Three-Day Excursions Enrich Summer Short-Term Programs
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What’s better than studying abroad in the summer? An international summer program that allows you to see even more of the world! That’s the goal of CIEE’s new Intercultural Comparative Weekends. Now part of every CIEE Short-Term Summer Programs, these three-day excursions allow participants to experience multiple cultures, and encourage connections and insights.
In mid-July, our second group of nearly 400 students traveled from 17 CIEE Study Centers in Europe, Latin American, Africa, and the Middle East to one of eight international cities: Barcelona; Berlin; Istanbul; London; Mexico City; Paris; Santiago, Chile; and Toubab Dialaw, Senegal. (Students ranked their top four destination choices, and 70 percent traveled to their first choice.)
Over three days in each location, students were guided through a range of activities that included an art and architecture tour; music, dance or theater performances; and community service geared toward relevant social issues, as they explored urban sustainability, cultural identity, immigration, gentrification, community engagement, and more.
“I really enjoyed the East End tour. Normally when you think about London, you think of Buckingham Palace, the houses of Parliament…,” said one student from University of Pittsburgh. “This opened my eyes to an important part of London's culture that I didn't know existed.”
After two successful Intercultural Comparative Weekends, we’re already planning new destinations for next summer. “It’s so rewarding to see students apply the new intercultural skills they’re learning to understand a culture that’s very different from the one they’ve been experiencing,” says Catharine Scruggs, executive director of Study Abroad program management at CIEE. “We look forward to keeping this momentum going.”
Visit Facebook to see more photos from our worldwide Intercultural Comparative Weekends.