Hawai'i Field School

Who Can Apply?

Anyone 18 or over can apply to the program. We are looking for students and staff with previous experience in the field of archaeology to join us this summer. Often we have large programs of over 50 people, but this summer we are looking to run the program at a smaller size of less than 20 people. We will be selective in our application process as there will not be as much space to accommodate students this year. We urge everyone to apply and we will let you know as soon as possible whether you have been accepted to the program.

Orientation Meetings

We will be holding optional orientation meetings for students and their family members on the Foothill campus. We will let you know the dates/times and specific location of these meetings. I want to stress that these meetings are OPTIONAL. We know that many students are not local to the Foothill area, so we do not require you to attend these pre-departure orientation meeting. There will be an official orientation in Ecuador at the beginning of the program.

Cost

Total: $2900 plus Tuition Costs (Does NOT include airfare)

Tuition: CA state resident – $31.00 per unit

Out-of-state/International student – $160.00 per unit

Included in Cost: All transportation, food and housing during the month long stay.

Excluded from Cost: Airfare, personal expenses, travel insurance, health care, optional field trips

Financial Aid

Financial Aid is available for Enrollment in a Study Abroad Program while attending Foothill College; foothill.edu/financialaid/apply.html Please make the aid office aware that you are doing the summer abroad program.

Getting There

The project officially starts in Holualoa on July 25 and runs until August 14.

If you are arriving in KOA on July 25, you will head directly to our pre-arranged meeting locations in the airport as soon as your plane arrives.

If you are already in Hawai'i prior to the 4th, we will send you detailed instructions for how to get yourself to our meeting point.

In addition to encouraging an early arrival, we also encourage you to stay in Hawaii after the end of the program, if your budget and schedule permits. Many students stay on after the program and travel together around the islands and support local businesses with their tourism. When looking for flights, you might want to keep this in mind.

Purchasing Airline Tickets

You are responsible for getting yourself to Hawaii. Tickets tend to be cheaper for mid-week flights, enough to make it a good possibility for you to come to Hawaii a few days early. We are not, however, going to be available to assist you until July 25th when we meet in person. Prior to that, you are on you own. We are not ‘responsible’ for you until July 25th when the program officially begins, and our responsibility ends on August 14th, the final day of the project. Whether you come early or leave late, we leave that up to you, but please know that we are only responsible for you on and between the project dates. (You are welcome and encouraged, however, to connect with other participants and organize get-togethers in Hawai'i prior to the program start date and/or make group travel plans after the program finishes.)

Once you have purchased your airline tickets, please email your full itinerary to us so that we know when to expect you.

INSURANCE

We require that you are covered by insurance and will require proof of insurance prior to departure. You can purchase short-term traveler's insurance, which is cheap and supplements any other insurance you may have. There are a number of vendors. Participants in the past have used www.eglobalhealth.com where we see quotes for $60.00 covering up to $1,000,000.00 for the month of August.

PASSPORT

You do not need to bring your passport if you are a US citizen, but you will have to bring some form of government issued ID with an expiration date that is at least 6 months after your return to California. If you are an international student or a non-citizen student, you will need to bring a passport and valid visa. Passport applications are taking up to 12 weeks to process, and the expedited process is taking longer than previous years due to COVID19.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A VALID PASSPORT, APPLY FOR ONE ASAP.

If you are not a US citizen, please be sure to check the requirements for travel on the TSA website.

Food, Lodging and Transportation During the Project

Students will live in two places on the Big Island of Hawaii. First, we will be staying in coffee plantation country near the town of Holualoa. Next, we'll stay briefly in Kona. Finally, we will spend the end of our trip in Honoka'a another great town on the Hamakua coast. We think it is important to base in a community and meet the people as we begin to understand the local life. All of our locations are beautiful and culture-rich, and we are thrilled to be staying in our Hawaii locations.

Food will be provided by the project from dinner on July 25th to breakfast on August 14th. We try to accommodate all dietary needs and have always made good food a primary focus of our projects. Meals will be prepared for the project by two cooks that are hired from year to year. The food is excellent and super healthy – imagine tasty plantain pancakes!

Please be sure to share with us any specific housing needs or dietary restrictions you may have as soon as possible and we will do our best to accommodate them.