Crossing Borders

Program Description

CGEE programs offer a unique model of experiential programs, rooted in social justice, and focused on direct community engagement. Our Mexico programs offer optional Spanish-speaking internships opportunities.

The "Crossing Borders" program in Mexico is based in Cuernavaca, a city known for its perennial springtime (70-80 degrees), which is located about a 1 1/2 hours drive south of Mexico City. A city of more than one million, Cuernavaca is also known for its innovative grass-roots education programs, economic cooperatives, and base Christian communities inspired by liberation theology.

On the Crossing Borders program, students will learn about the history of Mexico and its culture, along with the program themes of gender roles and sexuality, immigration, U.S.-Mexico relations, human rights, intercultural communication, and Indigenous cosmovision.

Highlights

CGEE offers engaging conversations with the local community, including speakers such as: activists in the Mexican Movement for Peace, Justice, and Dignity; Feminist, queer, and postcolonial liberation theologians, pastors, priests, and nuns; members of minority religious groups in Mexico; and members of the LGBTQIA community, including some of the first gay and lesbian couples to marry in Mexico.

Spanish-speaking internship opportunities in the Cuernavaca community, along with our 30 year history in the region make CGEE a great choice for any student looking to truly gain an understanding of Mexico and its rich culture.

What`s Included

Two houses in Cuernavaca serve as a home base for most students. Four- to six- week homestays are an integral part of the academic program. Longer homestays are available upon request, as are lesbian- and gay-friendly homestays.

Regional travel within Mexico, including: a rural village with Nahua Indigenous community, Mexico City, a Monarch butterfly sanctuary, Oaxaca, Puebla, Taxco, Teotihuacan, Toluca, and the Nevado de Toluca volcano.