Meet the Staff: Prof. Yanina Rovinski
Meet Prof. Yanina Rovinski, ICDS's professor and specialist on environmental courses! If you want to learn about environmental issues this is the professor to look for.
1) What have you been working on lately? What do
you teach? What is the value - added of your teaching (or course) for
international students?
Hi everyone! My name is
Yanina Rovinski and I have been teaching an environmental course at ICDS since
2008. I am a journalist and science writer, and worked several years as
communications officer for IUCN, the largest and most important environmental
organization in the world. I also worked for the Costa Rican Foreign Service
and was instrumental in the declaration of Cocos Island Marine Protected Area
as World Heritage Site by UNESCO. For the last 15 years, I have been living in
the Central Pacific coast of Costa Rica and continue to work as a freelance
writer, editor and translator for environmental organizations.
My course at ICDS is a
participatory experience called Current Environmental Issues. We spend a great
deal of our time in class discussing environmental topics featured in the media
and selected by the students themselves. Class discussions are usually a lively
affair and serve as examples of the concepts illustrated in readings and
background materials. We also watch and discuss movies and documentaries, and
in general focus on topics of particular interest to the students.
I encourage students to
express their passions and opinions, and each course is different to the previous
ones as it is based on your own interests, the latest materials published and
the most updated information available. Since I continue to work with
environmental organizations, I have been able to keep abreast of what is
happening in the field and this, combined with the stories and topics brought
to class by the students, makes for great opportunities to learn from each
other.
2) How does study abroad contribute to responsible
global citizenship?
There is no better
mind-opening experience than living and studying abroad! Immersion in another
culture helps us develop our understanding and tolerance, enriches our own
lives and makes us better people. Tasting different foods, speaking a different
language, meeting people who are different from ourselves, living (and dancing)
at different rhythms, enjoying new and diverse landscapes, playing sports we
had never played before, helping others achieve their own goals… to me these
are all superb ways of learning how to become a better, more responsible,
global citizen.
3) For that purpose, what is the contribution of
ICDS?
ICDS provides fantastic
opportunities to experience Costa Rica, learn Spanish, meet locals and help
others at the same time. As you probably know, this is a country known for its
peaceful attitude, its efforts on education, health and other social
guarantees, and its immense natural wealth. Living with Costa Rican families is
the surest way to approach our culture and create lasting ties. You will feel
welcome and pampered, while having to face challenges such as new foods or lack
of your usual ones, speaking a different language, learning different family
habits while being away from your own. What you learn in class you will then
experience on weekend trips and community engagement sessions.
In terms of the
environment, this is one of the best places to discover experiences dealing
with sustainable development. Costa Rica has committed to protect its nature
and its people, and has put into motion many of the newest concepts relating to
sustainability. Here you will be able to see both successful and failed
experiences, and feel as though you are living in an open-air lab for ideas
that other places are still discussing. Far from a perfect example, I think
both our country’s successes and failures have a lot to teach… and you can also
contribute with your research on “hot” topics and your participation in
community programs…
4) Why are ICDS programs an excellent complement to
the home college education?
ICDS tailors its programs to provide you
with opportunities that you may not have back home. While our academic demands
are just as high as your home college’s, our teaching styles differ and our
topics are oriented towards Latin American and international issues, thus
complementing and enriching your U.S. education. You can experience the “pura
vida” style and maybe bring some of its positive features back
home.
Want Yanina to be your professor? Apply here now!
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