In the summer of 2019, Cabrini University expanded its study abroad program to Argentina with a six-week experience in Buenos Aires. The pilot program, which included two students from Cabrini and five students from the Universidad del Salvador, created a new model for study abroad by allowing blended groups of U.S. and international students to study in each other’s countries. American and Argentinian students and faculty spent three weeks at Cabrini, then three weeks at the Universidad del Salvador, with a focus on Spanish, issues of urban poverty and inequality, and service-learning experiences.
The Argentina pilot program received grant funding from the “Hundred Thousand Strong in the Americas” program, which fosters communication and student exchanges between U.S. and Latin American countries in order to build future leaders and international relationships. Although the grant funded only the first year, Dr. Paul Wright, assistant provost for International Affairs and Study Abroad Coordinator, hopes there will be enough interest to run the Argentina summer program again in 2020, and eventually to offer a semester-long experience there.
The Argentina pilot program received grant funding from the “Hundred Thousand Strong in the Americas” program, which fosters communication and student exchanges between U.S. and Latin American countries in order to build future leaders and international relationships. Although the grant-funded only the first year, Dr. Paul Wright, Provost for International Affairs and Study Abroad Coordinator, hopes there will be enough interest to run the Argentina summer program again in 2020, and eventually to offer a semester-long experience there.
For junior Sofia Domingot, whose mother is from Argentina, the program was a cultural homecoming of sorts. She enjoyed the rituals of mate (a social ritual with a tea made of yerba leaves passed in a communal cup) and weekend barbeques featuring the beef for which Argentina is famous.
“A lot of the food that I would have only once in a while at home was everyday food over there,” Sofia said. “So it was sort of like if my mom created her own world and I jumped into it.”
Sofia especially enjoyed the structure of the program that allowed the blended student group to learn and experience the culture in both countries, together.
“I think the greatest draw was that it was a sort of hybrid program,” Domingot said. “We got to show them what we loved [about our country], and they got to show us what they loved [about theirs], and it was just an equal transaction of culture.”
Although Domingot is a Spanish minor, a low intermediate level of Spanish language skill is all that is required for acceptance into the Argentina program, along with a minimum G.P.A. of 2.5. The program is open to all majors, not just those studying Spanish.
“The program is intentionally not directed at any particular major,” Wright said. “It’s meant to be a more general cultural experience that any student could take advantage of.”
Applicants also need to be aware of additional requirements set by the professors running the trips, such as academic year standing, and the financial aspects of enrolling. The fee for the 2020 Argentina summer program has not been set yet, but Wright intends to keep the total cost under $2,000. Scholarship opportunities are available for students in the honors program. Ideally, Wright would like every student to have the opportunity to experience study abroad.
“When you go abroad, you’re really forced to look at yourself and where you came from in profound new ways, and the experience will transform you almost always for the better,” Dr. Wright said. “The more study abroad you do, the more you realize how your horizons have been broadened, how your learning has deepened, and how your interests have expanded, and I think that’s something that can benefit any human being.”
Sofia Domingot would agree that her summer in Argentina did a lot more than improve her Spanish.
“I’ve grown a little bit more independent…because it was such a break out of my comfort zone to go to a different country on my own,” she said. “Coming back, I just took everything I learned and I’m running with it.”
Students interested in studying abroad should contact Wright at prw724@cabrini.edu for more details.
