Final days of Orientation and meeting the Host Families

After our days of traveling to visit different places around the peninsula, it’s time for classes to begin!

Our academic classes go beyond the classroom, we give our students the tools they need to interact with local people and understand the cultural context. We provide the resources for them to discover and develop their own personal interests within this new culture.

At the same time that our classes started, we were able to marvel at one of the many archaeological ruins that still stands in Yucatan, this particular site has stelae (upright monuments containing information in the form of texts, images or a combination of the two) and the tomb of the zones most important leader, known as Ukit Kan Le´t Tok. We were also able to swim in the cenote, or natural well, in the community of Dzalbay. To reach the crystal blue water, we had to venture underground!

The food throughout our trip was amazing, and various families from the community known as “Black Jaguar” in the Mayan language shared food from their homes with us.

We also worked on the final details of the construction of our new classroom in the community of Yaxunah, where the majority of our program will take place. Without a doubt, the smell of fresh clay and guano will hold a special place in our memories!

And finally, the doors of PICY’s rural location in Yaxunah opened to welcome smiling local families who came to pick up their host kids. Among laughter, some nerves and a lot of excitement, they listened attentively to the plan for the coming days and weeks.

Our students had a hard time containing their excitement to meet their host families, too, and they even put together gift baskets for their families.

Before the students went off with their host families, we celebrated the birthdays of two people in our group to a chorus of “en un día feliz…”

The moment when host families meet their host kids is one of the most beautiful moments in the program. The mutual smiles say more than any words could ever convey. The arms reaching out and pulling in to a hug is all that is needed to say “bienvenidos a la familia”!

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...

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...

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...

Adventures in Yucatan, Mexico

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