As Ohio State students schedule for summer and autumn classes and some begin to contemplate study abroad programs, there’s one option that provides a similar experience without ever having to leave the country.

Spanish 689 is an alternative study abroad class that gives those enrolled the effects of an out-of-country experience without the high cost.

Instructor Diana Ruggiero, a graduate teaching associate in the College of Arts and Humanities, said the class is a way to combine being abroad and being in the community.

The students “gain a lot of experience and learn to appreciate it,” Ruggiero said. “They use their Spanish as a skill.”

Ruggiero said that part of a Spanish major’s required curriculum is a study abroad experience. However, as OSU is a state institution, the university can’t make people study abroad. This class is a way to fulfill that requirement for those who can’t afford or don’t wish to go elsewhere.

Spanish 689 is “the biggest complement to culture, communication and community,” Ruggiero said, because students immerse themselves in the Spanish language, music, movies and native speakers around them. The class, which is offered in Summer and Winter quarters, focuses on issues that affect Latinos in Ohio, such as immigration, health care, politics and demographics, Ruggiero said.

“Students focus on things they didn’t necessarily care about before,” Ruggiero said. “They’re becoming more aware.”

The class combines immersion and volunteer work in the community, which are meant to encourage students to think in a non-traditional way, Ruggiero said.

Students can do that through their personal projects, she said, which are tailored to their own interests.

Wesley Black, a fourth-year in Spanish, took the class Winter quarter and worked on a project he is still involved with.

Black noticed a disconnect between his predominantly Caucasian church and a predominantly Hispanic church about five miles away.

He started a worship band that fused the two cultures together and the band is now coming out with a short CD.

Black said the greatest part about the class is the opportunity to continue relationships with the people he met.

“For me, it was a cool alternative to a study abroad,” he said. “I could make friends in, say, Argentina, but then I’ll never see them again. Here, I’ll get to know them and really be able to plug in … and stay connected.”

Black also said the Hispanic community is one in need, making it even more important to get involved.

“Hispanic people are the future of America,” he said. “Population graphs show that they could become the majority, so instead of separating, we need to fuse our cultures together.”

Ruggiero said this isn’t a class with a lot of reading and writing, where students “can read novels but not talk to their neighbor.”

“There’s not a lot of teaching involved,” Ruggiero said. “We want to develop independent thinkers and workers. It is a lot of fun but can be taken seriously, too. I’m honored to be able to teach it.”