Every year during the Winter Quarter, students from DePaul University spend 10 weeks in Mérida immersing themselves into the culture, language and above all, learning from every single aspect of the program.
One of the most important components of this study abroad program is the service-learning project we have developed with a non-profit in the southern part of town. Students work with children that face socioeconomical disadvantages and meet once a week after school to organize activities that touch on important topics for the community, such as violence, culture, empowerment and the environment, to mention a few.
For most students, the opportunity to teach and learn from the community might be one of the highlights of the program. Exploring privilege and power along with embracing differences, students and community created a dialogue that crosses borders and will never be forgotten.
Emma Nelson, one of the students, created this video from her experience with the community she worked with.