Community-based Study Abroad Takes Students Off the Beaten Path

by Makayla Vasek, Communications Specialist

To study abroad is to choose to be educated by another culture, not just in another culture.

One professor at the University of Texas at Austin, however, pointed out that this is not a nationally shared perspective. In an interview this summer with Orlando Kelm, a well-traveled professor and faculty leader for several previous study abroad trips, I inquired about his experience with creating new programs. Noting the importance of selecting a suitable study abroad provider, Kelm stated, “One of the mistakes that American programs in general make is to micromanage and insist we do things the ‘American’ way instead of trusting the provider...and [letting] our in-country partners do it their way to get the full cultural experience.”

As Professor Kelm indicates, international education, global collaboration, and cultural immersion are limited unless foreign educators are viewed as colleagues rather than study abroad aids. The solution? Community-based study abroad.

A Foundation of Community-based Learning

Our founder, Roman Yavich, recognized the value of learning from another culture early in his career during his research on sustainable tourism in Nicaragua. His experience working with the Nuevo Amanecer women’s cooperative in a small rural town called Sontule inspired Roman to mimic their foundational framework of community-based learning and create Learn from Travel.

Community-based learning is a strategy of allowing cultural immersion and community engagement to be natural educators during a student’s experience abroad. This strategy is based on a mutually beneficial relationship between faculty leaders, students, and the host community. In this relationship, the hosts share their knowledge on topics such as community structure, cultural tradition, and local industry, while instructors and students, in turn, provide a service or monetary compensation.

Read more about Learn from Travel’s founding on our website.

3 Ways Learn from Travel Integrates Community-based Learning

1. Rural Destinations

Unlike its larger competitors, Learn from Travel does not send students to popular capital city destinations. Instead, students take the road less traveled to engage with rural communities. These communities offer more authentic interaction with a culture because they often remain outside the influence of globalization. Students also have a greater opportunity to make meaningful connections with community members that will outlast the length of the program. Previous program destinations have included La Miel, Panama, and Santa Elena, Colombia, among others.

2. Homestay Living

Learn from Travel participants reside with local families in homestays - a stark difference from the dorm and apartment living they have become accustomed to in the U.S. Living alongside locals familiarizes students with the day-to-day proceedings of a culture as they engage in traditional meals, daily conversations, and even weekly house chores with their hosts. This intimate environment also inherently introduces students to a culture’s familial structure, roles, and expectations.

3. In-country Guides

Rather than expect U.S. faculty leaders to become experts on a given culture before departure, Learn from Travel places the responsibility of primary educator on in-country guides who live within the destination community full time. This strategy both alleviates pressure on faculty leaders as well as maximizes learning opportunities abroad as the trained guides introduce students to a culture through the eyes of a local.

For more information on the qualifications and favorite pastimes of our in-country guides, read their bios here.

Benefits of Traveling to Rural Communities

Program Affordability

Travel and food expenses in rural communities are lower than in larger, populated cities. By living in homestays, housing costs are also greatly reduced from that of university dorm or hotel room use.

Cultural Authenticity

Intimate community interaction gives students a sense of how the people of a country really live. Residing in rural communities also introduces students to authentic foods and traditions that they might otherwise miss in a globalized city.

Economic Sustainability

By employing rural communities, whether monetarily or through an exchange of services, Learn from Travel contributes to the economic viability of host communities and promotes entrepreneurship among hosts and students.

Community-based Study Abroad in Colombia

A previous Learn from Travel trip took a group of students from California Polytechnic State University to Colombia on a program entitled The Business of Flowers in Colombia. Catering to the instructors’ and students’ interest in international business, this program was designed to analyze the supply chain management of Colombia’s second most important agricultural commodity: cut flowers (second only to coffee). Instead of seating students in a large lecture hall with Colombian business students, however, our program centered participants in the flower field with a rural farm owner.

Students witnessed first-hand the flower-production process from seed growth to marketplace consumption by…

• visiting a hydrangea farm in Medellin, Colombia.

• watching a local family demonstration of bouquet arrangement.

• walking through the city’s daily flower market.

• speaking with an exporter about the logistics of cut flower exporting.

• and hearing from governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations dedicated to regulating and protecting the cut flower industry.

Justin Gomez, a faculty leader of the group, described the program as “a unique travel learning experience...that felt warm, authentic and respectful. We went off the beaten path and learned first hand from small farmers and entrepreneurs.”

Community-based Learning = Long-term Education

Community-based learning is an investment in a student’s long-term education. It provides experiences that cannot be replicated in a classroom. It involves academic, cultural, and social learning. And it doesn’t teach to an exam. The experiences students engage in through community-based study abroad extend far beyond their college careers, making them more adaptable and culturally aware in their remaining studies, future careers, and social lives. These are lessons that a textbook simply can’t teach.

Ultimately, to study abroad is to recognize the limitations of your own country’s education methods and seek further learning from the expertise of others.

Why Teach Short-term Study Abroad?

by Makayla Vasek, Summer 2020 Marketing Intern

Over the course of the summer, I had the opportunity to speak to several college professors who have or are planning to lead a short-term study abroad program. Leading a study abroad program is no small task and often requires months of logistical planning with little monetary reward, so when I asked professors why they choose to teach abroad, I received a variety of responses:

The Travelers

The majority of interview respondents referenced their own travel experiences during their college and/or professional careers. These professors recognize the value of cultural immersion and want to share that opportunity with their students.

“I like to consider myself a global citizen. I have taught on four different continents. I am personally very inclined to link practice in the global context. And it makes a huge difference when you let students go beyond the classroom in the global scene.” - Ahmed Deif, Professor of Operation and Supply Chain Management at California Polytechnic State University

“I studied abroad in Puebla when I was in school, and I think it’s important for students to learn to adapt to changing circumstances like I did.” - Greg Heinzman, Lecturer for University Foundations Program at Boise State University

The Researchers

Another segment of professors are drawn to teach abroad based on their own research in specific geographic regions. Taking students to field sites and world landmarks gives them the opportunity to see the physical manifestation of theoretical classroom concepts. Oftentimes, through partnerships with foreign institutions, these professors and their students are also able to access world-renowned facilities that don’t exist on their own campuses.

“In the geosciences, field work is fundamental to our work. It is less of a luxury and more of a necessity for our students. So, teaching abroad is really a built in aspect of being a professor for me.” - Brian Horton, Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin

“In the earliest of years, it was part of my research, and the students engaged in my research. What motivated me to teach abroad was my own field of expertise with Mesoamerica and specifically Mayan culture.” - Fred Valdez, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin

The Newcomers

Then there are the professors who simply find themselves in the right place at the right time to lead a program abroad. Whether due to job expectations or a direct inquiry from the campus study abroad office, these professors may not have the initial inclination to teach abroad but jump on the opportunity when provided the right tools.

“Our department had a program that needed a faculty member to take over for a year and my circumstances allowed me to do so; I also enjoy Mexico City and was happy to spend the summer there.” - Julie Minich, Professor of English, Mexican American and Latino/a Studies at the University of Texas at Austin

Ultimately, there is no one personality that defines a qualified faculty leader for study abroad. Any professor with an adventurous spirit can teach abroad when provided the necessary support and resources.

What Professors Enjoy Most About Faculty-led Study Abroad

I then inquired about what professors enjoy most about teaching abroad and what motivates them to continue leading short-term programs. Most responses were linked to the desire to cultivate cultural interactions between host communities and college students, many of whom have never left the U.S.

“It makes me really excited when people change their minds, their abilities, what they think about themselves, and their preconceived opinions of other countries.” - Ara Pachmayer, Professor of Kinesiology at Humboldt State University

“When you take students abroad, you get reminded of what you thought was cool years ago but had forgotten about. That happens with the food they are eating or a museum they go to. You are seeing your experience be re-lived through the eyes of other people.” - Orlando Kelm, Professor of Marketing, Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Texas at Austin

Trends in Short-term Study Abroad

According to Forum on Education Abroad’s State of the Field Survey, 65% of all undergraduate study abroad programs were eight weeks or less in 2017, demonstrating a national relative popularity in short-term study abroad that continues to grow each year. Based on this research and my own conversations with students who have traveled on faculty-led programs, I found that students often prefer to stay on campus during the regular semester and reserve summer breaks for internships and part-time jobs. The flexibility of short-term study abroad accommodates alternative break programs during winter and spring recesses as well as capstone course travel. I also learned that students prefer to travel with faculty who they already know and respect. Because most faculty-led programs are short-term, this could explain the growing popularity in short-term study abroad.

In response, many study abroad offices are creating more short-term faculty-led programs to increase participation.

Maymester Model for Short-term Study Abroad

The University of Texas at Austin formulated the Maymester study abroad program to cater to the interests of faculty and students. A Maymester program convenes for four weeks at the end of the spring semester, leaving the remainder of the summer open for professor research, student internships, and summer classes. In addition, the Maymester programs are considered part of the spring course load, allowing students to easily apply their financial aid packages and receive academic credit.

MBA Programs for Short-term Study Abroad

As reported by the Institute of International Education, graduate students are more likely to participate in short-term study abroad than undergraduates. Among graduate students, business is the top field, representing 34% of the graduate study abroad population. From this interest was born the 2-week MBA study abroad program that has been adopted by several business schools and study abroad providers across the country.

These are just two models of shorter term study abroad that allow faculty ample opportunity to get involved in teaching abroad without committing to a full semester term. They also allow for a high degree of flexibility when planning programs and integrating them into existing or new curriculum taught on the home campus, or remotely.

3 Short-term Study Abroad Challenges

In spite of the growing popularity of short-term study abroad programs and the high degree of interest among faculty, a number of challenges persist for increasing participation. 

1. Limited Cultural Immersion

   A shorter in-country experience directly relates to less time to explore the host culture. For language-learning programs especially, short-term study abroad may not provide the necessary learning environment. Offering pre-departure modules that introduce students to cultural norms and regional dialects prior to travel can help overcome this challenge.

2. Academic Credit Transferability

   Less time for in-country learning makes it difficult to ensure academic credit for students. This problem is often solved by creating a hybrid program that combines on-campus classroom learning with short-term travel.

3. Home Responsibilities

   Even short-term travel requires professors and students to leave behind important responsibilities in the U.S. such as jobs and family care. Unless they have access to resources that alleviate these stressors, they will likely turn down any form of study abroad travel. As technology advances, virtual study abroad programs are being developed to offer similar cultural experiences to those who can’t afford to leave the country for an extended period of time.

3 Short-term Study Abroad Advantages

1. Lower Costs/Reduced Time Commitment

   Short-term programs require less travel and living expenses which in turn lowers program costs. The reduced time commitment out of country is also appealing for professors and students who cannot leave behind on-campus responsibilities for long periods of time.

2. Customized Courses

   Short-term programs cater to strict degree plans by giving professors the opportunity to create a program based on a specific course syllabus. For fields of study like engineering and architecture, this is critical for making study abroad more accessible to students.

3. Low-risk Introduction to Travel

   Many faculty and students are intimidated by the prospect of leaving the comforts of home to study abroad. Short-term programs give both groups the opportunity to test the waters of world travel and may even encourage them to travel more in the future.

The Short-term Study Abroad Lifestyle

I’ve come to learn that most professors don’t just teach one program abroad; teaching abroad becomes part of their permanent job as they are drawn to teach recurring and new programs each year.  Whether faculty are seeking cultural experiences, international research collaboration, or just the opportunity to grow closer with their students, short-term study abroad could be their next career move. As short-term programs grow in popularity and participation barriers are resolved, some professors might even be expected to adopt this innovative teaching lifestyle. So, why not start planning a program now?

For more information on Learn from Travel’s faculty-led short-term programs, please visit our study abroad page.

Studying Abroad During a Pandemic

by Makayla Vasek, Summer 2020 Marketing Intern

Canceled Study Abroad Plans

“All 2020 study abroad programs canceled” are the words I see headlining university newspapers across the country. How long will it be before my university releases a similar statement? As campus administrators respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve been told that student safety is a top priority, but the consequences of canceled and postponed study abroad programs extend far beyond canceled flights. My study abroad planning started two years ago, the moment I stepped foot on my university campus. During this time, I have been arranging travel plans, completing health physicals, and applying for scholarships. Now, like many other students and faculty, I find myself back at square one.

I waited as long as I could before making the decision, keeping hope in a fast global recovery. With coronavirus cases spiking in the U.S. and only two months remaining before my departure for Costa Rica, however, I deferred my fall program application, canceled my flight, and began the stressful process of rearranging my college degree plan. Not to mention that I had no place to live for the 2020 Fall semester. I consider myself lucky to have two more years of college left to satisfy my study abroad ambitions. For senior students, study abroad has likely been removed from the table entirely.

The Rise of Virtual Classrooms

My passion for international education led me to work as a remote intern with Learn from Travel this summer. In this role, I’ve learned that universities are attempting to supplement these lost programs by turning to the resources of study abroad providers, who are developing virtual classrooms overnight. “Virtual” and “study abroad” might sound like opposing ideas, but canceled programs and low enrollment are motivating providers to imagine a new reality for study abroad. Suddenly, phrases such as virtual internships and virtual study abroad are becoming a regular part of my conversations with other students and professors.

When my study abroad advisor emailed me a virtual program brochure in response to my deferral request, I was initially unimpressed, but thought I might as well log on to the listed information session to see what this was all about. In one hour-long video call, my eyes were opened to the possibilities of virtual study abroad and the opportunity of growing my own global network even as I was isolating at home.

Virtual Learning vs. Remote Learning

But what is virtual learning? The hesitance many students and professors show towards virtual study abroad, myself included, is not born of disinterest. We are simply unaware of the capabilities of virtual technology. Students immediately picture monotone Zoom lectures while professors imagine a screen of blank boxes. We are stuck in the world of remote learning.

Since the spread of COVID-19 to the U.S., we have been adapting to remote classes with little preparation. Remote learning, then, was a response to health regulations and follows the same format as an in-person course with minimum adaptation for online engagement.

On the other hand, virtual learning is created with the online participant in mind. Elements such as 360° video, conferencing software, and collaborative projects make virtual learning interactive and rewarding for faculty and students.

5 Benefits of Virtual Study Abroad

I dug deeper and deeper into this concept. After spending several weeks researching study abroad and virtual alternatives, and speaking with faculty, study abroad directors, and students as part of my internship, I’ve identified the following major benefits of virtual study abroad:

1. Virtual Study Abroad is More Affordable

   The elimination of travel and housing costs immediately make virtual study abroad more affordable. With virtual learning depending solely on technology costs, programs will be cheaper to run with greater student capacity. As a result, individual participant costs will be significantly lower than traditional study abroad. For example, a 12-credit hour semester abroad at the University of Ireland through API costs $17,280 (excluding travel and living expenses) while the virtual alternative costs $11,050 in total.

2. Virtual Study Abroad is Widely Accessible

   Excluding financial barriers, faculty and students choose not to study abroad for a multitude of reasons. Athletic schedules, student teaching requirements, and pressure to participate in summer internships keep students in the U.S., while on-campus classes and research projects take priority over teaching abroad for faculty. The opportunity to study abroad from home will cater to these various needs. The feasibility of virtual learning is also accelerating as technology becomes cheaper and more readily available to both parties.

3. Virtual Study Abroad Improves Diversity

   Improved affordability and accessibility relate to the opportunity to diversify study abroad. As of 2018, white students represented 70% of U.S. study abroad participation while only accounting for 55% of U.S. higher education enrollment. By implementing virtual study abroad programs, universities can bring students from all backgrounds together to experience another culture while learning from each other.

4. Virtual Study Abroad is Sustainable

   As more people acknowledge the environmental implications of their actions, ecotourism and sustainable study abroad is becoming increasingly important to study abroad participants. Virtual learning leaves a negligible carbon footprint and requires fewer resources from universities and host communities.

5. Virtual Study Abroad Provides Global Engagement

   Right now, for the safety of ourselves and our global counterparts, travel is not an option. But, that is not a reason to discontinue the cultural engagement that study abroad offers. By incorporating museum tours, cooking classes, and conversations between students from different countries into virtual programs, universities have the opportunity to further internationalize education on campus. An engaging virtual study abroad program can also motivate students to physically study abroad when the opportunity becomes available.

Virtual Faculty-led Study Abroad

These benefits are important for students on long-term programs, but what about short-term study abroad? Over the course of the summer, Learn from Travel has been working hard to develop alternatives for faculty and students grounded by the pandemic. It has been an exciting time to be an intern with this company.

Virtual faculty-led study abroad with Learn from Travel combines technology with remote interaction to create an international educational experience guided by faculty. Learn from Travel acts as the facilitator between U.S. faculty and students and in-country academics and community leaders. Learn from Travel also provides IT support, conversation facilitation, live translation, and even interactive 360° videos. These fully customized programs are built from the ground up using a combination of the following modules:

• Live Streamed Video Calls - Students can speak directly with topic experts and peers in other countries and experience remote site tours. Learn from Travel will find unique people from all walks of life and backgrounds to complement any course curriculum. This requires nothing more than a video conferencing app like Zoom or Google Hangouts. 

• Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) - International teams of students conduct research, or engage in a project, collaboratively and share their findings remotely. Learn from Travel matches faculty in the U.S. and abroad and facilitates the project. COIL can be organized using free cloud-based apps such as Google Docs and Google Slides.

• Interactive Panoramic Content (IPC) - 360° videos and photographs embedded with educational content can simulate the travel experience in an exciting and engaging way. Learn from Travel can use stock images or shoot custom photos and videos for this innovative format. The content can be viewed on any screen, but a virtual reality viewer (i.e. Google Cardboard) makes it much more engaging and immersive. 

• Virtual Internships - Students can gain international work experience with nonprofit organizations in other countries. Learn from Travel will help with placement and facilitate projects that develop skills for the intern while meeting the objectives of the host organization. 

All of the elements listed above can similarly be integrated into virtual pre-departure and post-return modules when it is again safe to run traditional study abroad programs. Visit the Learn from Travel Virtual Study Abroad page to learn more about innovative faculty-led programs and internships. 

The Future of Study Abroad

While there is still much to learn and develop regarding virtual learning, I am convinced that virtual is here to stay. Today, professors and students view virtual study abroad as a Plan B, but I suspect that virtual programming will become an integrated part of study abroad for future students. COVID-19 has altered the reality of study abroad permanently, but these changes come with untapped virtual opportunities including:

• Hybrid experiences

• Pre-departure modules

• Post-travel resources

Looking toward the fall semester, I’m still evaluating my options for virtual study abroad and how it will impact my degree plan. While simultaneously taking remote classes through my home university, I plan to apply to be part of a Global Innovation Lab, in which I will have the opportunity to engage in team problem-solving with other globally focused students. While virtual will not replace traditional study abroad, or my own travel plans, it is a supplementary tool that can help internationalize U.S. higher education, motivate students to further expand their worldviews, and help many catch the travel bug...the good kind.

Cultural Immersion Programs: 5 Inspiring and Beneficial Experiences

Cultural immersion programs are an intense, exciting, and life-changing way to elevate your knowledge of the world. Yes, uprooting oneself and leaping headfirst into a foreign culture may not be the conventional approach to learning, but doing so offers rewards that simply can't be delivered in a classroom back home.

To bring these benefits to life, we’ve interviewed five adventurous people who’ve taken the leap into cultural immersion - both through faculty-led programs and personal pursuits. By sharing their stories, we hope to inspire others to experience a new culture in the most impactful way possible – by diving right in.

Though the people we are featuring all come from different walks of life, everyone’s story follows a common theme. Culture shock gives way to clarity, unique opportunities blossom, personal growth is fast-tracked, and inspiration is born. Priceless benefits tend to await those brave enough to embark on their own cultural immersion experience.

So, read on to hear their vivid stories of cultural immersion, taking place in countries on all ends of the earth. Maybe their stories will ignite the desire for a culturally immersive trip of your own.

Interested in organizing a cultural immersion program of your own? Click here to read more about Learn from Travel’s fully customizable short-term study abroad trips - put together for students and faculty members ready to explore an exciting new culture.

Gathering Courage & Learning Independence in Tallinn, Estonia

Inês, Estonia

Inês Pereira spent months agonizing over her university’s cultural immersion exchange program in Tallinn, Estonia. She was 20 years old at the time and had done minimal traveling outside of her native Portugal. The possibility of moving far away from home to a chilly country on the Baltic Sea made her incredibly nervous, to put it mildly.

But three days before the application deadline, Inês decided to give it a go. She scrambled to get her paperwork together and submitted it just as time was about to run out. Shortly after, reality hit Inês: life was about to get very interesting very quickly.

After she arrived in Tallinn, Inês waited nervously at the baggage claim carousel, but her luggage never arrived. Her worst fears were realized: The airline has misplaced everything she’d brought along. “I’d never felt so stressed and alone in my life,” she remembers. Her fear and loneliness wouldn’t last forever, though, as Inês was eventually reunited with her luggage and began her journey abroad.

During her program in Tallinn, Inês was heavily immersed in Estonian culture and gathered courage as her connection to her surroundings grew stronger every day. “In addition to the locals, I met interesting people from all over the world: Finnish, Japanese, French, Italian, Dutch, Turkish, and Spanish people, to name a few,” Inês recalls.

Over her six months abroad, Inês became more comfortable in her skin. The immersion - while initially a complete shock to her system - transformed her from an apprehensive and fearful traveler into a confident and comfortable citizen of the world.

“Since I lived on my own for half a year, I learned our greatest key is the capacity of relativizing. You grow so much as a person in such a short period of time. It's overwhelming to think about sometimes.” - Inês, Estonia

Finding Family Roots in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Lera (left), Argentina

During her time as a college student in the United States, Lera Yavich (far left in photo) learned that she had a distant family living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. With little hesitation, she flew south to study abroad and get to know her mysterious ancestry that she knew nothing about.

Seeking a true cultural immersion experience -- not a traditional study abroad program surrounded by fellow Americans -- Lera enrolled for classes directly in Buenos Aires University. Luckily, one of her newfound relatives connected her with a host family.

None of her host family members spoke English, and the Spanish Lera had learned in high school left her alarmed at Argentina’s unique dialect. She stumbled, fought, and laughed through conversations, persevering through the thick language barrier. “My brain hurt daily,” she recalls.

Despite the struggles, it didn’t take long for Lera to become fully engaged in the Argentinian culture. She made friends and studied with her college peers. Her host mom excitedly brought her along to local dinners and swanky art galleries in the city. She went dancing with her host sisters and they showed her the city’s energetic nightlife on the weekends. “I went to some very intense fútbol games with my host brother,” Lera recounts fondly.

Though her six months in Buenos Aires flew by, Lera fell in love with international travel and made the commitment to always experience new cultures as authentically as possible – only as a local would.

“This experience opened me up, paving the way for future experiences. I learned that I prefer being with local culture rather than checking into a hotel and keeping with people of my own culture. Taking the road less traveled, as cliché as it sounds, allows for deeper connection. Although it’s more work, it’s also more rewarding.” - Lera, Argentina

Fast-Paced Travel and Cultural Immersion in Western Europe

Andrew, western Europe

When Andrew Caliebe took his international business studies from the U.S. to Europe, he wasted no time immersing himself into his surroundings. Over several fast-paced months, he studied in Rome, Berlin, Middleburg, and London. During his free time, he used his trusty train pass to explore neighboring cities and countries whenever he got the chance.

“I stayed in student housing and lived as a local would. It was fascinating to learn the new customs and to try local ingredients and items from the grocery stores and neighborhood markets. I quickly learned how to communicate through a language barrier.” Andrew recalls.

In addition to his immersion directly into Western European culture, Andrew was furthering his education at a faster pace than he’d ever imagined. He studied international trade relations, the rise of the Roman Empire, and the Dutch Golden Age – all while soaking in fascinating new cultures and forming a passion for international travel.

Andrew’s cultural immersion experience completely transformed the way he views travel. Once thought of as a luxury and quick excuse to escape everyday life, he now sees travel as an opportunity to view the world from an ever-changing perspective. Andrew has no plans of slowing down – there’s too much to see and far too much to learn.

Studying in Europe was a formative chapter in Andrew’s adult life and has laid the groundwork for his travel-focused future. 

“Since this experience, I have been open to the world not as a tourist but as a human being - seeing where I go not as a tourist destination but as somebody’s home that I am a guest in.” - Andrew, Western Europe

Learning Spanish and Inspiring a Career in Guadalajara, Mexico

Noel, mexico

Eager for an escape from life in the United States, Noel Krasomil spent a semester during his junior year of college to study abroad in Guadalajara, Mexico. Learning Spanish was his top priority, so he enrolled in a cultural immersion program that placed him in a homestay with a family that spoke zero English whatsoever.

At first, Noel was shocked and reluctant to immerse himself into Mexican culture. “The entire transition was far harder than I’d imagined. I spent the first week completely shut away in my room, trying to adjust. I was a complete hermit,” Noel recalls.

But as time passed, Noel began to gain confidence. Every morning, he’d sit down with his host family and practice Spanish as they ate breakfast together. Starting his morning with a light conversation set the tone for the rest of the day. This morning ritual became a reminder of why he’d come to Mexico in the first place.

Soon enough, Noel’s culture shock was squarely in the rearview mirror, and he began to fully embrace the opportunity ahead of him. When he wasn’t at school studying, he was out in the world practicing Spanish. “I took road trips with new friends, went salsa dancing on the weekends, and even met a Mexican girlfriend or two. Some nights I would return home smiling ear-to-ear because I hadn’t spoken a single word of English in hours.”

Though his semester in Guadalajara was over in a flash, Noel’s cultural immersion experience sparked an intense urge to travel. In the years since Mexico, Noel has visited to over 20 countries and has carved out a career as a full-time blogger and freelance writer. He currently lives in China, where he and his girlfriend are fully immersed and trying to tackle Mandarin.

“Moving to Mexico was a complete shock to my system. The food, the culture, the people, the language - everything was so entirely foreign. While the experience was intimidating at first, the more I immersed myself, the stronger I became.” - Noel, Mexico

Using Cultural Immersion Programs to Travel & Master Fluency in English

Gori, usa, ireland, germany and the netherlands

A young woman with itchy feet from Spain, Gori Carreira was determined to become fluent in English but wanted to do so in an unconventional way. Studying English in a classroom setting seemed expensive, time-consuming, and uninspiring, after all.

After mulling her options, Gori's thirst for travel brought about an intriguing idea. Why not travel to foreign countries, using cultural immersion programs as an exciting way to fast-track her goal?

Shortly after her epiphany, she began her journey and improvised as she went.

In total, she lived with local families and worked on her English skills in four separate countries: The United States, Ireland, Germany, and the Netherlands. (Although English isn’t the native language in the latter two countries, the families she lived with spoke it fluently.) Gori's complete immersion into these cultures forced her to put her native Spanish on the back burner and use English to communicate daily.

While the transitions were never smooth, Gori was learning English at a rapid pace and immersing in fascinating new cultures every moment of every day. “At first, all the travel and cultural experiences were a little bit of a shock to me, but they became spectacular. I got the chance to live differently, meet exciting people, and hear everyone’s story. It was a mind-opening experience.”

Gori is now fluent in English and her urge to travel has only grown stronger. The road has now taken her to India, where she lives a fulfilling life far outside of her comfort zone.

“These experiences abroad changed my life completely. Understanding the way other people live has turned me into a better person and has inspired me to continue exploring more and more cultures.” - Gori, USA, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands

Cultural Immersion Programs Benefit Lives – Plain and Simple

These five adventurous spirits who’ve leaped into cultural immersion have brightened their present and benefited their futures. Moving to a foreign country isn't the convenient route to learning – it’d be far comfortable to study at home – but it's a path that offers rewards than span lifetimes.

Though each story you’ve read is unique from the next, the results all seem to follow the same pattern. Culturally immersive programs thrust people outside of their comfort zone and into an exciting new world - where travel is learning, and personal growth is intense.

Everyone we’ve interviewed looks back on their cultural immersion experience abroad with an intense fondness. Cultural immersion programs have opened up a new level of understanding of the world around them and ignited a quest to travel more. Life just wouldn’t be the same if they’d taken the easy route and stayed at home.

Author Andre Guide once said, “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

With that, we ask you: When will you set sail on your cultural immersion journey, and what bright new oceans will it uncover?

Ready to Organize Your Own Fully Customizable Cultural Immersion Program?

Interested in organizing a cultural immersion program of your own? Click here to read more about Learn from Travel’s fully customizable study abroad trips for students and faculty members seeking to explore intimately into a new culture.

Learn from Travel would like to thank the following people for contributing their cultural immersion experiences:

• Lera Yavich

• Inês Pereira · Website

• Andrew Caliebe · Website

• Noel Krasomil · Website

• Gori Carreira · Website

Faculty-Led Study Abroad: 12 Benefits of Short-Term Programs

Cal poly students learned to build with adobe from Don Geraldino (second from the left) and his family in Los santos province, Panama

The right faculty-led study abroad trip is more than just a quick jaunt into a foreign land to smile and wave at locals in passing. A properly executed program is deeply profound, thought-provoking, and inspires all those who partake.

Faculty members pave the way with real-world, culture-focused teaching. Students flourish and mature as they explore new communities. Universities help spread positive influence and facilitate international growth. Host communities provide, progress, and prosper.

Well-run faculty-led programs offer an intimate journey into fascinating communities and produce long-lasting benefits that echo through the lives of everyone involved. These culturally immersive and hands-on experiences, known as 'community-based learning,' bring about results both powerful and widespread.

And while short-term study-abroad may be an unconventional approach to higher education, a well-organized trip will expand the mind, heighten the senses, and impact lives more than the best-laid lesson plan ever could.

Read on and see how short-term faculty-led study abroad benefits everyone involved, and don’t forget to explore some of the fully customizable programs we offer here at Learn from Travel.

Benefits of Faculty-Led Programs for Faculty Members

jorge hurtado, a hydrangea farmer in colombia, explains flower selection to students from cal poly

Faculty Members Can Help Facilitate an Extremely Impactful Experience in Students’ Lives

It’s no secret that college-aged students are amidst a very enthusiastic, curious, and impressionable stage of their lives. Community-based study abroad allows faculty members to harness their students’ raw energy and focus it on living out cultural experiences in a thought-provoking new land.

Teachers shoulder the crucial responsibility of challenging, motivating, and inspiring their students on a daily basis. Community-based international travel creates a lively and eye-opening environment for faculty to connect with their students, keep their attention, and reshape the way they view the world.

Field-Based Instruction Allows for Real-World, Hands-On Teaching

Holding the focus of students in a classroom setting can be a daunting task, a reality that faculty members are all too familiar with. Teachers often must deliver their lesson plan to a partially distracted, preoccupied, or unenthusiastic audience - which doesn’t exactly benefit everyone involved.

But when the faculty ditches the doldrums of the classroom in favor of a real-world setting, learning becomes an attention-gripping journey, not an obligation.

So, whether students and faculty are helping to construct sustainable homes in Panama, learning the business of flowers in Colombia, or studying marine life and conservation efforts in Belize, short-term study abroad takes the classroom to a vivid and real-world setting – far from the fluorescent lights, textbooks, and PowerPoint presentations that await back on campus.

Short-Term Study Abroad is a Refreshing and Effective Way to Develop a Curriculum

Immersive, short-term study abroad programs will help evolve curriculums and relieve the pressure of lesson planning for faculty members.

Trusted companies like Learn from Travel ensure that all the logistics, reservations, payments, and scheduling of short-term study abroad are taken care of ahead of time. Faculty members, much like students, simply need to pack a bag, hop aboard a plane, and enjoy their educational tour without worry.

A “junta de Embare” in Panama brings together the whole community to build a house from adobe

Additionally, faculty members almost always travel for free to a country of their choosing during short-term study abroad programs. In exchange for their leadership and support, their trip is usually covered by student fees or the university ahead of time.

Benefits for Students

Community-Based Learning Can Have a Profound Impact on Students’ Lives

Immersive international travel can open students' eyes to a compelling new way of life they may never have imagined before. The opportunity to dive into a fascinating new culture, practice a foreign language, and forge meaningful relationships will fundamentally change the way their budding minds see the world.

While many students embark on short-term study abroad programs as a quick getaway from life back home, the experiences they soak in can trigger career-defining or life-changing epiphanies. For many, community-based learning can be far more of a personal catalyst than a traditional college classroom.

Roman Yavich, the founder of Learn from Travel, had his lightbulb moment while spending a semester traveling abroad throughout Chile and Argentina. During this immersive adventure, he witnessed the highs and lows of life abroad on a deeply personal level.

His profound and immersive experience has since inspired him to create study abroad programs focused on community-based education, sustainable tourism, and poverty reduction for host communities.

Short-Term Study Abroad is More Affordable and Less of a Commitment than Semester-Long Programs

Traditional study abroad programs don’t make financial sense for a large percentage of college students. Semester or year-long programs can inflate the cost of tuition and swell student loan obligations, which tends to scare many students away.

Luckily, customizable short-term programs offered by companies like Learn from Travel give students a financially approachable opportunity to travel internationally and further their education in unison.

And while money may not be an issue for some students, time certainly can be. Whether these students have a stressful academic life, a demanding job, or at-home commitments, sometimes long-term study abroad isn't an option.

But thanks to short-term study abroad programs – usually between one and three weeks – these busy students have the opportunity to study internationally while appeasing their demanding schedules back home.

Studying Abroad is a Great Career Builder

On top of all the financial, cultural, and personal benefits offered by short-term study abroad, faculty-led programs are also a great way to further a student's future career aspirations.

According to multiple studies, students who study abroad are more likely to graduate, earn higher grade point averages, learn foreign languages more effectively, and are more employable than those who only study domestically. While the reasons for these findings aren’t cut-and-dry, the message is clear: Those who study abroad are more prepared to succeed in their future pursuits.

And in today’s rapidly expanding global economy, employers are more often looking to hire those with international, real-life experience. While a traditional college degree certainly looks strong on a resume, an immersive and colorful study-abroad experience will go a long way in giving the candidate a leg up in the eyes of their potential employer.

Benefits for Universities

study abroad is a great compliment to on campus education

Study Abroad Programs Enrich the Lives of Students and Faculty Members

Universities that offer well-run study abroad programs allow their students and faculty members to seek knowledge outside the traditional confines of the classroom setting. The unique and empowering experiences that result are a win-win for everyone involved.

Study abroad programs contribute to higher retention rates among faculty members and higher graduation rates among students. Faculty-led programs help to build a positive international reputation and work to spread the positive influence of the university at hand. 

Students and faculty members that emerge from these unique trips return motivated and fulfilled, which only serves to strengthen the standing of their university.    

Well-Run Study Abroad Programs Help Attract Future Students and Faculty Members

College students are studying internationally now more than ever. Because of this collective urge to travel, a university’s available study abroad programs (or lack thereof) can be a make-or-break proposition for prospective students choosing their future school.

College students have the desire to see the world, and universities that deliver the opportunity to study abroad will attract more of these travel-minded students.

Short-term, faculty-led study abroad programs -- like the ones offered by Learn from Travel -- are an excellent place for universities and community colleges to begin building a program from the ground up. Shorter, more manageable study abroad programs can lay the groundwork for the university to offer more ambitious semester and year-long programs down the road.

Faculty Presence During Study Abroad Programs Allows for Seamless Internalization of the Campus

Colleges that offer customizable faculty-led study abroad programs can offer their students real-world, hands-on experience while upholding the integrity and standards of the university throughout the entire trip.

These short-term study abroad programs create an adaptable, unique, and portable learning experience through an immersive and community-based approach to learning.

Universities that partner with a well-trusted study abroad company, like Learn from Travel, can achieve this internalization of a campus safely and with minimal cost and effort.

Benefits for Destination Communities

regina montero, a community tourism advocate and teacher, in the ngobe bugle district in Panama stands on a ridge near her community

Short-Term Study Abroad Trips Provide a Boost to Local Economies

Meaningful visits from faculty-led study abroad programs can bring a much-needed financial boost to host communities with sometimes struggling economies. Locals, often with limited economic opportunities, earn money by opening up their homes, cooking, acting as guides, and offering other helpful services for students studying abroad.

Learn from Travel, for instance, tends to visit more rural destinations, far removed from major economic hubs and job opportunities. By partnering up with such communities, students and faculty members can put their money to use in the local economy in return for a fascinating, one-of-a-kind immersion into an authentic foreign culture.

Culturally Immersive Study Abroad Programs Can Lead to Ongoing Long-Term Relationships

For the host community, the impact and rewards of faculty-led study abroad doesn’t end once the students and teachers have left. Relationships formed during the immersive exchange between the two cultures have the habit of standing the test of time.

It’s not uncommon for universities and host communities to forge ongoing collaborative research projects, mutually beneficial business partnerships, and annual short-term study abroad visits as a result of faculty-led programs. These visits not only strengthen relationships between students and teachers but also create bonds that unite different walks of life and create opportunities for years to come.

Community-Based Learning Can Provide Lifelong Benefits to the Host Community

The best faculty-led study abroad programs bring about benefits, both tangible and intangible, to host communities. And while the income earned from hosting study abroad programs is undoubtedly helpful to these communities, the most significant benefits often come from students and faculty members applying a given curriculum throughout their trip abroad.

During Learn from Travel programs, visiting students and faculty members can assist locals with construction projects, offer hands-on medical training, give helpful business consulting, and contribute other invaluable assistance. These lessons and skills passed on from one community to the next continue to give for years after the work is finished.

Faculty-Led Study Abroad Benefits Everyone Involved

students visit Parque Arvi and the orchid pavilion near medellin, Colombia

Culturally immersive faculty-led study abroad gives all those involved the chance to view the world through a vivid new lens. Those willing to take the short-term plunge into a fascinating new way of life are rewarded with powerful, formative, and long-lasting benefits.

When faculty members bring the classroom to an international, real-world setting, learning becomes an experience. Life becomes the lesson plan.

And while faculty-led study abroad isn't the most traditional approach to higher education, it rewards those willing to take the leap in ways that a conventional classroom setting never could.

Customize Your Hassle-Free Program with Learn to Travel

Interested in organizing a short-term, faculty-led study abroad program for your university? Take a look at our brochure and get in touch with us here at Learn from Travel to begin customizing a life-changing trip of your own.

Chilean Wine – not just delicious, sustainable!

One of Chile's predominant red varietals is the world famous Cabernet, brought from France and adapted to local soil and climate. 

Chile has been producing wine since the 16th century when grapes were introduced by the Spanish, but it was not until the advent of the stainless steel fermentation tank and the adoption of the oak barrel for aging in the 1980s that the industry exploded. Chile is the 5th largest exporter of wine in the world!   

You’ve likely heard a lot of fuss about Chilean wine. It is some of the best wine in the world, especially for the price.

Chile has five wine growing regions spanning more than 600 miles –imagine the most incredible road trip ever. In this post we will focus on the Aconcagua region, and specifically the Casablanca valley, which we will be visiting in our Culture, Wine, and Glaciers trip in November.

The Coat of Arms of Casablanca.

Casablanca Valley is about half way between the capital Santiago and the charismatic port town of Valparaiso. Vines were first planted in the Casablanca Valley in the mid-1980s during the revitalization of the Chilean wine industry and the area quickly became known for its white wines, most notably Sauvignon blanc and Chardonnay, as well as Pinot noir, which thrives in its cooler climate. The valley is cooled by the cold waters of the Pacific which often bring morning fog, not unlike its mirror image: northern California.

Of note is the recent trend toward organic wine, as demonstrated by the Santa Emiliana winery, which produces organic wines almost exclusively. Founded in 1986 by Chile’s Guilisasti family, Emiliana Vineyards is a privately owned initiative dedicated to producing organic and biodynamic wine. In 2003 Santa Emiliana released the premium vintage Gê, South America’s first ever certified biodynamic wine. Collectively, Emiliana constitutes the single largest source of estate-grown organic wines in the world.

Biodynamic agriculture integrates animal husbandry. Chicken manure is used to fertilize the soil. Chickens also eat pests. 

Organic: produced using non-synthetic methods in accordance with international standards and with proper certification.

Biodynamic: Initially developed in 1924, the first of the organic agriculture movements, it treats soil fertility, plant growth, and livestock care as ecologically interrelated tasks, emphasizing spiritual and mystical perspectives. So basically, more organic than organic.

Sauvignon blanc is one of Casablanca Valley's most distinguished varietals. 

When picking Chilean wine, start with the varietal, which will appear front and center on the label. You’ll also see the grape growing valley (Denomination of Origin) on the label.

If you like the bright, herbal, and tart flavor of a Sauvignon Blanc, you should look for wine from the Casablanca Valley. This type of wine is perfect for seafood, which, of course, is plentiful in Chile. Another great wine form this valley is the Chardonnay, which has a buttery texture, good acidity, a palate of fruit and lemon.

If you’re more into reds, go for a Cabernet from the Central Valley, such as the Santa Rita, Concha y Toro, and Cousiño Macul labels. These powerful wines will have notes of chocolate, berry, and even tobacco, with a strong finish.  The most famous Chilean red is the Carmenere, which is also grown in parts of France and Italy, but Chile is famous for it. This wine is perfect for vegetarian meals as it has good acidity and freshness with herbal flavor. In some ways it’s like drinking a good IPA – but it’s a wine.

Carmenere grapes produce one of Chile's finest reds.

These are just some of the varietals grown in Chile. Join our November Culture, Wine and Glaciers trip to experience organic wines in the Chilean heartland and tour some of the most amazing vineyards south of the equator.

Who are the Mapuche?

“We would like you, as head of the Vatican State, to become aware of our firm desire for dialogue on the occasion of your visit to our Mapuche Wallmapuche territory. A dialogue, which we hope to be based on the principle and right of self-determination as Indigenous Peoples, deposing once and for all the historical regimes of paternalism, indigenism, domestication and colonialism that we have been subjected to until today.”

This was the message sent to Pope Francis in 2017 by Mapuche community leader Nibaldo Romero.

Mapuche women in traditional clothing at a territorial recognition ceremony.

The Mapuche have resisted conquest by the Inca Empire, the Spanish Empire, and the Chilean state for hundreds of years. The resistance is not getting any easier.  

The Mapuche are Indigenous People who make up 9% of Chile’s indigenous population. Their ancestral territory spans portions of Chile and Argentina, and while some recognize themselves as citizens of these nations, many do not. They have inhabited these lands since 600 BC, and, having resisted more than 350 years of Spanish colonialization, remained independent until the late 19th century, when the Chilean state rapidly expanded.  Some claim independence to this day.

“I am Mapuche. Don’t call me Chilean,” my friend and host Manuel Maribur told me last year when I visited his home in the Elicura Valley about 8-hour’s drive south of the Chilean capital Santiago.  Manuel is developing a network of community tourism in his community and represents the Mapuche at international tourism conferences. Tourism can be an important source of income for rural families.

Araucaria trees are a sacred food and life source to the Pewenche people, a subgroup of the Mapuche. 

The Mapuche speak their own language, Mapudungun, with about 200,000 full-fluency speakers remaining in Chile. It is now being taught in some rural schools where most children are Mapuche. They live in mostly rural communities of extended families led by a chief called a lonko.

Many modern day Mapuche are deeply spiritual people. Central to their cosmology is the idea of a creator called ngenechen, who is embodied in four components: an older man, an older woman, a young man and a young woman. In addition, they believe that spirits of their ancestors coexist with humans and animals in the natural world.

The Mapuche practice herbal and spiritual medicine. In most communities a female shaman called a machi performs ceremonies for curing diseases, warding off evil, interpreting dreams and influencing weather, harvests, and social interactions. Machis often have extensive knowledge of local medicinal herbs and sacred stones and animals, which they learn during an apprenticeship with an older machi.

The Mapuche territory spans Chile and Argentina.

The modern day resistance of the Mapuche is rooted in the colonial resistance. They consider their land sacred and the invasion of Chilean and international logging and hydroelectric companies to be illegal. Large sections of Mapu territory have been deforested of native species, which were replaced by farmed non-native trees. In the Araucania region, where a group of the Mapuche called Pewenche live, the sacred 1000-year-old Arauraria Pines are dying, likely due to climate change.  

Yet the Mapuche are united in their resistance. Numerous communities have been formally recognized by the Chilean government and now collectively own their land. On numerous occasions Mapuche protests resulted in a diversion of development and forestry projects. Their triumphs over colonizing regimes have been exemplary for Indigenous People throughout the Americas.

Do you want to delve deeper into the history, cosmology, and struggle of the Mapuche?

Join our Culture, Wine, and Glaciers trip this November to stay with a Mapuche family and learn their story firsthand.  

Mapuche woman. Photo: Raul Urzua