Mexico: Grassroots Development & Social Change

  Mexico

• Oaxaca: 
Oaxaca

Term: Trimester 
Dates: September-December/February-May

Description: The School for International Training's Study Abroad programs offer field-based study in over 57 countries. Students earn 16 semester credits on a 15-week experience designed to encourage a global awareness that enables people to live and act in an interdependent world. Groups of seven to 25 students are lead by one or two academic directors.

Mexico today is at a critical juncture as shifting political leadership offers hope for a more fully democratic economic and social system. In southern Mexico, where the contrasts of modernity and indigenous cultures are sharply drawn, grassroots political groups such as the Zapatistas have begun to bring international attention to this largely impoverished region's struggles for social justice and welfare.

This program introduces you to the history, impact, and potential of grassroots movements in determining Mexico's social, economic, and political future by facilitating your immersion and active engagement with local Oaxacan nongovernmental organizations. With your participation in a service learning practicum, you further your understanding of the complex realities of Mexican culture, with its variety of indigenous traditions, legacy of Spanish colonial rule, significance as a center of multicultural expression, and close proximity to US influence.

Prerequisites: Three recent semesters of college-level Spanish or equivalent and the ability to follow coursework in Spanish, as assessed by SIT.

Highlights: Seven weeks homestay in Oaxaca and Mexico City. Educational excursions to Chiapas, Mexico City and the San Oaxaca coast.

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: contact sponsor

Experience Required: yes

Prerequisites: Three recent semesters of college-level Spanish or equivalent and the ability to follow coursework in Spanish, as assessed by SIT.

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Transcript
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Alumni Network
• Job and Internship Network

SIT Study Abroad's Mission Statement: SIT Study Abroad is the accredited higher education institution of World Learning, a private, nonprofit international organization promoting international and intercultural understanding, social justice, and economic development through education, training, and field projects around the globe. SIT prepares students to be interculturally effective leaders, professionals, and citizens through SIT Study Abroad, undergraduate, field-based academic programs operating in more than 50 countries worldwide, and thorough short-term professional training and graduate degrees in language teaching, conflict transformation, international education, social justice in intercultural relations, management, and sustainable development.

Year Founded: 1932