Spring Break in Egypt 2011
a program for K-12 educators
March 10-20, 2011
The Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin will conduct a ten-day tour of Egypt over spring break 2011 designed especially for K-12 educators.
The tour will include visits to Cairo, Egypt’s capital and the largest city in the Arab world, and sites of contemporary and historic importance like Saqqara, site of the world’s first multi-story structure; the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx; the Egyptian Museum; the thousand year old Islamic core of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and the recently opened al-Azhar Park. The tour will also include a 3-night Nile Cruise in Upper Egypt between Aswan and Luxor that will visit such sites as the Aswan High Dam, the award-winning Nubian Museum, the temples of Philae and Kom Ombo, the Valley of the Kings, and the temples of Luxor and Karnak.
You will be accompanied by representatives from the University of Texas with extensive experience in Egypt, who will offer lectures and commentary on what you’re seeing and doing. Tours and day trips in Cairo will be led by local academics and experts in “Cairology,” who will lend their expertise to your experience in this thousand-year-old city. We will also spend down time in local parks and neighborhoods affording you the chance to interact with Egyptians in their own environment and have experiences not afforded to the casual tourist.
Space is limited, and preference will be given to those who teach world cultures, history, and geography; curriculum specialists, library/media specialists, or others in support roles for world studies teachers. Participants may bring a non-teaching companion, however, we cannot accept children under 18 due to insurance and liability reasons. The Center for Middle Eastern Studies is a licensed provider of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by the State Board of Educator Recertification, and will award professional development hours for the program.
The per-person cost for this program is $3,100. This includes:
- Round-trip airfare to Cairo and internal flights within Egypt (see “airfare” under Terms and Conditions”)
- Local transportation
- Double accommodations within Egypt
- Breakfast and lunch daily; most dinners
- Tour guide fees and gratuities
- Site entry fees
The fee does not include:
- Passport and visa fees
- Independent travel, transportation, sightseeing or meals outside of group activities
- Spending money for souvenirs, personal purchases, telecommunications and Intetnet, etc.
- Health insurance, pre-departure check-ups and inoculations
- Travel insurance
Reservations and a deposit of $1,500 are due by December 31, with the balance due by January 31.
As of November 29, 2010, the program is full. Please contact Christopher Rose if you would like to be added to the waiting list.
Region I Scholarship: CMES has been given grant funding to award one scholarship to fund a participant from the area of Texas designated Region 1 by the Texas Education Agency. Applicants must be full-time teachers at a public, private, or charter school in the Region I service area (Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Starr, Webb, Willacy, and Zapata counties). Library/media specialists and curriculum specialists may also apply. Homeschool educators and education students currently in their student teaching period are not eligible. Download the Region I Scholarship Application form here. (Adobe Acrobat PDF - 200 kb)
For more information, download the program brochure (above) or contact Christopher Rose at csrose@austin.utexas.edu or (512) 471-3582.
