Previous MFE Experiences
Research. Discovery. Learning beyond the classroom.
Since 1995, Stetson's Mentored Field Experience has taken students beyond the classroom to explore the histories, cultures, and communities of Latin America and the Caribbean. Explore some of the destinations, research, and experiences that have shaped this distinctive LALS tradition.
A Tradition of Learning Through Experience
Every Mentored Field Experience is different. Working in small groups with a faculty mentor, students connect their academic interests with firsthand research and engagement in the field. Each experience offers a new opportunity to investigate a place, explore a research question, and encounter perspectives that extend beyond the classroom.
The experiences featured here offer a glimpse into the places students have visited and the learning that takes place along the way.
Forthcoming MFE 2028
Miami, Florida | Spring 2028 | Faculty Mentor: Joshua Deckman, PhD
San Juan, Puerto Rico | Spring 2026 | Faculty Mentor: Raisa Ankeny, PhD
The Spring 2026 MFE in Puerto Rico, led by Professor Raisa Ankeny, brought students to San Juan and beyond to explore the island's environmental, cultural, and social landscapes. Students examined environmental stewardship through visits to El Yunque National Rainforest, a coffee farm, and Casa Pueblo in Adjuntas, while also exploring Puerto Rican cultural traditions through a bomba dance class and a visit to Loíza, a community with deep Afro-Puerto Rican roots. The experience also included visits to the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico and connections with local community organizations, offering students an opportunity to engage with Puerto Rico's history, resilience, and contemporary communities.
Puebla, Mexico | Summer 2024 | Faculty Mentor: Joshua Deckman, PhD
The Summer 2024 MFE in Puebla, Mexico, led by Professor Joshua Deckman, brought students together to investigate Mexican art, sustainability, and contemporary politics through faculty-guided research and firsthand exploration. Student projects traced the history of Mexican art through visits to pre-Columbian archaeological sites and cultural institutions, examined markets and sustainability in the mountain village of Cuetzalan through interviews with coffee cooperative owners, and explored international relations in the context of Mexico's 2024 presidential elections. Along the way, students experienced Puebla's rich cultural and culinary traditions, visited museums and artisan workshops, and engaged with the region's history and communities.
Saraguro, Ecuador | Summer 2023 | Faculty Mentor: Bill Nylen, PhD
The MFE in Saraguro, Ecuador, led by Professor Bill Nylen, brought students into conversation with Indigenous community members to explore how people understand and experience belonging, tradition, and connection. Through interviews and engagement with the community, students examined how these ideas are expressed, sustained, and negotiated in everyday life. The experience offered an opportunity to learn directly from Indigenous perspectives and to reflect on the relationships between cultural identity, community, and place.
