Mexico
Study Abroad Summer 2013
Loyola University School of Social Work is creating ways to better prepare our students for practice with immigrant communities. For the past six years, Loyola University Chicago students have been involved in intensive field placements with the people and communities of Chiapas. These field-work placements have challenged students to apply classroom knowledge to real-life situations. Placements will be offered in San Cristobal which best known for the Zapatista movement's influence. The city is infused with indigenous groups, particularly of Mayan descent. San Cristobal is filled with rich culture and history and is very international, with much Western European influence. Placements will also be offered in Tapachula, Chiapas a city near the Mexico/Guatemala border. This is a very Mexican city with many organizations dedicated to migrant and human rights work.
The School of Social Work will be offering two courses in Mexico City: SOWK 733 and SOWK 612. Students are required to enroll in both courses. Students are invited to participate in the coursework and/or the internship.
All students studying abroad must complete a general application. Those who wish to complete the field placement must submit a supplemental application and participate in an interview. In order to be accepted for a field placement, students must have at least a conversational level of Spanish. Please see below for more program details.
*Information subject to change.
COURSEWORK | MEXICO CITY
STUDENTS REQUIRED TO ENROLL IN BOTH COURSES
*If you have already taken SOWK 612 you can sign up for an independent study-SOWK 690. Please email jmartone@luc.edu and mlundy@luc.edu
SOWK 612: Family Assessment and Intervention, focus on the Mexican Family: taught by Dr. Marta Lundy. This is a 3-credit social work elective.
Description: This course examines different theoretical approaches to assessment and intervention with families, with an exclusive focus on immigrant Mexican families and transnational families with extended family in Mexico. The focus will be on interpersonal interaction patterns, intergenerational interactions and expectations, and systems rather than on individual feelings and behaviors, although those aspects of working with family members are not excluded. Different models of family therapy will be described, applied to case problems, compared with other models and/or theories, and evaluated for their utility and effectiveness.
AND
SOWK 733: North American Migration Dynamics: Challenges, Opportunities, and Alternatives: taught by Dr. Maria Vidal de Haymes (Loyola). This is a 3-credit migration elective.
Description: This course will be team-taught and will incorporate site visits and multiple interdisciplinary guest lectures from faculty from the Universidad Iberoamericana and social workers from the Mexican public and private human services sector. The class will provide an opportunity for both Iberoamericana and Loyola students to come together to study migration related issues affecting our respective countries and shared continent. Specifically, the course will focus on central themes concerning the opportunities as well as challenges to fundamental social institutions presented by the contemporary migration dynamics and polices of North America. The course will be organized around several major migration themes of concern to North America.
PRE-REQUISITES
In you are an undergraduate student or non-social work graduate student please email the professors at: mlundy@luc.edu and mvidal@luc.edu
DATES OF TRIP
Sunday, May 12- Saturday May 25, 2013
LOCATION
Mexico City, Mexico
SCHEDULE
Sunday May 12th: Students arrive in Mexico City
Monday May 13th: Class Day
Tuesday May 14th: Class Day
Wednesday May 15th: FIELD TRIP to La Patrona (overnight trip, 3 days)
Thursday May 16th: FIELD TRIP
Friday May 17th: FIELD TRIP
Saturday May 18th: Free Day
Sunday May 19th: Class Day
Monday May 20th: Class Day
Tuesday May 21st: Class Day
Wednesday May 22nd: Free Day
Thursday May 23rd: Class Day
Friday May 24th: Class Day
Saturday, May 25th: Students can leave Mexico
Students can arrive before May 12th or stay after the 25th. If you would like to do this please email jmartone@luc.edu.
SITES OF INTEREST
There will be a 3-day overnight field trip to La Patrona, a migrant community. There students will assist the women of the community in preparing food and delivering it to the migrants who are traveling on freight trains through Mexico to reach the US. Other site visits are being arranged and more information will be given at future meetings.
In addition, students will have one day of site seeing in Mexico on the hop on and off tour bus visiting important historical and cultural sites, and one additional free day to see the city.
PROGRAM FEES
$1000
Includes housing at Casa Emaus, breakfast, lunch, local transportation, field trips, site seeing trips, and group reception
DEPOSIT
OTHER FEES
Airline ticket, dinners, health insurance, and tuition.
FIELD WORK | CHIAPAS, MEXICO
FIELD WORK DESCRIPTION
There will be 3-day orientation in Mexico City, followed by a two-month placement in: 1) San Cristobal, Chiapas or 2) Tapachula, Chiapas
Placements will be coordinated by Loyola and Iberoamericana University in Mexico. At a minimum, students should have a conversational level of Spanish. Students can take Spanish classes at UNAM in Chicago during the spring semester in order to prepare for summer. Loyola students will work and/or live with students from Mexico who are completing their social service and students from Washington DC who will be doing internships. Placement options will be arranged by Loyola and Ibero faculty to place students based on their interests and level of Spanish (exs: working with children, indigenous teen groups, migrant shelters, human rights, indigenous street children, etc.)
Housing: Students will be assisted by Loyola and Ibero to secure housing. Cost is approximately $250/per month for a bedroom in a furnished apartment or house. Housing cannot be finalized until the group is finalized. Price may or may not include utilities.
Meals: Are on your own. Students can buy food and cook at apartment or eat at local restaurants.
Supervision: A Loyola faculty member will be at the orientation. Iberoamericana faculty will check in on students throughout the summer. A Loyola staff member will check in on student during the first month of their placements in Chiapas and students will have contact with Loyola by phone and email and through reflections. Students will also have a local site supervisor at placement.
PROGRAM FEE
$450
DEPOSIT
OTHER FEES
Airline ticket to Mexico City, orientation in Mexico City, transportation from orientation to Chiapas, housing including utilities, local transportation, food, leisure, health insurance. All fees (other than program fee) paid directly by student, not to Loyola.
FIELD WORK DATES
Tuesday, May 21- Friday, August 2, 2013
IMPORTANT DATES FOR COURSES AND FIELD
APPLICATION, DEPOSIT, PAYMENT AND ENROLLMENT DATES
Dec. 13th: Last day to submit applications for field (this includes the general abroad app and the field specific app)
Dec. 6th, 11th & 14th: Interviews for students who want to do the field placement in Mexico (see more info below)
Dec. 20th: Students will be notified if they have been accepted in the field internship program
Jan 14th: Deposits due for courses and field AND general abroad app due for students signing up for coursework.
Feb 28th: Final payments due for courses and field. Students must be enrolled in LOCUS for courses and field by this date.
MEETING DATES FOR COURSES
Sunday, April 7th, 2013: 1stprep session for students enrolled in summer courses in Mexico. Will be held at WTC.
Sunday, April 14th, 2013: 2nd prep session for students enrolled in summer courses in Mexico. Will be held at WTC.
*Students will be required to attend a meeting on international travel during the spring of 2013, the date is tbd.
MEETING DATES FOR FIELD
Students will participate in several sessions to prepare for the internship experience. Once the group is finalized the dates will be set.
Application Materials
General Study Abroad Application
Mexico Field Application 2013
INTERVIEWS
All students who wish to complete their field placement in Mexico must be interviewed. Available times are below. Please email Jessica Martone to schedule an interview. Please note that a portion of the interview will be in Spanish.
Thursday Dec 6, 2012:
1) 1:00pm-1:30pm
2) 1:45pm- 2:15pm
3) 2:30pm-3:00pm
Tuesday Dec 11,2013:
1) 12:00pm-12:30pm
2) 12:45pm- 1:15pm
3) 1:30pm-2:00pm
4) 2:15pm-2:45pm
5) 3:00pm-3:30pm
Friday Dec 14, 2012:
1) 12:30pm-1:00pm
2) 1:15pm- 1:45pm
Please submit all applications to Jessica Martone: Electronic applications should be submitted to jmartone@luc.edu. Hard copies can be turned into to Jessica at Lewis Towers #1240.
Pictures from previous Mexico study abroad trips.
For questions and to RSVP for info sessions email Jessica Martone: jmartone@luc.edu