Skip to main content

Summer Cross-Cultural Immersions

International Summer Immersions 2024

Participating in a Cross-Cultural Summer Immersion through the Center for Social Concern is a unique way to expand your education beyond the classroom, into a new culture, a new lifestyle, and a new way of thinking. Each trip offers a distinctive experience for students, involving elements of cultural immersion, study of government, social services, religion, family life, economics and everyday life in the host country. Participants travel in a group with a reflection leader to help guide the group through the joys and struggles of encountering life outside your normal experience and to come to a better understanding of Global Solidarity as God’s children.

Stay tuned for information sessions on Summer Immersions or catch us at the Education Abroad Fair in the Fall!

 

Trips for Summer 2024

Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

guatemala.jpg

Photo by Audrey Yost

Dates: leaving late May, 2024  (minimum of four weeks)

Students and a reflection leader spend time learning the Spanish language while immersing themselves in the culture of Guatemala in Quetzaltenango, commonly known as Xela. Students on this immersion stay with host families or in a host family/school setting while learning Spanish at a local language school. The language study on this trip is intensive, involving one-on-one study, for approximately five hours a day. Weekend excursions include trips to natural spas, volcanoes, and the beach. This experience offers a great combination of immersion and education, while reflecting on the differences between culture, religion, and politics of Guatemala and the United States. 

Credit hours in Spanish can be earned through the Department of Languages. A four week stay can earn approximately six credit hours in Spanish.  Eight weeks can earn up to nine credit hours.

Important details

Costs

  • Program fees (including ground transportation, room and board and some other expenses) for 6 weeks is $2400. Each additional week is around $260.
  • Airfare is anywhere between $600-$1000
  • $100 fee from UD Global and International Affairs Center covers health and safety oversight including:
    • UD International Assessment Team
    • A top-rated medical and security support provider, available 24/7
    • Access to country intelligence through a risk management firm for all travelers
    • Mandatory pre-departure orientations
    • Emergency Response protocols
    • Emergency contact numbers, answered 24/7
  • med prep, including required and recommended vaccinations  ($50-$100)
  • passport ($130-$195, if you need one)
  • spending money

Applications

Apply Now! Applications will close December 1, 2023.

Students will be interviewed and accepted to the program in December/early January.

See General Information below for instructions on how to apply.

Safety

In Spring of 2023, UD's Travel Review and Response Team (TRRT) reviewed this program due to the Level 3 Travel Advisory by the U.S. Department of State. The TRRT approved this program because of the specific location of our program within Guatemala, our extensive in-country network, our longstanding experience with student programming there, and our secured transportation methods. We anticipate undergoing a similar review process in 2024.

Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya

kenya.png

Dates: Late May- June (approx 3.5-4 weeks)

Be a part of a new immersive experience to the beautiful country of Kenya. Be welcomed by the spirit of “Harambee,” which means “all pull together” in Swahili and is the national motto of Kenya. This immersion experience will partner with the Marianist brothers and priests, who will host our group and share the rich history, culture, and natural beauty of Kenya. Students will also learn from the variety of educational and social service programs the Marianist run in Nairobi and Mombasa. 

Students will engage in cultural learning of Kenya’s tribal history and present. Students will learn from and and offer a hand as they engage with students, teachers, and administrators at several Marianist skills training centers, which provide occupational skills in catering, hospitality, electrical work, printing and design, beauty, mechanics, and more.  The Marianist skills and training centers include the Marianist Technical Institute-Mombasa and Ukunda (MTIM and MTIU), Incentive from the Marianists to Assist the Needy to be Independent (IMANI) in Nairobi, and UJAMAA Family Center in Nairobi. 

There will also be opportunities for engagement with classes at Our Lady of Nazareth Primary School in Nairobi, which includes a Montessori Preschool and a school for children with physical and mental challenges.

Students will reflect along the way on issues of faith, identity, and global positionality. 

There will be time to relax on the white sands beaches of Mombasa/Kwale and go on a safari at a National Reserve.  


Important details

Costs

  • Program fees (including ground transportation, room and board and some other expenses) is $1600.
  • Airfare is anywhere between $1500-$1800
  • $100 fee from UD Global and International Affairs Center covers health and safety oversight including:
    • UD International Assessment Team
    • A top-rated medical and security support provider, available 24/7
    • Access to country intelligence through a risk management firm for all travelers
    • Mandatory pre-departure orientations
    • Emergency Response protocols
    • Emergency contact numbers, answered 24/7
  • med prep, including required and recommended vaccinations  ($50-$100)
  • passport ($130-$195, if you need one)
  • spending money

Applications

Apply Now! Applications will close December 1, 2023.

Students will be interviewed and accepted to the program in December/early January.

See General Information below for instructions on how to apply.

General Information

APPLICATION

The Summer 2024 application deadline is by December 1, 2023. Those who apply will be interviewed and accepted to the program in December/early January.

Payment

A preliminary deposit of $100 will be due once you are accepted.  An additional deposit of $500 is due by February 15.

Partial scholarships may be available for those who need them. Some grants are available on campus for such experiences. You can find some information on grants here. 

Other expenses include a valid passport (with at least 6 months validation remaining on it), visa, supplies, vaccinations, and possible other preparatory items, if needed.

COURSE

Summer Immersion participants are required to attend the Cross-Cultural Immersion preparation class (1 mini-course credit) on Wednesdays from 7-9 pm starting in February 2024. This credit hour is free, even if you carry a full load. Participants are also expected to turn in a final reflection paper and attend a re-entry class in the Fall Semester following their Immersion experience.

Also, as part of your immersion experience, you will be registered in an Experiential Learning Course (EXP). This is a non-credit bearing course which is the immersion experience itself. It will show up on your official transcript showing that you participated in this immersion experience as a measure of your further involvement and learning at the University of Dayton.

All final payments for the trip will be processed through your student account according to the billing cycles. If you receive a grant from the Center for Social Concern or another campus entity, that will show up as a credit on your account.

Deposits will be charged through Studio Abroad.

A student who cancels after committing to the trip/flight purchases will be responsible for the cost ensued. Students will receive a flight voucher for canceled flights in their name. 

Groups or individuals are encouraged to fundraise to reduce the cost.

The program cost of the trip covers ground transportation, lodging, and most food. Plan on bringing some spending money. Airfare is subject to change.

CONTACT

If you have any questions contact Mary Niebler.

If you have something else in mind which is not offered and would like to work through Campus Ministry, please talk to Mary as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do we travel?

Since these trips occur in the summer, students will travel from wherever they choose in the beginning and meet the group in an outgoing international airport. To ensure groups fly into their location together, it is best for the Coordinator of Cross-cultural Immersions to arrange the flights. There are exceptions to this and we can be flexible with summer schedules and other travel.

Once in-country, groups mainly use private transportation to get around, which ensures groups stay together and provides an additional element of safety. There are occasions where groups or individuals will use public transportation in-country, which will be discussed with the travelers.

Who is in charge?

All of our Cross-Cultural Summer Immersion groups are led by at least one staff or faculty member, and oftentimes, two. We incorporate student leadership as well. The staff or faculty person is trained in emergency protocol and is there to work through emotional, spiritual, and physical struggles with the students. They will also provide valuable reflection and processing of the experience with the group.

Our trips are also hosted by in-country organizations, who serve as transportation, guides, local experts and general hospitality. Over the years, we have built long-standing, trusted relationships with these organizations and individuals.

We do view all students over the age of 18 as adults. Therefore, they are responsible for signing release forms and waivers for these trips. We strongly encourage students to share all information they are learning with their families.

What if I can’t afford the whole cost of the trip?

It is our goal that these experiences are open to all students, regardless of financial circumstances. We will work with you in a variety of ways to make this trip a possibility. We greatly encourage students to fundraise through letter writing and other actions. Also, there are few grants available for these experiences. Finally, we can set up a payment plan or a reduced price to make it work.

What happens if there is an emergency?

We partner closely with the University of Dayton’s Global and Intercultural Affairs Center on our emergency protocol. We have an international emergency team, which assembles to determine the best course of action in the case of either an individual or group emergency.

Our group leaders are trained in our protocol and we receive great assistance from our local hosts.

Emergencies don’t happen often, but we are prepared. We are members of International SOS, and all traveling with our group will received their services.

Our leaders and campus offices have students’ emergency contact information and will notify those contact if deemed necessary.

What is International SOS?

International SOS is a worldwide emergency medical and travel assistance company. The University of Dayton holds a membership and groups and individuals traveling with us are covered under their services. They are not an insurance company, but provide a variety of medical and travel advice, both prior to and during travel; they are a phone call away during emergencies, whether we need advice on where to seek medical attention, or we need to evacuate a group due to an environmental disaster.

Please visit their website at www.internationalsos.com for more information. The University of Dayton’s member ID is 11BYSG000008.

Who should my parents or I contact if we have a question?

You or your parents may contact Mary Niebler, Coordinator of Cross-cultural Immersions in Campus Ministry’s Center for Social Concern, with any questions. 

Human Rights 04.22.20

In light of the suspension of UD summer programs in response to COVID-19, recipient of the Human Rights Center’s summer grant 2019, Miranda Melone, reflects on her experiences in Zambia. Now more than ever, it is crucial to acknowledge our global interdependence and reflect on how it can be deepened.

Read more
CONTACT

Campus Ministry's Center for Social Concern

Liberty Hall
300 College Park Ave.
Dayton, Ohio 45469 - 0408
937.229.2524
CSC Website