Go Overseas with VIA

I had the fortune of participating in VIA's 8-week program during the summer of 2015. Our group of 7 U.S. and 7 local university students had the opportunity to live and carry out extended service projects together in Jogjakarta, Indonesia. From the beginning to the end, our experience was designed in a way that maximized service learning, fun, and personal growth.

During the first two weeks of the program, we took part in language classes at Gadjah Mada University and spent our free time exploring the city and orienting ourselves. Our Indonesian friends and the VIA staff showed us all of their favorite spots, neighborhoods, and restaurants!

For the rest of the trip we completed our service projects and continued language lessons with private tutors. The VIA staff worked hard to place us in organizations whose work lined up with our personal interests. Students in our group volunteered with planned parenthood, microfinance groups, education nonprofits, and a youth-run arts cooperative, just to name a few. I taught dance classes at a halfway house for recovering drug users and individuals with mental health concerns. Once a week, we got together as a big group and shared highlights, experiences, and general reflections with one another over dinner.

On the weekends we went on small excursions together. One weekend we went to Borobudur and Prambanan, another weekend we went on a tubing/beach retreat, and towards the end of the program, VIA even helped us plan a trip to Bali! For me, one of my biggest cultural highlights was experiencing Ramadan and celebrating Eid with the participants from all of VIA's programs!

I wholeheartedly encourage everyone reading this to apply for the program! This was easily one of my most memorable life experiences.