LearnServe Abroad

Global to Local

A LearnServe trip is a life-changing experience.  More than a “study abroad” or “three-week tour,” LearnServe’s programs in Zambia, Paraguay, and Jamaica are active, engaging, and rigorous – intellectually, culturally, and physically.  Students and teachers experience the realities of day-to-day life through peer exchanges and collaborative work with community-based organizations.

Participants engage directly with the challenges of poverty, HIV/AIDS, education disparities, and environmental degradation.  They return home to share what they have learned with their schools and motivate their school communities to donate funds, supplies, and other support to communities abroad.

“I have been able to step outside of my daily life. I appreciate education more and the importance to commit.”

—LearnServe Zambia 2011 Student

How it Works

Each fall LearnServe selects 50 students and teachers from nearly 30 public, private, and charter participating high schools across the DC area.  Travelers meet monthly throughout spring semester to prepare for their summer journey: learning about their host country, reviewing the dynamics of international development, practicing cross-cultural communication, and collecting funds and supplies to donate.

Participants spend three weeks in country, participating in service projects designed and organized by local host organizations.  They experience first-hand how a concerted effort can make a powerful difference in people’s lives.  Following the trip, each student and teacher team prepares and implements an action plan to raise awareness about and funds for the communities they served.

2012 Summer Schedule

In 2012 LearnServe teams will travel to Zambia, Paraguay, and Jamaica.  The three-week trips will depart late June; pre-travel training sessions occur monthly on Sunday afternoons throughout spring semester.