Maymester in Mexico

• All students will enroll in CI 497A: Language, Culture and Community-Based Learning (2 credits) in the second half of Spring (7 weeks) semester and CI 497N: Maymester in Mexico: Language, Culture and Community-Based Learning (2 credits) for the summer course in Mexico.
• Spring course - CI 497N: (2 credits) 
• March 11 – April 26, 2024  (M & W online synchronous schedule, 6:00-7:30pm, 7 weeks)
• This course will be offered in a blended format (online and in-person) with a Saturday (April 6, 9:00-4:00pm) session at the University Park campus. The course will explore foundational concepts related to second language learning and intercultural interactions and establish a social justice orientation. We will begin working with our Mexican student partners online.
• Summer course - CI 497N: (2 credits)
• May 9- June 2, 2024 (3 weeks)
• This interdisciplinary course offered onsite in Oaxaca will touch on interdisciplinary areas of study, including second language learning, bilingual and English language education, indigenous knowledge, anthropology, women’s studies, immigration, and sociology. It will also make connections to sustainability among languages, cultures, and the natural world. The focus will be hands-on experiential learning, collaborating with Mexican people and communities for greater awareness and self-knowledge of cultural, linguistic, and gendered identities, sustainability, and border/migration issues.

• Classroom language instruction will be an integral part of the program, but there is no
  prerequisite or minimum level of Spanish or Zapotec language proficiency. Participants will be taught according to their level and linguistic needs.
• Students will engage directly with their Mexican university student counterparts online and in Mexico in translingual interactions (use of multiple languages).
• Day-long and weekend excursions to archeological sites, sustainability projects and indigenous communities are built into the program
• Collaborative research and community advocacy projects will broaden experience with multilingual communication.
• A homestay with a Mexican family will allow cultural exploration of one’s own cultural framework.

The Maymester in Mexico program is open to students from all campuses, schools, and fields of study.

The program is interdisciplinary in design to meet a range of student interests. There is no expectation of previous international experience nor Spanish-speaking proficiency. We are working to increase study abroad access for historically underrepresented students. These students may identify as LGBTQ+, students of color, from first-generation families at the university, or other categories of difference. The basic criteria for application:

• GPA of 2.5 or higher
• Will have completed two semesters of university study by summer of international experience
• No behavioral notations or incidents

(There is no expectation of Spanish language proficiency to be accepted to the program)

This program is supported by Penn State Global. Penn State Global offers partial scholarship to any student applying to study abroad. Please visit this site for more information. Additionally, many Colleges at Penn State offer financial support for students seeking summer engagement. Talk with your advisor or professors.

This program will have grant support from the Equal Opportunity Planning Committee (EOPC) at Penn State, which aims to promote greater equity for historically underrepresented/underserved groups within the University and/or those groups that have been historically targets of discrimination. Students from underrepresented backgrounds, including (but not limited to) students of color, LGBTQ+-identifying, dis/abilities, and/or first-generation groups, can apply for financial support to participate in this program. This scholarship can be applied to living costs and airfare. A supplemental form to complete to apply for this scholarship is on the application link below.

Applications are accepted on a rolling admission basis. As students complete their applications, they will be contacted by a faculty lead for a conversation and a chance to ask questions. (The first two-credit course of the program begins in the mid-Spring semester.) You will be registered for the course by the program upon acceptance, but please reserve space in your Spring schedule!  Please visit Penn State Global on the link below to apply using the online application.

• Application Period: October 16 - January 24
• You must apply to this program by the final deadline, January 24
• Students should begin the application process on this link which is located on the Education Abroad website. Apply Here!
• After application you will be contacted for an interview.
• You then have several weeks to commit to the program. 

Related Links

• Our partner University in Oaxaca, Mexico
• College of Education News: Mexican Trip to offer Students International Learning