Students who want to explore how life in Eastern Europe has changed since the fall of the Iron Curtain have until Friday, Feb. 24, to submit their initial deposit for a fascinating MTSU study-abroad experience.

The interdisciplinary course is designed to appeal to a wide variety of majors, organizers say.

Up to 14 students will learn about tourism development in Poland and the Czech Republic May 3-13 in “Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Leisure and Tourism.” The Recreation and Leisure Services Management course in the Department of Health and Human Performance, identified as course number REC4850/LSM6850, is available for both undergraduate and graduate credit.

“Tourism has increasingly become a part of the landscape in Prague and Krakow, and participants will investigate the physical and sociocultural impacts that tourism has had on leisure, recreation and the lifestyles of the residents,” says HHP assistant professor Dr. Mark Kanning, who will teach the course.

Students also will visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, Nazi Germany’s largest concentration and extermination camp, which is in southern Poland.

“Auschwitz is a UNESCO World Heritage site that provides insight into the history of the Holocaust, as well as the spectacle referred to as ‘dark tourism,’” says Kanning. “Students will return from this course with a new perspective on tourism, recreation and leisure, as well as a reconfigured worldview.”

Other attractions and experiences on the itinerary include a private tour of Prague, Wawel Castle, a biking tour of Krakow, the Rynek Underground, a personal tour of the nontouristic side of Prague by students of Charles University, and the Oskar Schindler Factory and Museum.

Pedestrians make their way around central Prague in the Czech Republic in this submitted photo.

Artifacts on display at the Schindler Museum depict how the German industrialist, portrayed by Liam Neeson in the Oscar-winning film “Schindler’s List,” saved more than 1,100 Jews from the death camps by employing them in his factories.

The total program costs $1,175 per student, including accommodations, land transportation via train and bus, public and private tours, attractions and most meals. Airfare, tuition and additional fees are not included.

Initial payments of $200 for the program and $50 for MT Abroad are due Friday, Feb. 24. The second payment of $475 is due at a meeting of all course participants Wednesday, March 21. The final payment of $500 is due Friday, April 6.

Course registration begins Monday, April 2. For more information, contact Kanning at 512-757-0789 or mark.kanning@mtsu.edu.

— Gina K. Logue (Gina.Logue@mtsu.edu)