of the program in Thailand is the emphasis on expedition learning--spending extended time traveling through the countryside with local people. This includes canoeing a threatened river with village elders fighting the building of a dam, backpacking between tribal villages with community members, and sea kayaking along the coast of Southern Thailand.

How do I apply to this program?

Calvin students should first contact the Calvin College Off-Campus Programs Office to find out about the latest requirements and application procedures. Calvin student will also need to contact ISDSI by email to apply@isdsi.org to request an application.

For additional information about the program, please see the ISDSI Spring Semester page, as well as related pages on the ISDSI website.

For the ISDSI application, email apply@isdsi.org.

To view or download the video of the Spring semester click here: isdsi_video.mov

To download the program brochure choose either double sided or single page (both are PDF files).

Calvin off-campus programs page for other programs.

Calvin Thailand program webpage.

Calvin College Financial Aid for study abroad.

International Development Studies Curriculum page.

IDS Major study abroad page.