Trip Destinations

Updated 9/26/24

Please note the dates for the Spring Break trips. The university Spring Break is March 2-8, 2025, while Stritch and the MSMP program’s Spring Break is March 9-16, 2025.

1-Week Spring Break Immersions, $1,000 individual fundraising goal:

The US-Mexico Border Immersion in conjunction with the School of Social Work will not run this year. In place of that ISI, please consider the Mexico City ISI with the School of Social Work.

Mexico City

March 2-8, 2025  

Open to all with these Spring Break dates 

Trip coordinated in conjunction with LUC School of Social Work faculty and students. 

This ISI focuses on central themes concerning opportunities as well as challenges that migration presents for fundamental social institutions in the region. The immersion incorporates site visits and multiple interdisciplinary guest lectures by various researchers from Mexican and Central American universities and research institutes, professionals from the public and private human services sector, advocacy organizations, and migrant leaders and migrant lead organizations in the Americas. More info to come!

*No language prerequisite, but basic Spanish is recommended.  

US-Mexico Border

March 2-8, 2025  

Open to all with these Spring Break dates

Facilitated by our community partner, CRISPAZ, this border immersion will be an educational immersion experience in which participants will learn about the lived reality of migrants at the border in Tucson, Arizona and Nogales, Mexico. Based in El Salvador, CRISPAZ exists to amplify the voices of those marginalized. Through the lens of El Salvador's Civil War, this immersion will analyze immigration including issues such as the impact of war, neo-liberal economics, U.S. foreign policy, migration, mining, the environment, and a tradition of liberating faith. Participants will learn directly from people doing the work at the border as well as migrants awaiting asylum interviews or preparing to connect with loved ones in the United States. A major focus of the encounter is to reflect on the meaning of working for justice rather than working for charity, understanding one’s role as a global citizen and humanizing the different issues that are present in our societies. 

 *No language prerequisite, but basic Spanish is recommended. 

Belize City, Belize 

March 9-15, 2025  

Open to all with these Spring Break dates

The Belize City immersion offers a unique experience that integrates cultural immersion in a country rich in Caribbean and Mayan history while supporting the right to housing for local residents and community members. Serving with long-time partner Hand in Hand Ministries, participants will participate in the building of a home in just one week – from start to finish – and will learn from and connect with local families. The ISI team will partake in key moments in the build, such as meeting the family who will live in the home, raising the home’s walls, and participating in the traditional house blessing. The ISI team will also gather for communal reflection and cultural learning on topics ranging from local outreach for those living with HIV/AIDS, Belize's response to COVID, health care delivery systems in Belize, and traditional forms of Belizean music and dance. 

*No language prerequisite.  

El Salvador

March 9-15, 2025  

Open to all with these Spring Break dates

The El Salvador Encounter through CRISPAZ is an educational immersion experience in which participants learn from the Salvadoran people about their lives, histories, and hopes for the future. A major focus of the encounter is to reflect on the meaning of working for justice rather than working for charity, understanding one’s role as a global citizen and humanizing the different issues that are present in our societies. Participants learn directly from Salvadorans about issues such as the impact of war, neo-liberal economics, U.S. foreign policy, migration, mining, the environment and a tradition of liberating faith all through a healthcare lens. The trip will also include meetings with Salvadoran medical professionals to learn from health care teams and public health educators to understand ongoing initiatives in a rural community. This educational immersion has a special emphasis on the voice and experience of the poor and marginalized of El Salvador.    

 *No language prerequisite, but basic Spanish is recommended. 

Summer dates are tentative and might change 1-2 days depending on travel arrangements and the availability of the group and our community partner. Please attend an info session for more details. 

1-Week Immersions, $1,000 individual fundraising goal: 

US-Mexico Border (El Paso, TX and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico) 

May 11-17, 2025  

Open to ABSN, Parkinson, & Graduate students 

Hosted by the Encuentro Project, this educational immersion experience provides opportunities for encounter and solidarity with migrants at the border. By providing education, service, activities, reflection, prayer and community, the Encuentro Project motivates participants to engage in peaceful, effective action for greater justice and compassion for migrants and refugee persons as presented in Catholic Social Teaching. Participants will encounter and minister to migrant, refugee, and vulnerable immigrant persons at shelters and parishes. The ISI delegation will hear from local organizations doing grassroots activism and providing legal advocacy and medical care to understand the complexities of migration patterns and pertinent factors. 

*No language prerequisite, but basic Spanish is recommended. 

Quito, Ecuador

1 Week between May 8 - May 17, 2025 

Open to ABSN students, Parkinson, & Graduate students

Join the tremendous work of the Center A Family of Families (Centro una Familia de Familias) in Quito, Ecuador. Their mission to accompany and educate began over 50 years ago as an effort to provide an employment alternative to shoeshine boys working in the streets. Today, the work of the center has grown to positively impact the lives of over 6,000 families, or over 30,000 individuals, through accompaniment of whole families, building educational opportunities, providing technical skill training, and community building through education and health initiatives. The ISI team will learn about daily life of the community as well as the intersection of community need and organized response. Participants will encounter local Family & Social Promoters who work with individuals and families on basic health practices and initiatives through home visits and educational sessions. There will also be opportunities hear from local physicians, physical therapists, or other health care providers as they respond to the health care needs of the community. 

*No language prerequisite, but basic Spanish recommended.

Quito, Ecuador

May 25 - June 1, 2025 

Open to SSOM, Parkinson, & Graduate students

Join the tremendous work of the Center A Family of Families (Centro una Familia de Familias) in Quito, Ecuador. Their mission to accompany and educate began over 50 years ago as an effort to provide an employment alternative to shoeshine boys working in the streets. Today, the work of the center has grown to positively impact the lives of over 6,000 families, or over 30,000 individuals, through accompaniment of whole families, building educational opportunities, providing technical skill training, and community building through education and health initiatives. The ISI team will learn about daily life of the community as well as the intersection of community need and organized response. Participants will encounter local Family & Social Promoters who work with individuals and families on basic health practices and initiatives through home visits and educational sessions. There will also be opportunities hear from local physicians, physical therapists, or other health care providers as they respond to the health care needs of the community. 

*No language prerequisite, but basic Spanish recommended.

Cuernavaca, Mexico  

June 1-8, 2025 

Open to SSOM, Parkinson, & Graduate students 

This ISI to Cuernavaca, Mexico, through Augsburg University’s Center for Global Education and Experience, will explore themes of health and healing by providing a glimpse into the daily lived experience of the community. Based out of a study center in Cuernavaca, ISI participants will hear from organizations and guest speakers about public health, indigenous and alternative healing practices, and health promotion. Leaning into the values of solidarity and simplicity, the ISI delegation will partake in a homestay for two nights in the community of Amatlán de Quetzalcóatl. Possible excursions include visiting hospitals, community clinics, women’s empowerment organizations, and more. More so, participants can expect to gain a fuller understanding of how immigration impacts the lives of Mexicans and how communities are responding to preserve and maintain their beautiful culture in the face of adversity and injustice. 

*No language prerequisite, but basic Spanish is recommended.

Pine Ridge, South Dakota  

June 8-15, 2025 

Open to SSOM, & Parkinson students 

This immersion invites students to learn about the Oglala Lakota, their culture, their spiritual tradition, the impact of history and geography on contemporary life, and contemporary challenges, including health care. This trip consists of conversations with tribal leaders, including spiritual leaders, nurses, educators, pastors, counselors; visit to historical sites, including Wounded Knee, White Clay, the Badlands, and the Black Hills; tour of the Indian Health Service Hospital; Sunday Mass in the tribal church and lunch with the congregation.  

*No language prerequisite. 

10 to 12-Day Immersions, $1,100 individual fundraising goal: 

El Salvador and US-Mexico Border 

10 to 12 Days between May 27 - June 8, 2025 

Open to SSOM, Parkinson, & Graduate Students 

This immersion invites participants to follow the path of a Central American migrant by starting in El Salvador and then traveling to the US-Mexico Border. For the first part of the experience, the El Salvador Encounter through CRISPAZ is an educational immersion experience in which participants learn from the Salvadoran people about their lives, histories, and hopes for the future. A major focus of the encounter is to reflect on the meaning of working for justice rather than working for charity, understanding one’s role as a global citizen and humanizing the different issues that are present in our societies. Participants learn directly from Salvadorans about issues such as the impact of war, neo-liberal economics, U.S. foreign policy, migration, mining, the environment and a tradition of liberating faith all through a healthcare lens. The trip will also include meetings with Salvadoran medical professionals to learn from health care teams and public health educators to understand ongoing initiatives in a rural community. The immersion then continues to the US-Mexico Border where participants will visit migrant shelters and learn from various migrant justice and advocacy organizations, such as COFAMIDE, No More Deaths, and Hogar de Esperanza y Paz. 

*No language prerequisite, but basic Spanish is recommended. 

Guatemala

May 8-17, 2025 

Open to ABSN, Parkinson, & Graduate Students 

Facilitated and organized by Augsburg University Center for Global Education and Experience, this immersion in Guatemala focuses on meanings and expressions of health, illness, care, and healing through a transcultural lens. Exploring health as a human right, students will begin to name and bear witness to structures of injustice and health inequities within the context of post-civil war Guatemala. Students are offered a wide variety of experiences to learn from the indigenous Maya how health and healing are threatened by social structures or sustained in community. In addition, students experience traditional Mayan healing rituals and hear stories of the strategies the poor employ to create health in communities and fair access to health resources. Through visits to museums, hospitals, nonprofit organizations, and historical sites, participants will immerse themselves in the culture of Guatemala and learn about its approach to health and wellbeing. 

*No language prerequisite, but basic Spanish is recommended. 

2-Week Immersions, $1,250 individual fundraising goal: 

Palacios, Bolivia

May 25 - June 8 or 9, 2025 

Open to SSOM students 

The majority of this immersion is spent in a rural clinic, Centro Medico Susan Hou. Founded in 2001 by Loyola nephrologist, the late Dr. Susan Hou, her husband, Northwestern endocrinologist Dr. Mark Molitch, and Bolivian endocrinologist, Dr. Douglas Villaroel, CMHP serves over 3,000 patients annually through clinic visits, surgical campaigns, deparatization programs, and emergency care resources. Participants at this site receive exposure to clinical flow and care provided in CMHP, having the opportunity to participate with daily clinic operations such as assisting in the lab or pharmacy, patient intake, observing physicians, and practicing patient interview skills in Spanish. Students may also work with the network of Community Health Promoters and give health education presentations at local schools. While in Palacios, students stay in a home on the clinic property and are immersed in the daily-life routines of the surrounding community. 

*Advanced or fluent Spanish is a prerequisite for participation. 

Quito, Ecuador

May 25 - June 8 or 9, 2025 

Open to SSOM & Parkinson students 

Join the tremendous work of the Center A Family of Families (Centro una Familia de Familias) in Quito, Ecuador. Their mission to accompany and educate began over 50 years ago as an effort to provide an employment alternative to shoeshine boys working in the streets. Today, the work of the center has grown to positively impact the lives of over 6,000 families, or over 30,000 individuals, through accompaniment of whole families, building educational opportunities, providing technical skill training, and community building through education and health initiatives. The ISI team will learn about daily life of the community as well as the intersection of community need and organized response. Participants will encounter local Family & Social Promoters who work with individuals and families on basic health practices and initiatives through home visits and educational sessions. There will also be opportunities hear from local physicians, physical therapists, or other health care providers as they respond to the health care needs of the community. 

*Conversational to advanced Spanish is a prerequisite for participation.  

4–5-week immersions, $1,500 individual fundraising goal: 

Quito, Ecuador

May 25-mid-June, 2025

Open to SSOM and Parkinson students

Join the tremendous work of the Center for Working Families (Centro una Familia de Familias) in Quito, Ecuador. Their mission to accompany and educate began over 50 years ago as an effort to provide an employment alternative to shoeshine boys working in the streets. Today, the work of the center has grown to positively impact the lives of over 6,000 families, or over 30,000 individuals, through accompaniment of whole families, building educational opportunities, providing technical skill training, and community building through education and health initiatives. The ISI team will learn about daily life of the community as well as the intersection of community need and organized response. Participants will encounter local Family & Social Promoters who work with individuals and families on basic health practices and initiatives through home visits and educational sessions. There will also be opportunities hear from local physicians, physical therapists, or other health care providers as they respond to the health care needs of the community.  

* Conversational to advanced Spanish is a prerequisite for participation. 

Santiago, Dominican Republic

July 1-24, 2025 

Open to SSOM students 

Our Dominican Republic immersion builds on a Jesuit partnership with the Institute for Latin American Concern (ILAC) affiliated with Creighton University. The ILAC Center, now over 40 years old, is located just outside of the city of Santiago. The ISI team will receive an orientation into the socioeconomic, political, and cultural history of the country. Through ILAC’s collaborations with Chronic Care International (CCI), participants will learn about the care provided through the ILAC network in the villages surrounding Santiago while staying with local families. With CCI, participants will hear about the growing need for, as well as complex challenges presented by, chronic care in lower resourced settings through learning from health promoters and providers who address the epidemic of chronic disease in the international setting. Participants will partner with CCI and their team of health promoters to understand the health education and chronic care prevention and management they carry out in local campos. In addition, the ISI team may provide public health presentations for the Diabetic Clinic and local schools. 

*Near fluency in Spanish is a prerequisite for participation.