The Center

The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) facilitates the study of Latin America from a multidisciplinary perspective.  The undergraduate concentration was first approved in 1973 and was later incorporated into the Center for Latin American Studies (eventually renamed CLACS) after its establishment in November of 1984.

In August 2006, the Center received a U.S. Department of Education Title VI grant to establish an Undergraduate National Resource Center.  The grant awarded the center a total of $214,000 per year over four years. These funds have been used to finance various CLACS programs and initiatives, ranging from new language instruction to increased resources for course development, as well as financial support for faculty attending conferences and conducting research in Latin America. These funds also support the Center's ongoing development of outreach programs in Latin American communitites throughout southern New England, including public schools, businesses, and other constituencies.

Center activities and projects include:

  • The CLACS Lecture Series in which invited scholars present current research on Latin America.
  • Student and Faculty Conferences such as "Changes in the Andes" and, most recently, "Violence in Mexico."
  • Faculty Colloquia in which Brown faculty members present their current research on Latin America.
  • Dissertation Fellowships offered to graduate students doing work on Latin America.
  • Educational Outreach, including sponsorship of MESOLORE, an interactive CD-based educational program on the major civilizations of Mesoamerica, and collaboration with the Watson Institute's CHOICES program, which develops educational materials with a focus on Latin America.
  • Support for Visiting Faculty and Scholars who teach courses on Latin America and continue their research while at CLACS.