The Chimpanzee & Human Communication Institute Summer Apprentice Program Announcement: Currently Taking Applications for 10-week Summer Apprentice

This is from:

Dr. Marc Bekoff
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Colorado
Boulder, Colorado 80309-0334 USA

Homepage: http://literati.net/Bekoff
Marc Bekoff and Jane Goodall (EETA): www.ethologicalethics.org

Marc is a well known professor and scientist who works along side Jane Goodall. So, this message comes with legitimacy and authority. Unfortunately, these chimps cannot be released due to being brought up in a human environment. A great opportunity for anyone interested.


The Chimpanzee & Human Communication Institute (CHCI) is currently taking
applications for our 10-week Summer Apprentice Program. Graduates,
undergraduates, and post-graduates from any nation and from various academic
backgrounds (e.g. Anthropology, Biology, Psychology, Linguistics,
Philosophy, etc.) are encouraged to apply. This program is open to students
from all universities and post-graduates. The dates of the program are June
18, 2006 to August 26, 2006.
The research at CHCI involves a group of four chimpanzees who use the signs
of American Sign Language (ASL). Three of the four, Washoe, Tatu, and Dar,
were part of the cross-fostering research that began with Drs. R.A. & B.T.
Gardner. Each chimpanzee was raised in an enriched environment in which his
or her human family members used only ASL, much like the environment in
which a deaf human child grows up. The fourth chimpanzee, Loulis, was
adopted by Washoe in 1978 and learned his signs from other chimpanzees as a
focus of research done by the co-directors of CHCI, Dr. Roger and Deborah
Fouts. Currently, the chimpanzees reside at the CHCI on the campus of
Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA in a large state-of-the-art
facility.
Apprentices are at the institute daily -- cleaning enclosures, preparing
meals and enrichment, making observations of the chimpanzees, and
participating in one or more research projects. The first week is intensive
training in laboratory jobs and chimpanzee behaviors. The philosophy of CHCI
is that the needs of the chimpanzees come first. Apprentices are trained in
humane care and research techniques. After several weeks each apprentice
becomes more autonomous and has responsibilities in the research project.
The program fee is $1800 and there is a non-refundable $25 application
processing fee. This does not include housing and transportation.
Inexpensive housing is available on campus. A course in ASL is highly
recommended but not required. For more information on the program and the
application please see our web page at
http://www.cwu.edu/~cwuchci/apprentice.html or contact Dr. Mary Lee
Jensvold, CHCI, CWU, Ellensburg, WA 98926 jensvold@cwu.edu. The deadline to
apply is March 17, 2006.