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Public & Global Health

Are you ready to make a difference? You will find an opportunity for true global citizenry and cultural exchange in these life-changing programs. Work with children in Rio's favelas, study global health or sustainability in the deserts of Israel, and more.

Explore featured programs in: 

Australia & Solomon Islands: Pacific Island Environmental & Community Health  
Engage firsthand with current development questions in two incredible centers of education: The University of Queensland and Solomon Islands National University. After 6 weeks in Queensland, Australia, move to the Solomon Islands for 5 weeks. Gain valuable field research methodologies and skills across diverse and fragile ecosystems, explore urban and rural development approaches, and see firsthand the impact on public health as you engage with local students and remote communities. In the last phase of the program, you will have an opportunity to develop and propose plans to address the challenges you observe. 
 
 

Botswana: University of Botswana
The capital of Gaborone is one of Africa’s fastest-growing cities where traditional culture and modern global influences intersect. A special track in community public health focuses on public and environmental health issues in Botswana, both within the classroom and in service to the local community. Analyze HIV/AIDS prevention, environmental issues, nursing, and more. Includes an internship in a local health clinic. Cultural activities and excursions include a week-long homestay in a rural village and trips to the Gaborone Game Reserve, National Museum, and Okavango Delta.
 
 

Brazil: Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, called the “Marvelous City,” is a stunning world metropolis amid tropical beaches, sweeping mountains, and diverse Amazon ecosystems. At the highly-ranked PUC-Rio, you may pursue a number of unique opportunities for independent studies and volunteer service projects while taking courses in your major. A hands-on community development class will introduce you to a number of favelas where you may work with local youth teaching English or Spanish, research social topics, and/or gain career experience at a local NGO. See also student experiences in Rio [Video]. 

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Chile: Chilean Universities
Santiago, Chile has for many years been an important center for public and private organizations devoted to health and development. Through UCEAP’s internship placements, you may work hands-on with women’s health organizations, indigenous health issues, construction of housing in underserved areas, environmental agencies, Christian social agencies, and many others as a complement to your courses in development studies, economics, social work, or other social sciences.

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Dominican Republic: Community Public Health, Santiago 
Experience seven life-changing weeks this summer in Santiago, a commercial and cultural hub about an hour from the coast. This is a unique opportunity to interact with local patients and medical professionals in a health practicum and clinical rotation, improve your Spanish language living with a Dominican family, and study pre-professional topics such as preventive medicine, development, and health management in the Spanish Caribbean.
Summer class studies and guided site visits are combined with rewarding experiences helping under-served communities.
 


Ghana: Summer in Ghana, Accra
Spend a summer abroad in Ghana and enrich your understanding of this unique African nation, its warm and welcoming people and artistic and colorful culture. This exciting new program combines intensive seminars with hand-on service projects. Choose a specialized track in Contemporary Public Health in Ghana or Gender and Development with a focus on Agriculture. Each track includes field work in rural Ghanaian villages with the opportunity to provide basic health care and hygiene, develop sustainable agricultural practices, provide access to clean water, and promote empowerment and education.
 

Ghana: University of Ghana, Accra
Accra, rated a top destination in 2013 by the New York Times, is Ghana’s capital and home to Africa's fastest-growing economy. As you witness West Africa’s emerging dichotomies and progressive social agenda, you may pursue exceptional internships and community engagement projects with special opportunity to learn about development. Independent research projects are available in  topics from public health to renewable energy, education, and women’s rights. Past participants have founded nonprofit organizations, published their research, and left a legacy of their contributions at NGOs.


Israel: Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Nestled just a train ride away from the major tourist centers, you will enjoy an authentic Israeli student experience at Ben-Gurion University in Be’er Sheva, a world leader in sustainability research, environmental studies, global health, and Israel studies. Take specialized tracks in Global Health or Sustainable Development and Environment. You may achieve nearly two quarters’ worth of UC credit in just one semester. Conduct primary research on the founding of the nation of Israel in the Ben-Gurion archives, address sustainability challenges, and apply global health education both in and out of class through hands-on field work in local clinics. 
 

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Mexico: Family & Community Health, Mexico City & Oaxaca City
Spend spring quarter in two locations—the vibrant and metropolitan capital, Mexico City, and the captivating, cultural city in southern Mexico, Oaxaca. You will start in Mexico City taking courses on various themes of global health such as reduction of poverty; family, maternal, or infant health; treatment and prevention of chronic disease; climate change; access to clean air and water; cultural perceptions of disease; and other social and environmental aspects of health. While in Oaxaca, you will work with NGOs including Child Family Health International (CHFI) and see firsthand the social conditions that prevail in local communities and efforts to improve them. The opportunity to live with host families in both cities will help you develop your Spanish skills and offer insight into the culture and daily life of each community. 

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Mexico: Field Research, UC Center Mexico City 
Get out of the classroom and conduct field research on a global or public health topic that interests you! You will begin in Mexico City taking a course on Mexican culture and society and Spanish language. During those first six weeks you will draft your project proposal and meet with potential mentors who are knowledgeable scholars from various universities around Mexico. Based on your project, they will help you choose your next study destination: Mexico City, Yucatan, Chiapas, Oaxaca or Querétaro. For the remainder of the program, the mentor from your research location will guide your investigation as you immerse yourself in the local community and culture and learn how to conduct high-quality research. This program is a unique and unforgettable opportunity to learn and do academic research—a skill that will distinguish you from most other undergraduate students! 

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New Zealand: Sustainability, Sciences and 
Environmental Management
Make an important difference to the planet at a university renowned for excellence in environmental and resource studies. Known widely for its movie-like landscapes, the compact islands of New Zealand offer a paradise for anyone interested in nature conservation and the science of ecology. Courses, which are firmly anchored in the needs and issues of the real world, focus in three distinct areas: Sciences, Environmental Management and Planning, or Landscape Architecture.

Designed for students with interests in pre-med, community studies and public health, this exciting new program combines language, culture, and health courses with fieldwork and lab-based activities. Two week-long excursions will take you to community health facilities at rural border sites between Thailand and Myanmar to observe firsthand medical services and challenges.
 
 
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