Fourteen University of Florida students flew to Belize on Oct. 12, 2001 to gain international journalism field experience. Photographers and writers at the graduate and undergraduate levels teamed up during the nine-day trip to document Belizean culture and the community.

The overseas trip was part of a program nicknamed the Florida FlyIns, now in its second year. In preparation for writing and photographing abroad, students spent the first part of the semester doing research about Costa Rica in the university's Latin American Studies library collection and hearing from expert guest lecturers.

After the trip, the last part of the semester was dedicated to publishing an online magazine, producing an exhibition and submitting the stories for publication in U.S. and foreign media outlets. Pulitzer Prize winner John Kaplan developed the course. Each fall, for at least five years, the class will travel to a new country in Latin America.