A Surreal Experience

I would recommend this program to anyone studying a humanity, but especially to those interested in human rights work and social justice movements. This program connects you to some powerful folks in the community, and you create some meaningful connections with active members in the community working to change one of the many problems facing Chile due to an unfair constitution put into effect during the dictatorship (or maybe working to change the constitution itself). You also get to see the very north of Chile (Arica and Putre) and the south in and around Temuco; during those excursions, we learned about the Aymara (in the north) and the Mapuche (in the south). It is honestly such a crazy experience to be able to see such different ways of life, along with their philosophies in life and what they believe our universe is. If anything, this program is eye-opening and humbling; you get to do some community work as a group up in the hills of Valparaíso, meet incredible human rights activists working towards a better Chile, learn about the country's struggle to reconcile with its past, and above all, immerse yourself in rich, Chilean culture.

This program is for the curious, the ambitious, the motivated, and the wanderers seeking new adventures at every corner.

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Personally, I am half-Chilean, and I went to be able to study my family's experiences with the dictatorship. If you're reading this and also have Chilean roots, PLEASE consider going. Study abroad is often advertised as the student going to an unfamiliar place, but for me it was a chance to understand where I come from and seeing the full side to my family's history. Even if you're just a Latinx student, studying abroad in your own culture is something absolutely surreal, and life-changing for sure. Consider taking this chance to do it.