Columbia

From July 29-August 13, students will travel to Colombia to deepen their understanding of leadership as it relates to the last line of Deerfield’s mission statement and the pillars of the Center for Service and Global Citizenship. During this program, students will  have the opportunity to meet with local leaders of non-profits who are environmental activists, community leaders and tourism industry representatives who will share with us valuable positions and arguments of the past, present and future and the implications that they are seeing from environmental, social and economic perspectives. In addition, students will engage in a multi-day design challenge with local peers from Colegio Los Nogales, and then set off on a 6-day trek to the Lost City in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a region of the country that the Kogui Indigenous community calls “The Heart of the World.” Throughout the journey, students will have the opportunity to enjoy the breathtaking natural beauty of the location and engage in multiple reflections and discussions, explore the view of the world of indigenous communities and have meaningful cross cultural interactions with the locals that coordinate in the field. This trip is open to all current 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students with a preference towards those with a demonstrated interest in leadership, global studies, environmental stewardship, and service.

Students who are accepted to this program must commit to attending pre-trip seminars in the spring term, complete approximately 20 hours of online coursework over the summer, and design and implement a service project in their hometown before departing on their trip.