A Typical Day in Mohammedia

After a bittersweet goodbye yesterday with program staff and host families, students are on their way home today. While they're excited to reunite with family and friends, they were sad to leave the people and places that have made the past 3 weeks so memorable and meaningful!

Staff in Mohammedia eagerly await the arrival of Session 2 next weekend for another few weeks of adventure, excitement, and discussion!

Here's what Session 2 (and other future) participants can expect on an average day* in Mohammedia based on Session 1 2018:
*Schedule and activities vary, so this is subject to change. Flexibility is one of the most important skills for adapting to studying abroad!

• Wake up and breakfast (typically bread and/or eggs and/or cereal) at homestay, and then take a taxi to the American Language Center (ALC). [Host families brought students during the first few days until the students felt comfortable to do it on their own. Students receive a transportation stipend to cover the cost of taxis each way.]
• 9:00 am: Arrive at the American Language Center, homebase for the program.
• 1 hour of "Survival Darija" class - learn vocabulary related to day to day living in Morocco (greetings, food, transportation, etc.)
• Journal Reflection and Debriefing - because the real learning happens when you take the time to process the experiences!
• Lunch: students have 1-2 hours to get lunch on their own around Mohammedia. Common lunches include sandwiches, shwarma, salads, or pizza -- plus a fresh squeezed fruit juice! [Students receive a weekly food stipend to cover lunch]
• Service-learning: the majority of the service work was spent at Dar Shbab, a local community center, where CIEE participants engaged with local Moroccan students in activities ranging from English games and lessons, arts and crafts, theater, tree planting, and more!
• Guest speakers, panels and group discussions: Throughout the 3 weeks, students engaged in discussions on topics including Islam, Moroccan culture, privilege, service learning, Amazighr culture, and more. Some of these discussions were led by CIEE lecturers and others were led by Moroccan peers.
• Free time between program activities and curfew to get tea, go to the hammam, kasbah, or beach, or stay the ALC to play basketball or hockey.
• Return to homestay for dinner and time with host family!

Additionally, students went on multiple excursions outside of Mohammedia!

• Day Trips: Meknes; Casablanca; & Rabat
• Overnight Excursion (Friday-Sunday) to Marrakech & Ourika Valley

Despite all of the fun planned activities and excursions, students shared at the end of the program that the highlight of the 3 weeks was the people they met: the other CIEE participants from all across the United States (our group of 13 came from California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Virginia, Florida, and Texas); their Moroccan families; and the Moroccan peers they met during service work at Dar Shbab !