Belize: Immersive Workshop on Cultural and Linguistic Diversity for slp
Join us July 21-27th, 2024. Professionals earn 3.0 ASHA CEUs (30 hours) through hands-on presentations, visits to historical and cultural sites, and interactions with people and the local languages. Graduate students can earn academic credit or up to 16 clinical hours.
Extend your stay and join us for 3 nights on the island of Caye Caulker!
This program is a collaboration between the internationally recognized innovators at Bilinguistics and the award-winning study abroad program facilitators at Therapy Abroad. Speech-language pathologists, and graduate SLP students will have an opportunity to travel to the beautiful riverside town of San Ignacio, Belize and explore new places, cuisines, cultures, ways of living, and approaches to supporting individuals with disabilities. This week long program offers 30 hours of continuing education for SLPs and and the opportunity for SLP graduate students to earn academic credit or clinical hours. This experience is designed to address all of the competencies in cultural and linguistic diversity outlined by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), and many more competencies that will advance your cultural humility.
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The total program fee is $2,500 and includes transportation to and from the *airport in Belize City (Airport Code: BZE), local transportation to all program events, hotel (double occupancy), breakfast, lunch, and snacks at the conference, and all cultural events included in the program. The remainder of the program fee will be collected 90 days prior to travel. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us at 949-423-6165 *Transportation from BZE is included.
Join us in San Ignacio, Belize July 21-27, 2024
Optional Beach Excursion (3-Nights), Caye Caulker, Belize July 27-30, 2024.
It's Time to Travel Again. It's Time to Learn More About Each other. It's Time To Grow Your Network of Globally-Minded & Growth-Oriented Colleagues
Per ASHA (2020), developing cultural competence is a dynamic and complex process requiring ongoing self-assessment and continuous expansion of one’s cultural knowledge. It evolves over time, beginning with an understanding of one’s own culture, continuing through interactions with individuals from various cultures, and extending through one’s own lifelong learning. Cultural competence is increasingly important to eliminate long-standing disparities in the health status of people based on racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds
Cultural humility goes beyond cultural competence. It is a dynamic and lifelong process focusing on self-reflection and personal critique, acknowledging one’s own biases. This program seeks to help professionals grow through an immersive, relevant, and impactful experience.
Coursework is designed to bridge theory and practice, providing evidence-based practical tools that you can immediately put to use in your practice as a speech-language pathologist while broadening your cultural perspectives and experiences.
Our workshops are packed with video case studies, discussion points, and opportunities for active learning. Below is an outline of the courses. Part of the day will be spent in the classroom focusing on coursework in cultural and linguistic diversity. The rest of the day we will apply information from our coursework with culturally relevant and enriching activities, including the work with our community partners, local schools, and non-profit organizations while learning about local culture, religion, and customs.
Webinar What? Zoom Who? Wouldn’t you rather earn up to 30 hours of CE in a single week, Academic credit or gain hands-on clinical experience?
Attendees will receive a Certificate in Cultural and Linguistic Diversity that covers the information you need to confidently diagnose and treat diverse populations and provides all the CEUs you need for up to a 3-year earning period. Enjoy all that the country has to offer -food, culture, and amazing activities. Here is a snapshot of what we will be doing.
Each morning of this program, attendees will be immersed in an interactive discussion series (see topics below) and each afternoon, there are activities planned for everyone.
Graduate students and professionals will have the added option of foregoing some of the afternoon CE hours for clinical work at our on-site clinic, in local villages, and at local schools.
Each day is customizable. So, if a student needs all 20 clinical hours they can choose to work each afternoon, but they could also opt for doing just 8, 12, or 16 hours in clinic and join some of the other activities depending on what they want to do and/or what your university requires.
Immersion in Cultural and Linguistic Diversity
DAY 1
- Arrival to Belize
- Welcome to Conference, Overview and Goals
DAY 2
- Speech-Language Evaluations with Students who Speak a Language You Don’t.
- Language and Cultural Influences in Belize
- Afternoon Activity: Visit markets and Mayan archeological sites with local liaisons and guides.
- Optional Clinical Placement for Graduate Students: Evaluations and TX at our on-site clinic-pediatric ( 4 Hours)
DAY 3
- Difference or Disorder for Speech & Language
- Hands-on Case Studies to Determine Speech Sound Disorders
- Confidently separate differences caused by second language influence from true disorder.
- Afternoon Activity: Spend the day participating in cultural activities with a Mayan women’s collective.
- Optional Clinical Placement for Graduate Students: Evaluations and TX in Mayan Village -pediatric & adult ( 4 Hours)
DAY 4
- Practical Dynamic & Informal Assessments
- Identify if a child should qualify, how much support they need, and how to determine what goals to write.
- Afternoon Activity: Work with teachers and health care professionals in local villages.
- Optional Clinical Placement for Graduate Students: Evaluations and TX at local schools-pediatric ( 4 Hours)
DAY 5
- Intervention strategies with diverse learners
- Choose and create therapy programs that account for language influence and cultural differences.
- Afternoon Activity: Spend the afternoon at the University of Belize learning and sharing your knowledge with local teachers.
- Optional Clinical Placement for Graduate Students: Evaluations and TX at Belmopan Clinic-pediatric & adult ( 4 Hours)
DAY 6
- Full Day Field Trip: Ethics, Culture, and Views on Disabilities
- Friday we leave the classroom behind and spend the last day together visiting the Belizean cultural center and learning about the Garifuna language, culture & music. We also hear from individuals with disabilities and their service providers.
- Optional Clinical Placement for Graduate Students: Evaluations and TX at our on-site clinic-pediatric ( 4 Hours)
DAY 7
- Return Home or Join the Optional Beach Excursion to Caye Caulker Island
- Water taxi to the island (Approx 45 min)
- Beach Time!
- Beach Bar-B-Q Dinner
Optional DAY 8
- Caye Caulker, Belize
- Private trip to snorkel the Belize Barrier Reef. This is the second largest barrier reef in the world and is the gem of Belizean tourism. It’s a must-see!
Optional DAY 9
- Caye Caulker, Belize
- Enjoy a free day on the island, rent bicycles on this car less island, grab a golfcart or relax in a hammock at our beautiful beach front hotel.
Optional DAY 10
- Caye Caulker, Belize
- Water taxi to Belize City with private transport to Belize Internation Airport
Program Pricing and What's Included
The total program fee is $2,500 and includes transportation to and from the airport in Belize City, local transportation to all program events, hotel (double occupancy), breakfast, lunch, and snacks at the conference, and all cultural events and activities included in the program.
Optional 3-Night Beach Excursion to Caye Caulker Island is $595
Space is very limited and will be on a first-come basis. Previous workshops have sold out in 2-3 weeks.
Here’s how to get started:
Follow the link below register and pay a $500 deposit.
Once your registration is confirmed, you will receive a detailed email from Therapy Abroad, including information on flights, traveling with friends & family, and how to prepare for your trip. You will book and pay for your flight to Belize City (airport code: BZE) separately.
Important Note:
Safety is a systematic and comprehensive process and we understand that safety concerns are a part of planning for any overseas travel. As such, we have made safety our highest priority. We have organized this program from beginning to end so that we can account for all of the details. Our goal is to provide you with a smooth and worry-free educational travel experience and portal for professional development.
Program price includes:
- Pre-Departure Support
- 24/7 In-country Support
- Beach Side 4 Star Accommodation (2 Bed Shared)
- Most Meals
- All domestic Transport
- Private Guides
- All coursework
- Professional Facilitators
- All Activities listed in the Schedule
- 30 Hours of ASHA CEUs
- Certificate in Cultural & Linguistic Diversity
- 3 Graduate Credit Hours-Transcript From Salus University(Graduate Students Only)
What’s Not Included:
- International Flights to BZE
- Travel Insurance
- Single Supplement (Private) Room + $500
- Friends and Family Price =$1,750
- Optional Beach Excursion to Caye Caulker (3 -Nights) =$595
Can my partner, friends, or family come along? Travelling with someone who is not a speech-language pathologist? Friends and family can attend for $1,750 USD and get transportation to and from the airport, lodging, some meals, and the opportunity to participate in cultural activities with you.
Is there a refund policy and what about COVID? Therapy Abroad has held events during and since the pandemic. They choose countries that have been hyper-vigilant about health and safety because of their dependence on tourism. We are confident this trip will be a success. If it is cancelled, you are guaranteed a full refund.
FAQs
Everything except international flights, travel insurance (optional), and a few meals.
Yes! Friends and family members are welcome. After you register you can let us know how many people will be joining you and if they will require their own room or will share with you. Non-program guest will pay $1,750. This includes everything in the itinerary that is not part of the CEU programming
We have graduate students and professional SLPs. Ages range from early 20’s through to70’s! We welcome a diverse range of ages and encourage professionals to join at any age or stage in your career.
Local accommodations will be a 4-Star hotel with western-style showers, toilets, and facilities. Located in the heart of San Ignacio the accommodation is within walking distance to dozens of restaurants, markets, coffee shops, shopping, etc.
Bilinguistics reports courses to ASHA within 45 days of the end of the event. As an example, if your course ends at the end of July, your courses will be reported to ASHA no later than mid-September.
.1 ASHA CEU is equal to one hour of professional development.
Participants will be provided a link and code to obtain their certificates on the last day of the program.
All participants are required to attend 7 of the 10 activities in order to receive partial credit.
If you attend all events you will receive 30 ASHA CEUs.
No, we will have excursions, workshop with community partners, visit local historical sites, enjoy activities that will all earn CEUs as well.
No, we will tour facilities and have the opportunity to speak with people who work there, but we will not provide any direct therapy services.
No, we will discuss assessment and intervention as it relates to monolinguals and bilinguals who speak a range of languages.
The Certificate in CLD is a way for you to show your employers and clients that you have taken courses that address the ASHA competencies in Cultural and Linguistic diversity.
A Note To Graduate Students & Clinical Directors
We know that for many graduate students with classes and clinics, travel during the summer can be a challenge. We currently only offer this 7-day program one time per year. Why do we do this if we know the timing is bad?
Because for working professional SLPs, the timing is perfect. The goal of this program is to get a really diverse group of people together to learn from each other in a culturally rich and diverse place. Everyone will get CEUs including those needed for the new ASHA DEI Certification and a certificate of cultural & linguistics diversity from Bilinguisitcs. For graduate students, we want this event to be the highlight of your journey to becoming an SLP and a truly unique learning environment for everyone involved. This only works if we have a really good combination of professionals and graduate students-together and learning from each other. In addition to learning this content & getting clinical hours, It’s also an amazing way for graduate students to build their professional network, gain mentors in the field, and even find potential CF placements. I know it is a challenge because of the summer clinic and class schedule, but we would love to work with you to make this trip possible. The content, professional experience, and networking go above and beyond anything that is currently offered for graduate students at a typical conference. We hope you will consider making this a part of your graduate school experience.
DISCLOSURE OF FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS: Ellen Kester, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. Dr. Ellen Kester is the owner of Bilinguistics and receives a salary. Bilinguistics receives royalty payments for online courses. DISCLOSURE OF NONFINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS: Ellen Kester does not have any non-financial relationships to disclose.
DISCLOSURE OF FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS: Scott Prath, M.A., CCC-SLP is a salaried employee of Bilinguistics. Bilinguistics receives royalty payments for online courses. DISCLOSURE OF NONFINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS: Scott Prath does not have any non-financial relationships to disclose.