Getting to know (YU)catán

Our students moved in to their host families this past weekend! There were nerves and excitement from everyone - but mostly just excitement! After their first encounters the students were off with their Yucatecan families for the weekend.

Students spent the weekend getting acquainted with their new homes: they helped with the cooking, went to concerts, attended religious celebrations, and ate lots of new delicious food!

The host families are one of the most enriching parts of the immersion program. The connections made by sharing your lives, culture, and food together for the next two months is sure to leave unforgettable marks.

Bianca and her family.

Julia and her mom.

Halle and her mom.

An and his family.

Kira and her family.

Sahra and her family.

Ella and her family.

Emmanuelle and her family.

Thomas and his dad.

Petra and her mom.

Griffin and his family.

Morgan and her family.

Maxim and his mom.

Marina and her mom.

Students will live with their host families, attend holiday parties, go to church events, share meals, and do everything their families do throughout the program. By the end of which they will be a true member of the family.

We are so excited for all the experiences to come for our students and their families! We can’t wait to see what they do next!

Yaxunah: Our Days in the Pueblo

Before our next adventure began in the community of Yaxunah,Yaxcabá,Yucatán, we first visited the traditional pottery studio “Najil Kat” belonging to the family Espadas Xooc, in Uayma. Here, the students had the chance to explore the diverse materials and traditional techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation in this family of artists. With the help of Virgilio, we learned about the many types of local soil and clay that are mixed to make a diverse range of creations like vases, plates, mugs, toys, musical instruments, incense holders and more. As part of the workshop, each student sculpted their own little artistic creation, exploring their creativity and the skills necessary to work with the clay. Similar to the time spent in the city of Mérida, the families in Yaxunah are an invaluable aspect for the students to settle into the rhythm of everyday life. The arrival to Yaxunah marks the beginning of a beautiful new family relationship. Students can make s...

A Visit to the Coast and our Return to Merida

A Visit to the Coast and our Return to Merida Before beginning the next stage of our program in San Felipe, a small coastal community on the northern edge of the Yucatan Peninsula, we visited the Biosphere Reserve of Ria Lagartos for a boat tour of the estuary. During this tour, we learned about the importance of different types of mangroves, we saw the diverse species of migratory birds that arrive to nest in this region and we admired the endemic bird species that are a key part of the mangrove ecosystem. We also were lucky enough to see majestic groups of flamingos, different types of fishing eagles, herons, pelicans, cormorants, gulls, frigates, plovers and of course, the stars of the “Ria”, Morelet’s crocodiles! Once in the community of San Felipe, the process of meeting our new host families is always a clash of the nerves and excitement that are natural when entering into a completely new sociocultural context. Above all, it is a new opportunity to meet people with big hear...

Immersion Practicum and Ninth Intercultural Unversity Forum 2025

In the final part of the Yucatan Program, our students have the opportunity to complete their Spanish Language and Cultural Immersion Practicum while living in a community apart from the group for three weeks. At this point they get to put into practice everything they learned during the program, as well as getting to know another host family and interact with new people. During this span of three weeks, the students are visited by their professors to see that they are having a positive experience, and above all to make sure that they don't have any problems in developing their independent project, which they were later able to share with us along with their experiences in a presentation upon their return to Merida. Each student’s experience was unique. In Merida, Emmaline was able to help usher in new life through her experience in the birthing unit of a local hospital. On the coast, Drew and Theo discovered new ways of experimenting with their patience in the co...

Adventures in Yucatan, Mexico

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