MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS
The philosopher Martin Buber wrote that, “Each of us is encased in an armour which we soon, out of familiarity, no longer notice. There are only moments which penetrate it and stir the soul to sensibility.”
We believe that there is no more powerful tool than study abroad to inspire students to shed their “armour” of routine, complacency and comfort and to embrace the “I-Thou” model that Buber promoted.
“Relation is mutual,” stated Buber and this is the core of our philosophy. Both the student and the host community should benefit from the study abroad experience.
Through study abroad, students can discover new friends and make connections that last a lifetime.
COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
The best way to learn something is by doing it. Imagine speaking and living Spanish in Cuba or Ecuador for a semester. You can either enroll in Spanish classes or participate in an internship. By living with host families and enculturating yourself in the local environment, you will develop new values, world views and a deeper sense of collaborative learning.
FOCUS
We do not believe in the “Wal-Mart” approach to study abroad, where a provider operates multiple programs in several continents. We focus on Cuba and Latin America. By working only with these regions we can more effectively provide students with an authentic, immersive and relational experience with the people and cultures in these areas. Small is not necessarily bad and focus is essential to providing students with the best experience abroad we can offer.
