Setting out for Independent Projects

Today, the final student takes off for the final step of the total immersion program: the independent project. Here at PICY, we put a lot of emphasis on this final stage. The independent project it is when the student is able to take all that they have learned during the time that they have been with us, and focus that knowledge and those strategies toward a specific topic that interests them. We have students setting off to fishing villages, to cities, to tiny pueblos, and headed to the farthest reaches of the state of Yucatan to study topics from the Mayan language, to midwifery, to wood carving. Each year we see a unique set of independent projects from a unique group of students. For an idea of what students have done in the past, here is an interactive map of student projects during the final stage of our total immersion program.

Before heading out on their independent journeys, each student completed and presented an ethnography as the final project for their culture class, Mayas of Yesterday and Today. We enjoyed hearing about a wide variety of topics, here are some images from presentation day!

Picking a name out of the jicara, who'll go first?

Galo sharing his experiences talking to folks who migrate to the city for work

Jay writing out some numbers about the implications of implementing and not implementing solar panels

Emma sharing her stories of talking with the owners and workers in cocinas economicas, home-style restaurants.

Making sure we keep a copy for our records! Emmanuel explains the social structures of Mayan society compared to modern society.

Nina gives us a look at the common knowledge of holistic health for women, including the beneficial properties of some plants such as yierba buena (mint).

Karla giving feedback and thank-you's to all who participated, it was a spectacular day!

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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