Custom University Study Abroad & Faculty-Led Programs

Being a part of the assessment process and contributing to the evaluations given by administering hearing, speech and/or language screenings gave myself a first-hand look at what our career does along with a valuable experience. A shared goal accompanied by true dedication with like-minded people taught me countless lessons about myself, life in general, communication disorders, what it means to be a speech-language pathologist, culture awareness, diversity, BELIZE, etc. And I cannot forget to mention all the friends and bonds I have made during this trip that I will forever cherish.
Seeing the profession at all different levels: SLP, SLPA, undergrad student's, with the professor's assistance, gave all of us a great insight of how much hard work, dedication, and willingness to exceed expectations is within each of us. Combining the work with fun activities made this trip even better.
This was a one in a life time experience that I will never forget and only solidified the fact that I am in the right and best profession there is!

A week in Belize under this facility-led Therapy Abroad program was one of the most memorable weeks I’ve ever experienced. I have so much love for the people I met along this journey, as well as the supportive & brilliant team that made this experience so incredible. We got to go out into city, meet Belizean locals, and offer our services—all while learning their unique stories. These are people who’ve left a forever lasting impression on me. Chad, one of the program directors, did a great job of taking us around to all the best sites and restaurants. We were able to experience such a variety if Belize! Moreover, the final 2 days in Caye Caulker at the end of our trip was the perfect way to end it. Belize now has a very very special place in my heart. I’d 100% recommend this program to anyone!

This was my first time out of the country and it definitely will not be my last. I truly enjoyed the experience and opportunity to learn from my teachers and classmates. I recommend every student with a heart and mind for learning to take the chance of doing a therapy or study abroad trip. You get a chance to have hands on experience outside of the classroom and take what you learned into your career path. My favorite part were the memories I shared with my teachers and fellow classmates. We were all able to comfort and support one another when we were faced with situations, and that allowed us to learn how we can adapt to one another with different personalities and mindsets. We all had to learn to be flexible and be open to the conditions we were faced with, but it allowed us to grow and learn.

This was my first time leaving the country and I was excited but a little apprehensive. Luckily, I had amazing support from the faculty who came with me and from the Therapy Abroad staff. This program was an incredible stepping stone to my graduate career. I feel so much more prepared to be a graduate clinician because of the challenging experiences I had while in Belize. SLP services are not readily available in Belize, and the infrastructure of the schools reflect that, so we were never doing screenings, evals or treatments in the most ideal conditions, but this really forces you to be creative and use your problem-solving skills. Besides the academic and vocational benefits, the people in Belize were also some of the best that I've ever encountered, and the landscape there is beautiful. I would encourage any SLP student who has the opportunity to do this program, it will change your life!

Once in a lifetime experience! I felt safe the whole time, and I knew we were really making a difference. Our patients wouldn't have had a chance to be helped without us. There is only one speech pathologist on the entire island! If you are thinking about going on a similar trip... do it!

The itinerary of this Belize program was a perfect blend of clinical hands-on experience and cultural exposure. The clinic sites were brimming with sweet children and friendly staff who were eager to help us get started. I will never forget the children's faces. It was hard to leave the clinical sites, I would have loved to have stayed longer to work with them more. The Belizean people I encountered were truly happy we were there to offer our help. Also, the excursions of the itinerary were educative and highly enriching. Belize is full of history, and it will not disappoint those with special interests in this area of study. I felt completely safe the entire time, and I truly enjoyed the accommodation locations provided. This trip met my expectations and more. I felt challenged but nurtured, and I feel compelled to return to this beautiful place. - The food was wonderful as well!!

The amount of time allotted for work and learning and fun was just right. We had plenty of time to learn and play. I enjoyed working with this wonderful team of my classmates and professors to make a difference in the lives of several children and adults. While doing so many back to back screenings in one sitting was hard, it was exciting to challenge myself and be able to actually practice what I have been preparing to do for 3 years now. I got to work with schoolage children, preschoolers, and the elderly. We were able to do language, hearing, and articulation screenings. Every area was covered during our experience!
We also got to learn all these things in a new cultural context. Through the help of our Belizian staff, Eden, we were able to prepare ourselves with information about dialect and cultural differences between Belizians and Americans.

Every graduate SLP degree offers academic classes and clinical practicums, and transitioning to the latter can be a struggle. Our Therapy Abroad trip to Belize provided an incredibly valuable opportunity to ease that transition in an extremely supportive and real-world environment. We performed evaluation and treatment sessions rotating through various supervisors. Our mentors had different styles, so we were able to learn something unique from each of them. We also rotated our small teams of 3 so we could also learn from our peers. We received excellent guidance/feedback during the session prep, the session itself, and the report writing afterward. The supervisors who accompanied us were approachable and experienced. My only suggestion for improvement is to provide students with more prep time before sessions to improve the quality of service we provide to clients.