A Children’s Village in Honduras Inspires New Study Abroad Vision

For years, the School of Social Work has taken students beyond Chicago through study abroad programs in Mexico, Beijing, and Rome, though some of those programs paused during the pandemic. As the school returns to Rome in summer 2027, Dean Patricia Findley, DrPH and faculty are looking ahead to what comes next, including a new opportunity for graduate and undergraduate students to travel to Honduras.

Last month, Dean Findley traveled with Professor Michael Dentato, PhD and a group of volunteers from across the U.S. to the Nuevo Paraíso Children’s Village, operated by the Sociedad Amigos De Los Niños in Honduras. The trip was organized by Saudade Global Pathways, a global education organization.

“After teaching our power, oppression, privilege, and social justice course for a number of years, I thought this might be a great opportunity to expand immersion learning and study abroad opportunities for our BSW and MSW students," Professor Dentato said.

Located about one hour outside the capital city of Tegucigalpa, Nuevo Paraíso is a rural community of homes, schools, medical, and activity centers founded more than sixty years ago by Sister María Rosa Leggol for children in Honduras. Sister María Rosa is also known as the ‘Mother Teresa of Central America.'

Dean Findley and Professor Dentato's schedule included several service-learning components, such as building concrete patios for clothes lines at several homes and organizing donations for the youth with the Nuevo Paraíso team. They also met with the mental health services team, toured the campus, played Bingo with the youth, roasted s’mores over a campfire, and hosted an ice cream social. Many of the children they met had experienced violence or trauma growing up or whose parents could no longer care for them.

The pair returned from the trip excited about the possibility of an SSW study abroad program at Nuevo Paraíso.

“The trip was incredibly productive, meaningful, and inspirational,” said Dean Findley. “There is so much opportunity for us to help Nuevo Paraíso meet their mission in serving the children of Honduras and the mental health professionals there, and it connects directly to our Jesuit mission as a school and university.”

Dean Findley and Professor Dentato now hope to connect with the Loyola Global Studies team to debrief on the trip and create a plan for implementation of the study abroad program. Collaborating with alumni and the Jesuit community could help make sure the program is sustainable and a success. They are also considering numerous inter-professional opportunities to include other schools at Loyola, including the Schools of Education, Nursing, and the Institute for Pastoral Studies.

Whether in Rome, Mexico, or Honduras, the goal remains the same: to give social work students the chance to learn alongside communities beyond Chicago and carry that perspective back into their practice. With Rome returning this summer and Honduras potentially on the horizon, the School of Social Work is working to make global learning a lasting part of the student experience, one rooted in the Jesuit call to serve others and pursue justice.