Custom University Study Abroad & Faculty-Led Programs

This experience was probably one of the best experiences of my life. It was a perfect mix of giving back and receiving. We were able to see and learn so much about Belize, their way of life, and also participate in some fun leisure activities-like hiking up to the Blue Creek cave and afterwards going for a dip in the swimming hole and waterfall. We also went to a spice farm and got to taste the various spices that grew there. Another day we went to the local Cacao farm in Punta Gorda where we ground our own corn and made corn tortillas. We also ground the cacao bean and tasted them in their various stages. One day we even went to our bus driver’s sister’s house, who were kind enough to host and cater the best lunch for us! Shout out to Kenny and his family!! I was taken aback by the sense of community displayed. More than anything, it was such a rewarding experience as a grad student to be able to interact with the students and clients we met. This experience taught me SO MUCH about myself, the field of speech-language pathology, and the interactions I will be privy to working in this field. It truly was such a humbling experience and one I will keep with me always. One of my most memorable experiences was going to one of the elementary schools and there must have been about 30 little girls and boys that surrounded me, took turns telling me riddles (“Miss! Miss! Riddle me this!”), took selfies with me, and when it was time for me to go, THEY ALL gave me the biggest group hug I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of! Luckily I have pictures to forever remember that moment and those sweet kiddos! Thank you, Katie, and the team at Therapy Abroad for planning our wonderful trip and therapy sessions to a T and never missing a beat! 💛💜

This experience was unique because it was my longest trip ever (10 days) & it was the first time I took an international flight. It was also unique because I was able to really get some great insight about the culture of Belize: I interacted with communities in Belize, was able to partake in some of the things common in their culture like making fresh tortillas, making chocolate. I got to see how some people in Belize live. I am so glad that my observation hours were complete, because that gave me the opportunity to actually provide therapy & I loved providing therapy. It was intimidating at first, but Mrs Carter and Mrs Winslow really helped me to be more confident by providing materials and toys for me to use and encouraging me and jumping in to help me when I needed help. Katie was awesome, she was able to provide guidance and information on the culture of Belize. She also did a great job capturing special and unique moments of the students. She provided me with the opportunity to eat authentic food and I had so many delicious dishes that I never tried, conch was one of those foods. Our bus driver Kenny was great, his sister cooked us delicious authentic chicken, hot tamales and we even had lunch at his sisters home one day. This trip was put together very well, so thumbs up to all coordinators. Students studying any type of therapy should definitely make the sacrifice to go. This trip was nothing short of amazing. I made so many great connection with the other students as well.

I enjoyed my experience with the Therapy Abroad Program. I was able to gain clinical experience and more cultural awareness. The Therapy Abroad Program provided many opportunities for me to grow, conquer my fears, and explore the county of Belize. I was able to observe and assist with Therapy Sessions. I also enjoyed the cultural experience. We went to Blue Creek Cave, toured an archeological site, and went to a local spice farm. Katie was an amazing director. She had a lot of knowledge about the country of Belize and made this trip fun. All of these opportunities allowed me to engage with a diverse group of people. I am truly grateful for this experience and I am so happy that I went!

This is my second trip with Therapy Abroad, and it was still as fun and exciting as the first! Everyone is so kind and generous. Working with the students here builds more character and clinical skills than a simulation or class can provide. I would recommend this trip to anyone who wants to see the world, work with amazing people, and grow in their clinical skills. These are memories I will keep close forever. If anyone is on the fence about going on this trip, take the leap of faith and have the time of your life!

During this past January I traveled with Illinois State University to Belize for 10 days. While we were there we went on several excursions and fully immersed ourselves into the diverse cultures of Belize. From zip lining, to cave tubing, to swimming with nurse sharks and string rays - we all had such a fun time. For the bulk of the time we spent in Belize, we were focused in San Ignacio working with clients across all ages. As an undergraduate, this was an incredible experience since I have not worked with diverse age groups of clients and with people with disabilities. Therapy Abroad does an incredible job with setting up the entire experience for us so that we don’t have to worry about transportation, housing, and most of our meals. I will always treasure the relationships I’ve built with every person we met and had the opportunity to begin to get to know. If only we had more time to continue doing such amazing work! This was truly an experience of a lifetime and I would recommend to anyone looking for a diverse experience!

This experience was truly the best experience of my life. I would have never done anything like this in my life if it wasn't for therapy abroad. I've traveled out of the country before, but this was different in the best way. The number of activities and excursions they plan for you with your time there is incredible. We did so much in 10 days I felt like I was gone for a month. I knew we would see different cultures and learn about them, but we were very embedded into the culture there from food, to music, to presentations, and more. I loved learning about this and now I am able to bring this knowledge into my clinic back at school. The clients I have connected with are people I will never forget. Making a difference in their lives in just a few shorts days is incredible. I will never stop thinking about this trip and I recommend everyone to go!

Therapy Abroad helped create the most amazing and educational trip I have ever been on. From the extracurricular activities we were able to go on to the therapy and people we were able to work with, Therapy Abroad made sure every aspect went above and beyond our expectations. I met and worked with people and facilities I will never forget. I gained a different perspective to life from cultural responsiveness and appreciate to the clinical skills. I gained experiences I would never be able to any where else. Therapy abroad created a program to help students learn and grow as people and future clinicians. On top of that, they’re hospitality and willingness to help others was extra bonus to the beauty of this trip.

I have been back now for three days and I am still reminiscing my time in Belize. I can’t stop going over all of the different clinical experiences and excursions we were able to experience. Doing therapy abroad made me a more confident clinician, a faster report writer, and a more well rounded clinician. I was able to build my clinical skills up in Belize and see a handful of clients, but I was also able to strengthen skills I already had. I could not recommend going on Therapy Abroad more to anyone.