Dragons 2019 Catalog: Summer & Gap Year Programs

SUMMER & GAP YEAR PROGRAMS | 2019-20 THE LEADER IN CROSS-CULTURAL + EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION SINCE 1993

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Cover: A well-deserved day for rest and reflection during a hike through the Himalayas of North India. Christina Rivera Cogswell This spread: Students welcome the rising sun with a celebration on Laguna Chilata in the Cordillera Real, Bolivia. Ryan Gasper

MAPMAKERS ON C E D R E W D R AGON S TO R E PR E SE NT L A NDS UNKNOW N. BOLD EXPLORER S W HO VE N T U R E D BE YON D T HE M AP ’ S E D G E W E R E SA I D TO G O “ W HE R E T HE R E BE D R AGON S.” WE GO THERE...

will you?

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Each June, Dragons flies staff in from over 15 different countries to participate in a two week intensive training and staff orientation in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Justin Kiersky

WHO WE ARE W E A R E A N I N T E R N AT I O N A L CO M M U N I T Y Dragons offers small group, custom-crafted travel programs for high school, Gap, and college students in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Our students are led by the best educators in the industry to develop an understanding of critical global issues through immersive travel, meaningful engagement, and empowered student leadership. Over the past three decades, our work has created a global community representing 6 continents, over 30 countries, and countless languages, villages, NGOs, religions, host families, perspectives, and stories. We are united by a mission of nurturing empathy and understanding across borders through authentic cultural exchange. Our goal is to help students develop the self-awareness and cross-cultural competencies to be active participants in the world.

L EAD I N G T HE WAY FO R 2 5 + Y E A R S

W E ARE BO LD E DU CATO RS

WE ARE ALL STUDENTS

Dragons has over 25 years of experience guiding groups

Our staff speak in local dialects and bring deep cultural

As experiential educators, we recognize the value of

and managing risk in the context of international

fluency and expert facilitation skills to our programs.

getting dirty for the sake of discovery. We are excited to

education. In addition to a history of partnerships with

When not guiding with Dragons, our instructors are graduate

explore the road less-travelled and intrigued by the questions

over 50 esteemed schools and universities, our staff have

students, returned Peace Corps Volunteers, U.N. development

encountered along the way. As we journey, we ask reflective

facilitated international and domestic training programs

professionals, veteran wilderness guides, and career

questions about who we are, where we come from, and how

specifically for teachers and faculty for a decade. We’ve

teachers. We believe that future leaders will be required to

those inherent perspectives and power dynamics weave

established crucial risk management relationships with

think beyond borders in order to cultivate a more inclusive,

us together. We support our students as they lean into

International SOS, key locally-based safety and security

collaborative, and just future. We are fueled by a mission

challenge. And as instructors, we ask ourselves, at every turn,

officials, and a global network of reputable health care

to create positive change and pull off feats of educational

how we can be better teachers and more compassionate

professionals and hospitals. For more facts on our

acrobatics in remote cross-cultural settings because we love

human beings. We carefully observe, collectively explore, and

institutional reputation and integrity, please flip to page 63.

what we do.

partner with students in a process of discovery.

W E H O P E T H I S C ATA LO G H E L P S YO U G E T TO K N OW U S . . .

About Dragons

Programs

Resources

WHAT WE DO

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PROGRAM COMPARISON CHART

14-15

BEYOND SUMMER & GAP PROGRAMS

62

WHY IS A DRAGONS PROGRAM RIGHT FOR YOU?

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ASIA SUMMER

16-33

NOTES ON SAFETY

63

DYNAMIC COURSE DESIGN OUR PROGRAM COMPONENTS

11 12-13

LATIN AMERICA SUMMER

34-41

MEET A FEW OF OUR INSTRUCTORS

AFRICA SUMMER

42-47

QUOTES FROM DRAGONS ALUMNI

66

GAP YEAR SEMESTERS

48-61

NEXT STEPS

67

W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

64-65

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There is wisdom in turning as often as possible from the familiar to the unfamiliar; it keeps the mind nimble; it kills prejudice; and it fosters humor." — S A N T AYA N A

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The Himalayas greet a group of Dragons students trekking through Nepal. Amrit Ale

W H AT W E D O A N D H OW W E D O I T D I F F E R E N T LY AUTHEN T I C I M M E R S IO N

ETH ICAL TRAVE L

On course, we learn by doing. We travel like locals, live with families, apprentice with artists,

Responsible travel is environmentally conscientious, culturally self-aware, and focused on

and learn from scholars, factory workers, sages, and community leaders alike. Our goal is

developing mutually meaningful connections with local communities. We approach each

to connect participants to a direct experience of a different place through hands-on

program component and host community with respect and the humility to listen first.

meaningful engagement. We value language learning and homestays for their essential

We advocate for longer-term programming and smaller groups to reduce our ecological and

roles in opening doors to experiences in which students can listen, empathize, and learn. We

cultural footprints. And we don’t shy away from—but actively engage with—the complex

embrace a leadership model of leading-from-behind, such that participants follow their own

themes of learning service, neocolonialism, and global citizenship that arise in a group

questions and curiosity.

dynamic that encourages critical reflection.

DY NAM I C CO URS E DE S I GN

S MALL G RO U PS & P R OFESSI ONAL I NST R UC TOR S

Dragons itineraries are flexible to create space for unscripted, serendipitous, and candid

Mentorship matters. A typical Dragons group consists of 12 students and 3 instructors. This

moments of surprise and discovery. The world is constantly changing and we believe our

4:1 student-to-instructor ratio ensures that each participant receives individual support and

programs should too. Each program has an intentionally crafted structure, yet a dynamic

personalized challenge. The intimate group dynamic of a small cohort fosters deep dialogue

itinerary allows the group to be responsive to unique realities and opportunities as they arise.

and an inclusive group spirit that builds alumni friendships that last a lifetime. We work

Backpacks, not roller bags, are on the packing list because it’s a novel combination of gravel

with the best international guides and educators in the industry. Our instructors are

roads, local transportation, and dirt paths that make each program an original adventure.

carefully selected based on their group facilitation skills, local language fluency, regional experience in the country, and connections with our host communities. To see the range of unique professional life experiences and academic backgrounds that make our community of international instructors so exceptional, please flip to pages 64-65.

The manner in which you run your programs—student driven, flexible itineraries, tremendous freedom for the student, small groups, unbelievable student-to-instructor ratio—made this a valuable learning opportunity for Scott, but also facilitated his personal growth in a manner I’m not sure any other program could have accomplished.

— PA R E N T O F S C OT T N E W M A N

W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

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While in a homestay a stilted Bajau fishing in students Indonesia, a studentthe learns hand carve a traditional dugout used for fishing andfeet. fetching water from land. Micah LeMasters In the remote reachesinof the Peruvian Andes, village Dragons challenge localto Quechua community members to canoe a soccer match at 13,000 Ellie Happel

W H Y I S A D R AG O N S P R O G R A M R I G H T F O R YO U ?

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W E ’ R E G L A D YO U ’ R E H O L D I N G T H I S C ATA LO G

E YA K

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The world is an increasingly online, fast-paced, and complicated place. Difficult questions confront us today that require us to sit and slow down. At Dragons, we go to the edge of the map because we see value in accessing rarely-visited places, and rarely-heard narratives of breathtaking beauty and raw reality. We believe that an unplugged experience, in an unfamiliar

STRAIGHT FROM THE YAK'S MOUTH

place of cultural and natural beauty, can help participants find their breath. We believe in the power of storytelling and that a

The best way for you to understand Dragons is to

personal account will be most impactful when heard in the voice, language, and perspective of a host mother, a community

hear about the experience in the words of other

elder, a spiritual leader, or a local mentor. We believe that spending an extended amount of time in a place fosters deeper

participants. In this catalog, you can find stories told

connection and understanding. As instructors, we address fundamental questions around human nature and our role and

directly by students on the Yak Board reflections,

responsibility as engaged human beings in a fragile and complex natural and socio-economic landscape. And while we’re

pages 21, 26, 37, and 46.

serious about what we do, we also don’t take ourselves too seriously: we recognize the value of unstructured play and downtime—be that a frisbee tossed across the Himalayan lowlands or floating over a techni-colored coral reef in Indonesia.

Ultimately, we believe that more than photos, it’s perspective shifts earned from critical reflection that we take home to embody, cherish, and share.

Or flip to the back of this catalog (page 66) for post-course reflections on the most valuable insights students brought home.

We invite you to explore the edges of your courage

There’s been a growing dialogue about the value of an education in the 21st century. Students and educators are

and curiosity with us. Visit the Yak Board for course

increasingly asking for concrete sets of “global competencies” and leadership skills before they join the workforce. In our

postings from Dragons students past and present at

experience, it’s hard to gain these skills in a traditional classroom alone. Dragons offers an alternative approach. We can’t

yak.wherethereb ed rag ons .com

predict exactly what skills you’ll need to succeed in your future, but we’re willing to hedge our bets that a foreign language, a well-worn passport, and a healthy dose of life experience will serve you well. Whatever your background, if you feel Dragons is right for you, we want to hear from you.

Thus travel spins us round in two ways at once: It shows us the sights and values and issues that we might ordinarily ignore; but it also, and more deeply, shows us all the parts of ourselves that might otherwise grow rusty.

— P I C O I Y E R , W H Y W E T R AV E L

W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

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The flexibility allowed my group to turn hikes into classes about religion. It allowed for us to get lost, which then turned into lessons on how not to get lost.

We were given the freedom to explore like a traveler, not like a tourist.� — A LY S S A H I L B , S I L K R O A D P R O G R A M

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In the remote reaches of the Peruvian Andes, Dragons students challenge the local Quechua community members to a soccer match at 13,000 feet. Ellie Happel

DY N A M I C C O U R S E D E S I G N W H AT I S A ' F L E X I B L E ' I T I N E R A RY ?

Many study abroad programs provide a day-by-day (sometimes hour-by-hour) trip schedule used year-to-year. At Dragons, we keep our programs flexible and dynamic: each itinerary is uniquely designed and implemented by the instructors who lead the program. We believe some of the best experiences can come in the unscripted, serendipitous, and candid moments of surprise. It's a novel approach to travel and best explained directly by our participants: “The best part about being able to mix up the schedule is that you have the ability to invest your time in areas you are most passionate about. For example, during my trip to China we stumbled upon a shamanism festival with rich colors and new experiences. On the spot, our group decided that spending more time at the festival would be the best for our educational and cultural journey. The best days are those that aren’t 100 percent scripted.”

—LIANA FLECKER, SILK ROAD PROGRAM “Unlike American life regulated by precise and punctual schedules, life abroad is hectic and ever-changing, which is the beauty of it. Pre-program, I was concerned that the larger and central aspects of the trip may be changed, but this isn’t at all what Dragons means. “Flexible itinerary” refers to smaller, more logistical changes. You’ll still get to the end destination, just perhaps by a different route. The itinerary will never be changed in a way that detracts from your experience, but will instead always improve it for you or the group as a whole, whether it is balancing out the hiking days to make it more manageable or taking a quick side-trip to the hot springs to refuel as a group.”

— W I L L L e VA N , P E R U P R O G R A M “The most important part of embracing the flexible itinerary was recognizing that our safety was a priority over strict travel and time constraints, and the comfort of knowing we could adjust the plan to fit our needs.”

— S I LVA N A M O N T A G U , E A S T E R N H I M A L AYA S P R O G R A M “To travel with a flexible itinerary is to travel with an open mind and receptivity to the realities of travel. During my program in Morocco, there were numerous occasions in which events caused unforeseen delays in our daily plan. While ordinarily, this would be a huge logistical and emotional headache, the ease with which my instructors took it in stride and adjusted our plans made all the difference. The benefit of a dynamic itinerary is bypassing the regimented, anxious parts of travel, to embrace the wild, unplanned fun that exploration can be.”

—BRETT COHEN, MOROCCO PROGRAM "Ultimately, embracing the possibility of candid experiences—those that lead you into the waters coursing Himalayan rivers and into the corridors of 500-year old monasteries, as mine did during my programs—are what have been most influential in shaping me into the confident, prepared, and wise traveler I am today."

—OLIVIA SOTIRCHOS, NORTH INDIA PROGRAM

W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

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OUR PROGRAM COMPONENTS T H E B U I L D I N G B LO C K S O F E V E RY D R AG O N S CO U R S E We adventure. We explore. We learn. A Dragons course is designed to be a full immersion journey. We employ nine program components to ensure that every course is a

H O ME STAY

LA NGUAGE ST UDY

T R EKKI NG

Dragons students are travelers

In a Tajik yurt, in a Bedouin tent,

All Dragons courses include

From strolls to the strenuous,

not tourists. We believe in low-

in an apartment in Kunming…

language instruction. We do

some Dragons students hike over

impact travel, and that means

Every Dragons student is

not expect students to arrive

16,000ft passes in the Andes;

minimizing our environmental

carefully matched with a local

with any level of understanding.

others walk to waterfalls outside

and cultural impact at every

family. Students live in nearby

We do expect students to

a homestay village. Wherever

possible juncture. On course,

neighborhoods, allowing them

interact with locals, and build a

you choose to trek, you can be

we respect cultural norms

to build meaningful connections

collection of vocabulary words

assured that Dragons Instructors

by staying in family-owned

within the host community and

that enables them to deftly

will guide you into wilderness,

accommodations and taking

group. Students often tell us

navigate a new cultural context.

exposing you to the beauty of

local transportation. The most

that their homestay was the

On our language intensive

nature, mingled with the unique

profound learning moments

most transformative part of their

courses, students can expect

cultural context. Treks provide

often arise in the spaces

Dragons experience. All families

3-4 hours of daily instruction

opportunities for students to

in-between, and traveling

are selected based on the safety

in small groups. Few skills do

assume leadership roles and

like locals creates space for

of their home environments and

more to empower students to

build personal backcountry skills,

un-orchestrated moments of

their genuine enthusiasm for

be independent global citizens

like learning to pitch a tent or

engagement.

cross-cultural engagement.

than language study.

read weather conditions.

Right: Aaron Slosberg; Micah LeMasters; Photo from Dragons archives

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R U GGE D T RAVE L

Left: Steven Gu; Aaron Slosberg; Michael Woodard

well-rounded experience.

L EARN I N G SERVI C E

DE V E LO P MENT ST U DI E S

INDE PE NDE NT STU DY PROJE CT ( IS P)

COMPAR AT I VE R ELI GI ON & P HI LOSOP HY

FOC US OF I NQUI RY (FOI )

We take pride in learning first

What variables contribute to a

Dragons students are often

In each place we visit, we con-

Dragons courses are built around

and helping second. Students

good quality of life? How does

paired with local mentors to

sider how local spiritual beliefs

particular academic themes. This

rarely arrive in-country with the

privilege shape our sense of

study a particular question, craft,

are employed to interpret daily

allows students to delve into

tools to genuinely ‘help’ another

global responsibility? These

or cultural tradition in greater

reality. Dragons Instructors help

a specific line of questioning,

community, and we work hard

questions are central to the

depth. Anything is possible, and

students explore the belief sys-

exploring the impacts of climate

to dispel such expectations.

conversation about human

as a student, the ISP is a great

tems of their host culture while

change, the local religious

Students use a four-step process

development in the 21 century.

way to tailor the course to meet

living with homestay families,

traditions, or the idea of cultural

to listen, assess, act and then

Instructors introduce students to

your specific interests. We’ve had

visiting religious monuments,

survival, for example. We explore

evaluate: a framework that can

local activists who’ve taken a vo-

students study everything from

observing local rituals, and

the focus of inquiry by hosting

be applied to future learning

cal stance on the topic of ‘human

kathak dance to the impacts

reading relevant texts. Such an

guest speakers, reading local

service ventures. We don’t

development,’ while using local

of exploratory drilling in the

examination generally sparks

news, and engaging in group

measure our success by the

examples to prompt discussion.

Amazon. ISPs are a great way to

an internal conversation, and

discussions. Please reference

number of ‘service hours’ logged,

Students are encouraged to

develop place-based expertise,

instructors are available to assist

Dragons individual program

but rather by the number of

challenge their assumptions and

learn hands-on skills from local

students as they juxtapose

descriptions to learn more

critical conversations that such

expand their understanding of

mentors, and actively engage

in-country traditions with their

about the FOI on your course

an engagement provokes.

what it means to be “developed.”

living cultural traditions.

own belief systems and values.

of interest.

st

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P R O G R A M C O M PA R I S O N C H A R T

ASIA SUMMER

RUGGED TRAVEL

LANGUAGE STUDY

TREKKING

LEARNING SERVICE

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

INDEPENDENT STUDY PROJECT

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

FOCUS OF INQUIRY (FOI)

LOW EMPHASIS MODERATE HIGH EMPHASIS

DATES

AGES

PAGE

China: Mandarin Language Intensive, 4-wk

10+ days

40+ hours

Day Hikes

5+ hours

6/28 – 7/28

15–18

p18

China: Mandarin Language Intensive, 6-wk

15+ days

60+ hours

Day Hikes

5+ hours

6/28 – 8/8

16–18

p18

5+ days

10+ hours

5+ days

5+ hours

6/28 – 8/8

16–18

p19

6/28 – 7/28

16–18

p20

6/28 – 8/8

15–17

p22

6/28 – 8/8

16–18

p23

6/28 – 7/28

16–18

p24

6/28 – 7/28

17–20

p25

6/28 – 8/8

16–18

p27

6/28 – 7/28

15–17

p28

6/28 – 7/28

15–18

p29

China: The Silk Road

China: The Yangtze River

10+ days

10+ hours

Day Hikes

5+ hours

China: Change & Tradition

10+ days

20+ hours

3+ days

5+ hours

10+ days

10+ hours

5+ days

10+ hours

5+ days

10+ hours

3+ days

10+ hours

Mekong: From Holy Mountain to Hidden Kingdom Cambodia: Peace-Building & Conservation

Myanmar: Visions of Democracy

5+ days

10+ hours

5+ days

15+ hours

Indonesia: Community & Conservation

15+ days

10+ hours

3+ days

5+ hours

10+ days

10+ hours

3+ days

10+ hours

10+ days

10+ hours

5+ days

5+ hours

Thailand: The Spirit of Greng Jai

Bhutan: Happiness in the Himalayas

Nepal: Traditions of the Himalayas

10+ days

10+ hours

3+ days

10+ hours

Eastern Himalayas: West Bengal to Sikkim

5+ days

5+ hours

3+ days

10+ hours

3+ days

5+ hours

10+ days

10+ hours

3+ days

10+ hours

10+ days

15+ hours

HOMESTAY

LANGUAGE STUDY

TREKKING

LEARNING SERVICE

North India: Roof of the World, 4-wk North India: Identity in Exile, 6-wk

LATIN AMERICA SUMMER

RUGGED TRAVEL

6/28 – 7/28

16–18

p30

6/28 – 7/28

17–20

p31

6/28 – 7/28

16–18

p32

6/28 – 8/8

17–20

p33

DATES

AGES

PAGE

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

INDEPENDENT STUDY PROJECT

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

FOCUS OF INQUIRY (FOI)

Guatemala: Spanish Language Intensive, 4-wk

15+ days

40+ hours

3+ days

15+ hours

6/28 – 7/28

15–17

p36

Guatemala: Spanish Language Intensive, 6-wk

15+ days

60+ hours

5+ days

20+ hours

6/28 – 8/8

16–18

p36

Nicaragua: Community In Action

15+ days

40+ hours

3+ days

20+ hours

Bolivia: Spirit of the Andes, 4-wk

10+ days

20+ hours

5+ days

10+ hours

6/28 – 7/28

16–18

p38

6/28 – 7/28

17–19

p39

6/28 – 8/8

17–19

p39

Bolivia: Spirit of the Andes, 6-wk

20+ days

20+ hours

10+ days

10+ hours

Peru: Sacred Mountains, 4-wk

5+ days

10+ hours

5+ days

5+ hours

6/28 – 7/28

15–17

p40

Peru: Sacred Mountains, 6-wk

10+ days

10+ hours

10+ days

5+ hours

6/28 – 8/8

16–18

p40

10+ days

20+ hours

5+ days

5+ hours

6/28 – 7/28

16–18

p41

Colombia: Stories of Peace & Resistance 14

HOMESTAY

AFRICA

RUGGED TRAVEL

HOMESTAY

LANGUAGE STUDY

TREKKING

LEARNING SERVICE

Madagascar: Island of Diversity

10+ days

10+ hours

5+ days

10+ hours

Morocco: Crossroads of Mountains & Cultures

10+ days

15+ hours

5+ days

5+ hours

10+ days

10+ hours

3+ days

10+ hours

HOMESTAY

LANGUAGE STUDY

TREKKING

LEARNING SERVICE

30+ days

60+ hours

5+ days

20+ hours

20+ days

20+ hours

10+ days

10+ hours

10+ days

30+ hours

5+ days

20+ hours

30+ days

30+ hours

5+ days

10+ hours

Nepal Semester: Himalayan Studies*

30+ days

40+ hours

20+ days

20+ hours

India Semester: Himalayas to the Ganges River*

30+ days

30+ hours

15+ days

20+ hours

20+ days

20+ hours

15+ days

20+ hours

30+ days

60+ hours

10+ days

20+ hours

30+ days

60+ hours

20+ days

10+ hours

20+ days

20+ hours

10+ days

10+ hours

20+ days

40+ hours

10+ days

10+ hours

30+ days

30+ hours

5+ days

20+ hours

SUMMER

Senegal: In the Shade of the Baobab Tree

GAP YEAR 3-MONTH SEMESTER China Semester: South of the Clouds* Mekong Semester: Tibetan Plateau to the Heart of Southeast Asia Myanmar Semester: Traditions & Transitions Indonesia Semester: Community, Culture, & Conservation

Bhutan Semester: Environmental Sustainability & Community Happiness Guatemala Semester: Spanish Language & Grassroots Activism South America Semester: Andes & Amazon* Madagascar Semester: Cultural & Ecological Diversity Morocco Semester: Ancient Cities to the Atlas Mountains West Africa Semester: Rhythms of Senegal

RUGGED TRAVEL

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

INDEPENDENT STUDY PROJECT

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

FOCUS OF INQUIRY (FOI)

INDEPENDENT STUDY PROJECT

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

FOCUS OF INQUIRY (FOI)

LOW EMPHASIS MODERATE HIGH EMPHASIS

DATES

AGES

PAGE

6/28 – 8/8

16–18

p44

6/28 – 7/28

16–19

p45

6/28 – 7/28

15–17

p47

DATES

AGES

PAGE

17–22

p50

17–22

p51

17–22

p52

17–22

p53

17–22

p54

17–22

p55

17–22

p56

17–22

p57

17–22

p58

17–22

p59

17–22

p60

17–22

p61

9/15 – 12/6 2/7 – 5/1 9/15 – 12/6 2/7 – 5/1 9/15 – 12/6 2/7 – 5/1 9/15 – 12/6 2/7 – 5/1 9/15 – 12/6 2/7 – 5/1 9/15 – 12/6 2/7 – 5/1 9/15 – 12/6 2/7 – 5/1 9/15 – 12/6 2/7 – 5/1 9/15 – 12/6 2/7 – 5/1 9/15 – 12/6 2/7 – 5/1 9/15 – 12/6 2/7 – 5/1 9/15 – 12/6 2/7 – 5/1

*Students participating on select Gap Semester programs (China, Nepal, South America, India) may choose to take courses for college credit (optional). Please give us a call for more information: 303.413.0822

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Bustling street corners.

Steaming chai... ...A cacophony of engines, horns and vendors blend into the ambient hum that gives every conversation a sense of urgency and movement.

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ASIA IS CHANGING EVERYDAY.

Whether you’re in China, where suited entrepreneurs cut deals beneath billboards papered in Communist slogans, or in Cambodia, where monks might friend you on Facebook, the collision between traditions and modernity is evident at every turn.

We invite you to join us in this exploration of culture and contrasts. In cities where cows share the bike lane and monkeys slide down the banisters. In mountains where holy men bless the dead and stand guard as vultures return their remnants to the sky. On rivers where pink dolphins swim free, and fishermen rise at dawn to drag their nets to shore.

will you?

Asia is enchanting and full of mystery. We go there... 

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CHINA MANDARIN LANGUAGE INTENSIVE 4-Week & 6-Week Summer Abroad Programs

AGES

Improve your Mandarin language skills through daily instruction in small, personalized classes; live with carefully selected homestays; engage in Independent Study Projects (ISPs).

June 28 – July 28 June 28 – August 8

15 – 18 16 – 18

LANGUAGE IN CHINA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DYNAMIC AND POWERFUL

a rural homestay with farming families in

cultural influences, the voice of this great country speaks louder than ever before.

Lashihai, a traditional Naxi community situated

Dragons Mandarin Language Intensive course offers comprehensive instruction

at the base of the 18,360ft Jade Dragon Snow

through formal language classes, homestays and

Mountain. In this picturesque environment,

independent study projects (ISPs).

we learn more about China’s many ethnic

Our 4 and 6 week programs are based in Kunming, an accessible university city in the heart of China’s Yunnan Province. In a region renowned for its MONGOLIA

natural beauty and ethnic diversity—including the Naxi,

AS I A: S UM M ER

Tibetan, Yi, Mosuo, and Bai peoples—Kunming offers us

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BEIJING

XI ’A N

CHINA

LANGUAGE STUDY

ISPs

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

minority groups and enjoy daily activities with locals. Students have the opportunity to continue their ISPs in Lashihai, perhaps foraging for medicinal plants, practicing martial arts, teaching English, or documenting their experiences through writing or photography. Mandarin Intensive students return home with increased confidence in their ability to communicate and navigate in a rapidly changing China.

in Kunming, students meet for 3–4 hours of formal Mandarin

TIGER LEAPING GORGE

instruction per day, with the option for 1:1 tutoring sessions in

LASHIHAI HONG KONG KUNMING

a home-base to build linguistic confidence and prepare for expeditions into more rural areas of southwestern China. While

HOMESTAY

We leave the busy streets of Kunming for

FORCE, a nd as we enter a contemporary reality of emerging powers and dominant

RUSSIA

INDIA

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

the afternoon for hungry learners. Homestay placements reinforce

“During my rural homestay I learned what it means to truly be part of a community, care for one another, and live with no boundaries...I'm so thankful for the opportunity

language acquisition, encouraging students to practice new vocabulary with their families in the evenings.

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

to live in an environment completely unlike my own.”

—KYRA HAMERLING-POTTS

Right: Photos from Dragons archives

DAYS

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Left: Eric Jenkins-Sahlin

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CHINA THE SILK ROAD 6-Week Summer Abroad Program

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DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

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Explore the diversity of China’s cultural traditions: live with herders on the Tibetan Plateau, cross the Taklamakan desert, discuss issues of religious plurality with monks and Imams.

June 28 – August 8

16 – 18 RUGGED TRAVEL

MORE THAN HALF OF CHINA’S LAND IS POPULATED BY LESS THAN 5%

TREKKING

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

“I never expected to have this much fun, and learn so

OF ITS POPULATION. Worlds away from Beijing, the far-western province of Xinjiang is a land where vast desert basins meet 20,000ft peaks; where Central Asian cultures

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

RUSSIA

much about the culture. I truly felt immersed.”

—CLAIRE NUSEKABEL

blend together. The adventuresome Silk Road itinerary engages students with diverse communities in western China—including Uyghur, Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Tajik, Mongol, Tibetan, Hui, and Han communities—while challenging

prayer reverberates from towering minarets. Donning our

Himalayas.

ruins of Turpan and the world-renowned painted caves

political representation, and

of Dunhuang. Overnight trains take us to the edge of

globalization.

the Tibetan Plateau, where we learn the basics of yak

the ancient perfumes of Silk labyrinthine bazaars and the call to

BEIJING XINING

CHINA

herding from Tibetan homestay families.

Working our way East, we take in the markers of contemporary Han Chinese society with new eyes and a sense of wonder for the vastness and cultural difference that is today’s China.

W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

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XI ’A N

ASI A: S UM M E R

cross the Taklamakan desert. We explore the ancient

Road merchants waft through

TURPAN

KASHGAR

Over the next month, we traverse the Tarim Basin and

issues related to human rights,

Our course often begins

URUMQI

the phenomenal beauty of this seldom-visited range in the

them to consider complex

in the oasis of Kashgar, where

MONGOLIA

packs, we ascend high into the Pamir Mountains, enjoying

19

CHINA T H E YA N G T Z E R I V E R 4-Week Summer Abroad Program

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DAYS

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Experience life in Asia’s largest river basin: live with families on the Tibetan Plateau, learn about interconnected environmental realities at the Three Gorges Dam, explore the world's largest port.

June 28 – July 28

16 – 18

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

HOMESTAY

RUGGED TRAVEL

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

FROM ITS HEADWATERS IN THE HIGHLANDS OF TIBET TO THE DELTA

“I learned so much more on this program than I ever could in a classroom.

IN SHANGHAI, t his program follows the Yangtze River as it rushes nearly 4,000

Most importantly, this trip made me realize that there is so much to see in the world.”

—NU XIONG

miles across southern China. This sinuous river has long shaped the region’s cultural traditions, agricultural practices, and industrial development; students on this course

and monks ascend to a Taoist monastery overlooking the city. We travel by boat 360

estimated 550 million people who live along the

miles downstream to the world’s largest hydroelectric project: The Three Gorges Dam.

Our course begins in the Tibetan Kingdom of

MONGOLIA

impact, and China’s age-old struggle to

pillars of local culture and pilgrims still arrive with

control water resources.

AS I A: S UM M ER

INDIA

20

homestay, we journey east through Sichuan Province, meeting with local farmers and environmental

CHINA NANJING CHONGQING

SHANGHAI

related to power generation, environmental

Amdo, where Tibetan Buddhist monasteries are the yak butter offerings each day. After our first rural BEIJING

Local experts provide insight into the myriad issues

activists in this renowned “Land of Abundance.”

Our downriver journey takes us to Chongqing, a thriving city situated at the confluence of the blue Jialing River and

Continuing east, we pass through the cultural center of Nanjing, and eventually arrive in Shanghai.

Standing on the docks of the world’s busiest port, we consider all that we’ve learned about the raw tensions

the golden Yangtze. Sitting on the banks, we watch as farmers

between tradition and modernity

haul cargo on bamboo shoulder poles, fisherman cast for carp,

represented by life along the Yangtze River.

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

Right: Camille Albouy

banks of this vital waterway.

Left: Parker Pflaum; Eric Jenkins-Sahlin

RUSSIA

gain firsthand insight into the lives of the

E YA K

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B Y R YA N S U N G , S T U D E N T Dragons Princeton Bridge Year China

APPLES ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF KUNMING STANDS XUNING TEMPLE, A

When I finally admitted to her that we had never met before, she didn’t show

BUDDHIST PLACE OF WORSHIP SPLASHED WITH TANGERINE

disappointment, but rather smiled with the same enthusiasm from before and

GOLD, NAVY BLUE, AND A STRONG, BOLD RED. Adorning the temple

said “Enjoy them! They’re a gift.”

stands a massive golden Buddha, whose four faces watch in every direction the residents of the homogeneous, concrete dominoes below. Before embarking

After lunch, we were allowed to explore. I approached the central temple,

on what would be a month’s trekking into the rural Yunnan countryside, our

and was greeted by a friendly monk as humble in speech as he was in his

cohort reached the temple for a vegetarian lunch.

appearance, which consisted of plain yellow robes, worn sandals, and a shaved head. He gave me a warm welcome with his limited English, and in turn, and

With some time left before entering the dining hall, I stopped by a small

we spent some time conversing on complex theological topics with my solely

vendor’s stand, which I assumed sold Xuning souvenirs. I found instead that

conversational Mandarin. Before we concluded giving our formal farewells, the

it sold jewelry, but as to not offend and show complete disinterest, I did not

monk unexpectedly pulled out the latest Chinese smartphone from his robes

leave immediately. Running the stand was a woman in her golden sixties,

and said “Add me on WeChat!”

modestly dressed yet luxuriously welcoming. When I approached her, she unveiled a contagious toothy smile and excitedly said Hao jiu bu jian, “long

I left the temple now with four bright red apples, and my seventh friend on my

time no see!” She immediately reached for the box behind her, pulled out

Chinese social media account.

two bright, red apples, and handed them to me. Very much confused, I took the apples, uncertain on what to do with them. I had never been to either

Whether shop or temple, kindness was in no shortage in Kunming. After my

Xuning Temple or China, so I was certain I could not have met the

return to the city in October, I hope to be able to someday give away apples of

woman before. She began to speak enthusiastically to

my own; not with any particular underlying motive,

me about our supposed previous contact, but I had

but for the mere joy that comes with giving apples to a “long lost acquaintance,” or a monk

differed greatly to what I was used to.

with a new foreign friend on WeChat.

ASI A: S UM M E R

difficulty comprehending because her accent

Visit the Yak Board for course reflections from Dragons students past and present at YA K.WHER ETHER EB EDR AGON S.COM

21

CHINA CHANGE & TRADITION 6-Week Summer Abroad Program

AGES

Experience urban and rural realities in modern-day China: explore mega-cities and remote mountain villages; discover the ethnic tapestry that is modern China.

June 28 – August 8

15 – 17

herders; we visit serene monasteries

TO REALIZE THAT EVERYTHING IS CHANGING AT WARP SPEED. Old

and booming mega-cities.

Buddhist monks read ancient texts from iPads. Millions of rural farmers now work in the city to support their families. The RUSSIA

AS I A: S UM M ER

INDIA

22

BEIJING

we discover the extent of diversity. We witness the Chinese peoples’ amazing

race to keep up with 1.4 billion people on the

capacity to adjust and

move. If you want to understand the world we

adapt, and with each new

comprehensive survey of modern China and part

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

by foot, train, bus and boat,

airports is underway virtually everywhere, in a

This program is Dragons version of a

HOMESTAY

As we travel across China

construction of new highways, rail lines, and

live in, you have to understand China.

MONGOLIA

CHINA

RUGGED TRAVEL

WHEN YOU VISIT CHINA FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT DOESN’T TAKE LONG neighborhoods of wooden houses are demolished to make way for 80-story buildings.

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

experience we take on, we challenge ourselves to do the same.

of what makes it unique is that our journey changes

XI ’A N

each year as we encourage our instructors to explore

CHENGDU

LASHIHAI KUNMING HONG KONG

new areas and interests with their intrepid students. Our

“This summer was one of the best (if not the best) I have ever had. It opened up a whole

journey includes a broad survey of contemporary realities:

new world to me, one of exploration and independence and risk taking, that I do not

we trek beyond roads and learn about life for people on

have access to at home...This trip has made me want to become a traveler.”

the periphery; we follow the daily routines of farmers and

— M AT T H E W K AT Z

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

Right: Parker Pflaum; Photo from Dragons archives

DAYS

DATES

Left: Photo from Dragons archives; Ming Jiu Li

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MEKONG F R O M H O LY M O U N T A I N T O H I D D E N K I N G D O M 6-Week Summer Abroad Program

41

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Discover the economic, environmental, and cultural mosaic of China and Laos by exploring the communities and landscapes along the Mekong River.

June 28 – August 8

16 – 18

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

RUGGED TRAVEL

FROM THE BASE OF SACRED KAWAGEBO MOUNTAIN THE MIGHTY

jungle streams. We explore the Mekong river as a

MEKONG RIVER COURSES THROUGH GORGES AND MEGA-DAMS,

natural resource and, perhaps more importantly, as

GRADUALLY WIDENING INTO THE TROPICAL

a cultural symbol: In China, it is seen as an untamed

RAINFORESTS OF LAOS. The Mekong program splits time between China's Yunnan province and northern

economic stability.

Laos, live with artisan families in the tranquil UNESCO

gathers Himalayan glacial springs, and

World Site of Luang Prabang, and interact with

in Laos, where the Mekong basin swells into

inspiring activists in Vientiane, Laos’ capital-village.

Offering students an opportunity to explore the region through a transnational lens, the Mekong summer program delves into the economic, environmental, and cultural mosaic of Laos and China.

W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

SHANGRI LA KUNMING

INDIA

JINGHONG LUANG NAMTHA LAOS

LUANG PRABANG

VIENTIANE

ASI A: S UM M E R

Plateau where we meet the river as it

from the highlands toward the Golden

CHINA

waterfalls dripping off sacred Kawagebo Mountain, trek into the sparsely inhabited rainforests of northern

Triangle. Our second three weeks are spent

MONGOLIA

We live with Tibetan families, hike to glacial

Our course begins on the Tibetan

tumbles southward. Here in China our

RUSSIA

known as the Mae Nam Khong, or Mother Mekong—

landscapes, spiritual traditions, and

first three weeks are spent descending

FOCUS OF INQUIRY

while in Laos it is nothing less than a living deity— and a critical source of sustenance, divinity, and

the Mekong River.

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

power source to be harnessed to fuel development,

Laos as we explore the diverse critical issues connected to life along

HOMESTAY

23

CAMBODIA P E A C E - B U I L D I N G & C O N S E R VAT I O N 4-Week Summer Abroad Program

AGES

Examine issues of human rights and international development: engage in the optimism of Cambodian youth, unpack the legacy of the Khmer Rougen and explore Buddhism firsthand.

June 28 – July 28

16 – 18 HOMESTAY

KNOWN FOR THE INCOMPARABLE RUINS OF ANGKOR WAT, CAMBODIA IS

who call one of Asia's hippest

A COUNTRY THAT EVOKES IMAGES OF OVERGROWN JUNGLE TEMPLES,

emerging cities home.

ROBED MONKS, AND LUSH RICE FIELDS. Our course begins in the overgrown

the coastal village of Kampot,

wonders of a culture that ruled much of Southeast Asia for nearly a thousand years.

where we engage in a

Here we explore the storied ruins to discover the traditions that have endured

community-run mangrove

throughout the centuries of changing power.

restoration project and delve

Continuing past the floating villages of Lake Tonle Sap, we gain insight into the effects of upriver dams on the

THAIL AND

L AOS

ecology of Cambodia’s largest body of freshwater

AS I A: S UM M ER

and discuss environmental issues that are critical

24

to Cambodia’s food security.

CAMBODIA

FOCUS OF INQUIRY

into colonial history. We celebrate the final days of our course reflecting with group members near the white sand beaches of Rabbit Island.

capital of Phnom Penh. Here we confront the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge genocide, build

“The walls that humans put up between countries, made up of money, skin color

empathy with the Cambodian people, and gain PHNOM PENH

VIETNAM KEP

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

Our course continues onto the bustling

SIEM REAP

B AT TA M B A N G

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Finally we make our way to

temples of Angkor civilization which hold the secrets to the ecological and architectural

CHINA

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

and language are meaningless. Our experiences shape the way that we see the world,

context around Cambodia’s present-day political landscape. We meet with activists and artists

but we are unified on the basis of compassion, love and a thirst for knowledge.”

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

—OONA McDOWELL

Right: Photos from Dragons archives

DAYS

DATES

Left: Photos from Dragons archives

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M YA N M A R VISIONS OF DEMOCRACY 4-Week Summer Abroad Program

30

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Explore one of Asia’s last frontiers: hike between the serene farming communities of Shan State, build core competencies in learning service, learn the tenets of Theravada Buddhism.

June 28 – July 28

17 – 20

TRANSITION. INSPIRATION. DEVOTION. Myanmar is a nation of warmth, beauty,

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

RUGGED TRAVEL

LEARNING SERVICE

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

“I loved the fact that we were given the opportunity to choose

and complexity. Through numerous engagements with development professionals, youth

a service site to work at independently. I think that is an

activists, and NGOs, we uncover significant pieces of the puzzle of Myanmar. Our journey

opportunity few students have in foreign countries.”

begins in Bagan, where we watch the sunrise over the majestic Irrawaddy River and

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

CHINA

—ALEXANDER WEISMAN

cycle among golden-spired temples in a vast complex of ancient pagodas.

Next we travel to Sagaing, the spiritual heart of Myanmar and center of the country’s Buddhist faith. We come to rest in one of the 500 monasteries scattered over the hills, and delve into Buddhist learning alongside local practitioners.

Next we enjoy a four-day trek through the unforgettable patchwork fields of Shan State. By day we hike through farms of ginger, peppers, and grain; at night we bed down in the

where Dragons students will have the opportunity to teach in a school that services disadvantaged students and volunteer with an organization that promotes sustainable approaches to local development.

K ALAW

LAOS

From here, some groups choose to travel to Naypyidaw have ventured into the Irrawaddy Delta to discover how local farmers are creatively dealing with water scarcity.

Concluding the course in Yangon, we wander

among the most striking Buddhist stupa in the world, Shwedagon, and get a glimpse of the bustling former colonial capital of Yangon through the eyes of young politicians, activists, and artists.

W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

YA N G O N

MAWLAMYINE

ASI A: S UM M E R

begin our first learning service project

BAGAN

welcoming stilted houses of our village hosts. to learn about the transition from a military state; others

Pressing even further east we

M A N DA L AY

M YA N M A R

THAILAND

25

E YA K

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BY LARKIN BARRON, STUDENT Indonesia Semester

DEAR HOME Dear Non-Quick Dry Clothes, I don’t even remember what you feel like. My shoulders and knees are so used to being covered, the idea of wearing shorts is almost scandalous. I have so much respect for the strong women and men who are able to wear jeans, long sleeves, and head scarves in this kind of heat. That’s some kind of devotion.

Dear Friends, I think of you and smile.

Dear Home, I have come to believe that you, home, are a deceptive concept. If home was just one thing then, to me, it could never be a house. I think that it must instead be a state of heart. Not a state of mind or state of being, but a way that your heart feels when you are given ease and joy by your surroundings. That moment when the smile comes from the inside, the outer shells collapse and you

from these chili-filled, rice-mounded bowls of deliciousness. Food styles so

know, in your heart, that you are home. I have had to say goodbye to you Bed,

different I can’t even compare, though I’m starting to realize that not only is it

Shower, Phone, Kitchen, Clothes, Friends. I chose to do this not out of spite but out

possible to eat rice three times of day, but it is, in fact, a cultural expectation.

of an inner compulsion to stretch my boundaries. To expand my mind. To fill my

Dear Bed, You are so much more comfy than I ever appreciated. How could a simple mattress, so much more than 2 inches of padding on a wooden panel, bring so much joy? How I long to sink into your welcoming folds and lie there till all exhaustion has fled from my body and mind. I would jump on you… or just fall asleep. Bed, I miss you most.

heart with the sights and sounds of the unknown, even if it meant squat toilets and bucket showers and fleets of loud motorbikes, or a new language and a new diet and a new state of being. I did it because sometimes one home isn’t enough, and when the heart says it’s time to go exploring, well, who am I to disagree. So, home, I have left you behind.

But in many ways, in almost all the ways maybe,

Dear Shower, Sorry to say it, but I’ve actually replaced you. Yeah, I mean hot water can be nice, maybe calming, maybe relaxing, but I honestly enjoy cold water in a bucket. I’ll pour it over my head slowly and feel cleaner than I ever did with your

Larkin

Dear Phone, Okay. There are times when I wish I could escape to Facebook. Music I especially miss. I wish I was able to use GPS, but sometimes in order to see more you must carry less. I’m relieved not to have you. Distraction, I think, would only be degenerative. I don’t want to be stopped from living fully. I don’t want to miss a flash of color or smell of spice. Any moment lost could be a lifelong memory missed.

Visit the Yak Board for course reflections from Dragons students past and present at

26

Love,

YA K.WHER ETHER EB EDR AGON S.COM

Left: Celia Mitchell

AS I A: S UM M ER

electric spigot. Although—I never was this hot and sweaty at home.

I haven’t left home at all.

Right: Beatriz Schaver Eizaguirre; Photo from Dragons archives

Dear Kitchen, The tastes you’ve given me throughout my life are a world away

INDONESIA C O M M U N I T Y & C O N S E R VAT I O N 6-Week Summer Abroad Program

41

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

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Experience the most diverse archipelago on Earth: live with sea nomads, harvest coffee, and learn about efforts to protect the world’s most extraordinary coral reefs.

June 28 – August 8

16 – 18

COMPRISED OF OVER 17,000 ISLANDS AND 700 LIVING LANGUAGES, INDONESIA

CHINA

IS HOME TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

RUGGED TRAVEL

HOMESTAY

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

“To me, the most special component of this trip is the environment Dragons has co-created with the Indonesian communities...This environment not only fosters, but more importantly promotes the formation of real

BIODIVERSITY OF ANY NATION. Whether hiking

relationships between homestay families and Dragons students. ”

through the rainforests, spearfishing with your homestay

—SEAN DOHERTY

father, or examining gender roles in the world’s most MANADO

BORNEO

your worldview and stimulate your senses. Arriving

LUWUK

TA N A TO R A JA

populous Muslim nation, Indonesia is sure to challenge

MOROWALI

first in Yogyakarta, students dive headlong into Javanese culture, working with street artists, attending shadow-puppet performances, and studying the basics

MAKASSAR

UBUD, BALI

of the Bahasa Indonesian language.

open ocean and spend the majority of their lives on the water.

We embrace their unique lifestyle, snorkeling over fragile reefs, attending indigenous ceremonies, and learning about

FLORES

We then head east to the island of Flores, where students live in the pastoral village of Langa. We meet with local coffee producers, hike up dormant volcanoes, and learn about local religious traditions with our gracious hosts. A few flights and boats take us AUSTRALIA

to the archipelago of Wakatobi, home to the Bajau

conservation initiatives from local leaders.

As we engage with the diverse peoples of Indonesia, we begin to understand that our definition of “community” extends far beyond the people in our own towns. Diverse experiences help expand our worldview and encourage us to be more mindful of the interconnected relationships.

W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

ASI A: S UM M E R

INDONESIA

people, or the “sea nomads.” The Bajau build homes over the

27

THAILAND THE SPIRIT OF GRENG JAI 4-Week Summer Abroad Program

30

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Explore the idea of reciprocity: participate in hands-on learning service projects, live with hill tribe communities, and study Theravada Buddhism along Thailand’s exquisite coast.

June 28 – July 28

15 – 17

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

RUGGED TRAVEL

LEARNING SERVICE

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

CHINA

FROM THE VERDANT MOUNTAINS AND

MYANMAR

RICE PADDIES OF THE NORTH TO THE L AOS

BUZZING METROPOLIS OF BANGKOK,

U B O N R ATC H ATA N I

THAILAND BANGKOK

CAMBODIA

LEAVES ONE ENCHANTED AND YEARNING

AS I A: S UM M ER 28

Moving far to the east, to the Khorat plateau, we find ourselves in Thailand's

TO EXPLORE THE NEXT WONDER. Our program

agricultural heart, Issan province, living with families in a village relocated from the

begins in the Kingdom of Siam’s first capital, Sukhothai.

reservoir created by a hydroelectric dam. Amid paddies and glittering Buddhist

Here students orient to the cultural, spiritual, and culinary

temples, we explore some of the dichotomies

nuances of the Land of Smiles before entering into a

that come with living in a region experiencing

Theravada Buddhist monastery for a meditation retreat.

rampant development while maintaining

We then move further north into the mountainous hill tribe KRABI

—T H A I L A N D G R O U P J O U R N A L

THE STAGGERING BEAUTY OF THAILAND

SUKHOTHAI

INDIA

I can truly say that I have been to paradise.”

regions near Chiang Mai, where we hike from village to village through tea plantations and coffee fields staying with ethnic minority community to catch a glimpse into their traditional way of life.

Continuing north, we stay at an eco-village where we study

ritual and custom.

Our Thailand journey culminates with a few day’s exploration of the country’s colorful and bustling capital, Bangkok, where we say goodbye to

permaculture and sustainability practices. We learn about seed banking,

Southeast Asia amid the wild sprawl

traditional organic farming, adobe building, natural medicines, and rice

and awe-inspiring skyline of one of the

cultivation in a valley surrounded by picturesque national parks.

world's great alpha cities.

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

Right: Chelsae Ferrell

CHIANG MAI

Left: Photos from Dragons archives

MAE HONG SON

“The jungle came right up to the sand and the water was so calm and clear.

B H U TA N H A P P I N E S S I N T H E H I M A L AYA S 4-Week Summer Abroad Program

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DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

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Explore a Himalayan culture where “happiness” has become a measure of national development. Homestays and intimate community connections help unveil unique Buddhist worldviews.

June 28 – July 28

15 – 18

IN A COUNTRY WHERE THE PHRASE CHINA

TIBE T

NASPE

THIMPU PARO

URA

B H U TA N

philosophies impact people’s daily choices.

Through listening to both local villagers and

METRICS FOR DEVELOPMENT, B hutan

professional academics, we gain insights

encourages us to ask what we can learn about

to perspectives on the environment, our

own quality of life. Our journey into the Himalayan nation of Bhutan gives us rare access to the

organism. Since the arrival of television in 1999 and a cascade of global influences, Bhutan has experienced a steady increase in foreign tourism which contradicts long-held traditions.

How can we understand the pressures and adaptations of Bhutanese culture in the face of a globalizing world? In our questioning and exploration of Bhutan, we hope to find a better

histories, and folk tales to understand different

understanding of the worldviews and assumptions that

ways of viewing our existence on this planet.

shape our lives and happiness back home.

W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

ASI A: S UM M E R

We learn how Buddhism, as the state religion, has had deep social impacts, particularly on the creation

will also delve deeply into Buddhist philosophy,

FOCUS OF INQUIRY

of the earth as an interdependent

natural world.

preservation, and sustainable development. We

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

role in conservation, and the concept

us to reevaluate commonly held notions of our role in the

of unique government policies on conservation, BANGLADESH

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

We seek to understand how these embodied

“GROSS NATIONAL HAPPINESS”

sacredness in the vast and wild landscapes, challenging INDIA

HOMESTAY

LANDS ITSELF ON A LIST OF KEY

notions of "happiness" as contributors to our PUNAKHA

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

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N E PA L T R A D I T I O N S O F T H E H I M A L AYA S 4-Week Summer Abroad Program

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Discover the mysticism of the Himalayas: experience life in remote communities, participate in a meditation retreat, and study traditional arts with local masters.

June 28 – July 28

16 – 18

C Hmountain INA

SINCE ANCIENT TIMES, TRAVELERS, MONKS,

TIBE T DELHI

N E PP OAK LH A R A

MERCHANTS, POETS, ARTISTS, AND WARRIORS K AT H M A N D U

BHUTAN PATA N

INDIA

HAVE PASSED THROUGH KATHMANDU DURING THEIR

JOURNEYS ACROSS THE GREAT HIMALAYAN RANGE.

HOMESTAY

AS I A: S UM M ER

FOCUS OF INQUIRY

Here we learn the daily rhythms of agricultural life and have the chance to talk to local

across the Himalayan region all peacefully co-exist in the peaks

pressing global concerns such as climate

and valleys of this dynamic country. Nepal’s rich cultural diversity

change and foreign aid.

provides a strong foundation for a larger conversation about the

30

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

subsistence farmers in the Himalayan foothills.

people about their lived experience of

Our program weaves a path between rural and urban

ISPs

valleys, before settling into a homestay with

Some never left, and today a multitude of ethnic groups from

underpinnings of identity, community, and spirituality.

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

For the comparative religion aspect of this course, we explore the intertwined religions of Hinduism and Buddhism and also

environments and different religious communities as we explore

go on a short meditation retreat, where we have

how ancient traditions can survive in a rapidly developing

the chance to fully immerse ourselves in monastic life.

society. During our time in the Kathmandu valley, we meet with

We learn about the foundations of Buddhist philosophy from a learned monk and

local activists and experts who share their insights on Nepal’s history, politics, and

participate in a spiritual practice that is both informative and deeply introspective.

culture. They also offer a unique perspective on the socio-political complexities facing a newly-democratic Nepal, and challenges the 2015 earthquake continue to pose to

“Nate scored his trip an “11” on a scale of 1-10. He arrived home dirty and smelly, but more

Nepali society.

mature, thoughtful and with a greater understanding of that part of the world.”

Moving into rural Nepal, we get the opportunity to trek through stunning mountain

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

— PA R E N T O F N AT E Z U C H E R

Right: Christina Rivera Cogswell; Photo from Dragons archives

DAYS

LEH

DATES

Left: Benjamin Felser; Maria Xu

30

DESCRIPTION

E A S T E R N H I M A L AYA S WEST BENGAL TO SIKKIM 4-Week Summer Abroad Program

30

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Experience the mysticism of remote mountain communities: work with local artists and healers, and gain insight into the myriad spiritual traditions of the Eastern Himalaya.

June 28 – July 28

17 – 20

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

HOMESTAY

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

ISPs

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

NESTLED DEEP IN THE EASTERN END OF THE

“You gave me such an opportunity this summer, not just to travel to this magical place, but

GREAT HIMALAYAN MOUNTAIN RANGE, WEST

something to hold on to that has sparked a new light, purpose and ambition in my life.”

CHINA BENGAL

AND SIKKIM ARE INDIAN STATES THAT SIT

— B R I G E T T E B A R N AT O

SNUGLY BETWEEN NEPAL AND BHUTAN. The tension between modern influences and traditional values is strikingly apparent in TIBET DELHI

NEPAL

KANCHENJUNGA GANGTOK DARJEELING

apprenticeships with artists, musicians, healers, cultivators,

this region, as various ethnic groups work

and practitioners of Hinduism, Buddhism, and types

to safeguard their heritage amidst the

of shamanism. We delve more deeply into

draw of globalization. Dragons students

Buddhism by sitting in meditation for a short

engage with local communities and explore ancient Buddhist and Hindu traditions, gaining insight into the age-old wisdom that has held Himalayan people together for centuries.

retreat at a local monastery, complementing our more theoretical understanding of the religion with personal practice.

Heading further into the Himalayas,

Our course begins in northern West Bengal, an area— renowned for its fine tea—that serves as an introduction to the cultures and traditions of the region. Amidst verdant hills of tea waiting to be picked, we learn about the living blend of religious and cultural traditions which rival the beauty of the landscapes.

students witness Sikkim’s incredible biodiversity, with day hikes through lush forests with potential views, when monsoon rains abate, of Mount Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest peak.

W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

ASI A: S UM M E R

INDIA

BHUTAN

In Kalimpong, we live with homestay families and work with local mentors, taking up

31

NORTH INDIA ROOF OF THE WORLD 4-Week Summer Abroad Programs “I have to commend your instructors again—all 3 of them were absolutely amazing…They were inspiring and we truly appreciate the positive influence they had on our daughter.”

— P A R E N T O F L I LY H I M M E L M A N

30

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Examine diverse Himalayan cultures, explore Tibetan Buddhist traditions, and trek amongst the awe-inspiring mountains and communities of Ladakh.

June 28 – July 28

16 – 18

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

RUGGED TRAVEL

TREKKING

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

CHINA

DELHI

INDIA

NEPAL

at night. As we hike through this rugged

MILES FROM PAKISTAN TO CHINA,

landscape, we pass small communities—

THE HIMALAYAN RANGE BOASTS HALF

nomads, herders, farmers, and devoted

THE WORLD’S HIGHEST MOUNTAINS.

practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism—

Clinging to the far western flank of the Tibetan

often learning as much about our

plateau, jagged peaks and windswept valleys have

physical potential as we learn about

largely preserved the local cultures of Ladakh. Our

new ways of life. We trek deep into

exploration begins close to the regional capital

glaciated valleys, passing through tiny

of Leh, where we learn language basics, explore

hamlets following follow remote herders’

AS I A: S UM M ER

pastoral communities, and acclimatize to the 11,500ft

32

trails and climbing up to seldom-visited

elevation. We explore local issues through the eyes

monasteries on faraway hilltops. As we pass

of our Ladakhi peers, who share their firsthand

through some of the world’s most breathtaking

experience of the tension between preserving the

mountains, we stay in family homes in tiny villages, sharing meals and learning about

traditional Ladakhi heritage and environment and the

village life, or we pitch tents and sleep outside under the brilliant blanket of stars. Our

shifting cultural, ecological, and economic patterns

homestay families live as they have for centuries, sustained by limited farming, yak and

within the region.

sheep husbandry, trade, and the patronage of monasteries. The North India course is a

Amid the breathtaking Indian Himalayas, students experience unparalleled mountain scenery as they cross snow-covered passes by day and zip into warm sleeping bags

window into diverse Himalayan cultures and landscapes, as the region adapts to both challenging environmental and political climates.

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

Right: Caleb Brooks; Cara Starnbach

TIBE T

PA K I S TA N

STRETCHING MORE THAN 1500

Left: Caleb Brooks; Photo from Dragons archives

LEH

NORTH INDIA IDENTITY IN EXILE 6-Week Summer Abroad Program

42

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Examine the roots of Tibetan identity: join refugee communities for a learning service project, discuss climate change in the Himalayas, and trek into Ladakh’s sacred high peaks.

June 28 – August 8

17 – 20

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

HOMESTAY

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

FOCUS OF INQUIRY

CHINA LEH

DHARAMSALA

TIBE T

PA K I S TA N DELHI

INDIA

NEPAL

FOLLOWING THE DALAI LAMA’S ESCAPE

learning service project with Ladakhi peers at a

IN THE WAKE OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE

sustainable student-run campus.

IN TIBET, t housands of devout followers traced

On the Identity in Exile course, we sit

their leader’s path, seeking refuge in India, Nepal,

before Buddhist philosophers, climate-

and Bhutan. Dharamsala, nestled along the western

scientists, and scholars who present on

edge of India’s Himachal Pradesh, was eventually

their traditions, as well as the shifting

established as the seat of His Holiness’ exiled

cultural, ecological, and economic

government. To this day, it is a place where the

patterns within the region. We marvel

traditions of Tibetan language, traditional medicine,

at Ladakh’s stark mountains and starry

art, and spirituality are studied, preserved, and upheld.

night skies on an 8 day trek through the iconic Markha Valley, visiting herding

perseverance and a message of hope and compassion.

encampments and hanging prayer flags as

In Dharamsala we stay in a Buddhist monastery to better

we cross high passes.

understand the basic tenets of Buddhism before moving on to live with Tibetan refugee families, work in the fields, and attend classes at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts.

Our exploration of Tibetan culture continues as we travel north to Ladakh, often

“This experience was simultaneously vast and deeply personal. I couldn't be more grateful for the chance to grow and question and laugh and explore surrounded by people that competed in beauty and grace with the mountains around them.”

known as “Little Tibet”. We immerse ourselves in the local culture by engaging in a W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

—HELENA THOMAS

ASI A: S UM M E R

It is a place that inspires with stories of struggle and

33

Take three coca leaves between your fingers and bless Pachamama.

34

L AT I N A M E R I C A IS ALIVE WITH THE COLOR OF CHANGING TRADITIONS.

Plant a row of seedlings to ensure next year’s harvest. Crest a 15,000ft pass and give thanks to the Mother Earth. Float by canoe along tropical waterways in the embrace of the jungle.

In the folds of the Andes, Quechua communities are learning to cope with the impacts of climate change while staying rooted to traditional ways of life. In Central America, Mayan communities listen to Reggaeton while weaving patterns handed down from centuries past.

These landscapes and stories impart valuable lessons about globalization, indigenous identity in our modern world, and natural resource use in some of the most diverse pockets of our planet. Latin America is a land of movers and shakers, of sacred peaks and vibrant community systems, of rhythm and color.

Whether you’re interested in learning more about the silver mines in Potosí or the rhythms of marimba in Guatemala, Latin America is a landscape rich with beauty, complexity, and transformation.

In Latin America, we are students of community reinventing itself…

are you?

35

G UAT E M A L A S PA N I S H L A N G UAG E I N T E N S I V E 4-Week & 6-Week Summer Abroad Programs

AGES

Investigate issues of social justice amidst Guatemala’s diverse landscapes and communities while improving your Spanish language skills through personalized instruction.

June 28 – July 28 June 28 – August 8

15 – 17 16 – 18

OUR GUATEMALA COURSE OFFERS THE PERFECT MELD OF INTENSIVE

Todos Santos. Hidden in the clouds, Todos

LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION, LEARNING SERVICE, AND HANDS-ON

Santos is a mystical mountain town that

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. Known as the “land of eternal spring,” Guatemala is a

challenges definitions of “traditional”

country where towering volcanoes cradle the rich cultural heritage of the colorful and

and “modern.” While continuing with

L AT IN AM ER IC A : SU M MER

resilient Maya people. Through this lush and textured land we

36

travel to remote communities to study under professional

ME XICO

Spanish instructors in personalized one-on-one lessons while engaging in authentic homestays and meaningful community-driven learning service projects.

TIKAL

BELIZE

TODOS SANTOS

HOMESTAY

LANGUAGE STUDY

LEARNING SERVICE

FOCUS OF INQUIRY

our Spanish language instruction, we meet with shamans and healers, learn traditional cooking, volunteer in local schools, and receive instruction in weaving and marimba.

We begin our course in Pachaj, a small mountain

We then wind our way into the protective

community nestled in the pine forest outside of

folds of the Cuchumantes Mountains to the

Guatemala’s second biggest city, Quetzaltenango. In

community of San Juan Cotzal. Here we join our homestay families in the fields as

Pachaj, we live with generous homestay families, enjoy

they plant their food staples of beans, corn, and squash. Our comprehensive journey

one-on-one Spanish language instruction, and volunteer

COBAN

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

concludes with a few days in the spectacular colonial capital of Antigua.

with the Chico Mendes Reforestation Project.

G UATE M A L A SANTIAGO ATITL A N

After a three-day trek from Quetzaltenango to Lake

“We sent our son to Guatemala as a teenager, and he returned as a Spanish-speaking,

Atitlan and a visit to the Mesoamerican Permaculture

thoughtful, sensitive and appreciative young man; a powerful evolution!”

Institute, we travel to the highland community of

SAN LUCAS TOLIMÁN

EL

SALVADOR

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

— R O B I N F E L L , PA R E N T

Right: Mitch Haddad

DAYS

DATES

Left: Photos from Dragons archives

30/41

DESCRIPTION

E YA K

AR

D•

•FRO

B O

M

TH

BY CAROLINE FENELON, STUDENT Guatemala Semester

A NEW VIEW ON SERVICE CHOOSING TO DEFER FROM COLLEGE AND TAKE A GAP YEAR IS A MAJOR

how to construct a solar composting latrine. While our friends at IMAP led the construction

ABNORMALITY FROM WHERE I COME FROM. The situation was prompting

of the latrine, we helped where we could—from mixing cement to carrying rocks—all while

questions upon questions: What is a gap year? What do you mean you are not going to

taking detailed notes. We were not imposing our building techniques on the locals. No,

college next year? What will you be doing?

they were teaching us.

How do you begin to explain a Dragons course to anyone? I told these people that I would

The reason why we spent that week learning was actually so we could later act as a

be living in homestays in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala and learning Spanish.

bridge. Luis, a few weeks prior, had received a call from the leader of a women’s weaving

Then, I would pause for their reaction: Wouldn’t you be taking Spanish classes in college?

cooperative who inquired on how to get into contact with IMAP to learn how to build a

“Well, yes, but I will also be volunteering.” With that word, “volunteering,” the doubter’s face would light up with a more approving expression of understanding.

I was always hesitant to throw around that word (volunteering) because I deliberately did

solar composting latrine. It hit Luis—why not have our group use the skills learned working at IMAP to construct a latrine with the weaving co-op? That is exactly what we did.

not choose a program that’s main focus was service. Yet it was as though because I was

Though those two weeks ended up being focused on

traveling to developing countries, everyone expected me to volunteer—like if I was not

construction, or what many would label as “service,” in reality, we were working and learning side by side our

going to volunteer, I was doing something wrong, being selfish.

I remember being welcomed with open arms into families’ homes; I remember studying Spanish in a thirty-six family town; I remember learning so much about local cultures and life in general from the many characters we met along the journey.

transmitting information from one local institute to another one that had asked for it.

It all made me start to think about how I am going to

We have encountered this legendary “service” element on this course; yet the “volunteer work” has been vastly different from what might be imagined. We did not come into a town with the mentality that we were there to help and teach the “less fortunate” how to construct “superior” buildings or live in a “better” way.

explain the past three months when I return home. I could boil the adventure down to being described simply as service work; people would probably be impressed. But the lessons I have learned, and relationships I have formed, go so much deeper. So no, these past three

For example, in our first “service” oriented week, we partnered with IMAP (the Meso-

months have not revolved around service work, and I

American Permaculture Institute), a Guatemalan-founded and run organization, to learn

am not ashamed of it.

LATI N A ME R IC A : S U MM E R

When I recall the past three months, I do not immediately think of volunteer work. Instead,

Guatemalan friends doing what we could to act as a bridge—

Visit the Yak Board for course reflections from Dragons students past and present at YA K.WHER ETHER EB EDR AGON S.COM

37

NICARAGUA COMMUNITY IN ACTION 4-Week Summer Abroad Program

30

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Improve your Spanish through daily instruction and learn the history of grassroots activism in some of Central America’s most socially engaged communities.

June 28 – July 28

16 – 18 HOMESTAY

CENTRAL AMERICA, A NARROW STRIP OF LUSH JUNGLES AND FIERY

LANGUAGE STUDY

LEARNING SERVICE

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

“There have been so many different vibes and opportunities in just one month. I can

VOLCANOES, i s a melting pot of cultural and biological diversity. At its heart lays Nicaragua, the “land of lakes and volcanoes,” and a hotbed for innovative

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

safely say that this course is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”

—ELLA PEPPER

community response to the rapid changes of globalization.

38

(ISPs), with options to play music with a

our Nicaragua program allows students to learn directly from

local band, act with a socially conscious

community activists, farmers, and NGOs working for social justice

theater troop, learn to cook with a giant

and sustainability.

O COTA L ESTELÍ

adobe oven, or take advantage of other

Our journey begins in the picturesque colonial city of Esteli,

M ATAG A LPA

NICARAGUA

LEÓN

intimate homestays, and exceptional language instruction,

MANAGUA

GRANADA

afternoons, we study Spanish with

enjoying the warm hospitality of carefully selected homestays.

professional teachers before cooling off

We then travel to the island of Ometepe, where we summit the

in thunderous waterfalls. After heartfelt

Concepcion volcano and visit lush coffee and banana plantations that skirt its base. Moving on to the highlands of Nicaragua, we settle COS TA

RIC A

myriad learning opportunities. In the

where we deepen our understanding of Spanish language while

into the hamlet of El Lagartillo for a two-week homestay. Local families invite us into their warm, solar-powered homes, share meals and discuss their visions for a brighter future.

goodbyes, we travel south for a learning service project with Los Quinchos, an organization that takes children off the streets of Managua. Nicaragua will capture our hearts and minds with its overwhelming hospitality and hopeful visions for the future.

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

Right: Moriah Kofsky; Photo from Dragons Archives

HONDUR A S

Students dive into independent study projects

Left: Photos from Dragons archives

L AT IN AM ER IC A : SU M MER

With an emphasis on community-based learning service,

“I looked for a course that would challenge me physically, emotionally, mentally yet still teach me about the world. Well I found it.”

—JAMES TEJERA

BOLIVIA SPIRIT OF THE ANDES 4-Week & 6-Week Summer Abroad Programs

30/41 DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Immerse yourself in the Andes: perform ritual mountain ceremonies, trek over snow-swept passes, and discuss the impacts of climate change with local communities.

June 28 – July 28 June 28 – August 8

17 – 19 17 – 19

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

RUGGED TRAVEL

HOMESTAY

LANGUAGE STUDY

KNOWN AS A LAND OF EXTREMES, BOLIVIA IS HOME TO SOME OF THE

on a four-day trek in the snow-capped Cordillera Real range, descending into the

MOST STAGGERING CULTURAL AND ECOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ON THE

dense cloud forests on the edge of the Amazon Basin. Observing striking ecological transitions, we traverse an original Incan roadway that once

language groups, vast mountain ranges,

served a an important trade route between the high

dense Amazonian jungle, and a shifting

Andes and the tropical cloud forests below. Our

socio-political landscape, Bolivia provides

journey takes us along the base of snow-

a panorama for students to explore the links BR A ZIL

between past and present in the heart of South America. Students integrate into several local

CORDILLERA APOLOBAMBA

communities through extended homestays, focused

S O R ATA

language study, and direct engagement with local

L A PA Z

activists and landscapes

COCHABAMBA CORDILLERA REAL

BOLIVIA

culture in the Yungas region.

Our final excursion takes us south landscape home to unique flora and

in a small Quechua farming community. Students enjoy

fauna, aquamarine lagunas, and the largest reserves of lithium on the planet.

House while learning about the vibrant history of grass-

ARGENTINA

and into the heart of Afro-Bolivian

daily Spanish language instruction at our Program roots mobilization and resistance in the Andes.

CHILE

forests, alongside coffee and coca fields,

to the Uyuni Salt Flats, an otherworldly

The course begins in Cochabamba, where we live

PAR AGUAY

capped peaks, through misty montane

Acclimatized to the Andean elevation, we depart

Summiting an active volcano, we discuss issues of resource use and environmental conservation in one of the most dramatic locales on the planet.

W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

LATI N A ME R IC A : S U MM E R

PLANET. Host to 36 distinct ethnic and

TREKKING

39

PERU S AC R E D M O U N TA I N S 4-Week & 6-Week Summer Abroad Programs

30/41 DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Celebrate Peru’s unbelievable diversity: paddle the Amazon River Basin in a dugout canoe and live with Quechua families in the heart of the Andes.

June 28 – July 28 June 28 – August 8

15 – 17 16 – 18

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

RUGGED TRAVEL

TREKKING

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

ECUADOR

TOWERING PEAKS AND STEAMY JUNGLES, OF

and the Spanish conquistadors that

MODERN URBAN CENTERS AND HIDDEN VILLAGES.

came before. A short trek takes

The radical juxtapositions in landscape and culture

HUARAZ CHIQUIAN

of this majestic country are mirrored in the striking

S ATI P O

L AT IN AM ER IC A : SU M MER

LIMA

40

socio-economic disparities that pervade society.

MACHU PICCU CUSCO

PUNTO M A LD O N ATO

BOLIVIA

Students dig into critical development issues

us to Machu Picchu, where we quickly skirt the crowds and settle in for a four-day homestay in the Parque de la Papa. We rise with

by living with families in remote indigenous

our homestay siblings, harvest

communities and exploring seldom-visited

potatoes, herd and milk livestock,

regions of the sacred Andes Mountains

and participate in a learning service

and lush Amazonian forests.

project led by local leaders.

Our journey begins with a short flight into the heart of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest.

A small boat takes us up the Madre de Dios River,

By the end of the course students are equipped with basic wilderness skills, and a deeper understanding of regional environmental issues and the mysticism of Andean cosmology.

where we learn about forest ecology while listening to a symphony of tropical birds and jungle calls. We meet with local elders who share their hopes and fears about regional

“Q’eros changed something big inside me. What I value has changed;

development initiatives.

so has my definition of happiness.”

We travel overland to Cusco, exploring the relics of Sacsayhuamán and the central

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

—JULIA LOTVINA

Right: Nathaly Granados; Sara Monzón

BR A ZIL

Plaza, listening to tales of Incan rulers

Left: Photo from Dragons archives; David Haffeman

PERU

PERU, ANCIENT SEAT OF THE INCA IS A LAND OF

COLOMBIA S T O R I E S O F P E AC E & R E S I S TA N C E 4-Week Summer Abroad Program

30

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Learn about community approaches to conflict resolution and peace-building, explore cities and mountains, and practice Spanish through the arts, dance, and music.

June 28 – July 28

16 – 18

EXPERIENCE A VIBRANT AND DIVERSE COUNTRY FROM SNOWY

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

HOMESTAY

LANGUAGE STUDY

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Our journey begins in a sub-tropical corridor between the Andes and tropical

ANDEAN PEAKS, RAINFORESTS WITH ENDLESS SHADES OF GREEN,

lowlands, where we partner with a cultural and ecological restoration program

ALPINE WETLANDS THAT PRODUCE WATER AS IF BY MIRACLE, AND THE

that is working on the construction of a giant “forest of peace.” From

COLORS AND RHYTHMS OF THE PACIFIC AND ATLANTIC COASTS. with the many traditions of Colombia’s

there, we transition to our first homestay with Guambiano indigenous families in the western Andes, learning about their relationship with land and nature. In Bogotá, we explore one of Latin America’s largest cities, and

indigenous communities, African

practice Spanish through the arts, dance, and

descendants, and people of European

music with young people’s cultural collectives.

heritage create a fascinating

We end our adventure with a trek to the ancient

fusion of landscapes, cultures, and

Lost City in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta,

identities. The history of conflict and

where massive peaks rise up out of the tropical shores

transformation that Colombia has

of the Caribbean to altitudes above 18,000 feet. Our

endured in recent decades, leading to the current Peace Process, offers meaningful lessons around the power of resistance, memory, resilience, and forgiveness in the face of civil conflict.

trajectory connects us to artists and dreamers,

SIERR A NE VADA D E S A NTA M A RTA

VENE ZUEL A

B O G OTÁ

COLOMBIA SAN AGUSTÍN, HUILA

farmers and indigenous leaders, peace builders and musicians, all working to weave together narratives of peace, resistance, and unity for

ECUADOR

their people and nation.

W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

PERU

LATI N A ME R IC A : S U MM E R

These spectacular backdrops—along

ISPs

41 BR A ZIL

The beat of a djembe. The call to prayer. A warm chuckle as your nene pulls up her chair and serves you another plate of ceebu jen.

42

AFRICA HAS ITS OWN RHYTHM.

Sounds announce our arrival in a new place, and slowly their rhythm reminds us that we’ve landed in Africa. In urban Senegal, you’ll find young entrepreneurs huddled in high-tech co-working spaces just as readily as you’ll stumble upon an open-air market selling fish from the morning haul. Get lost among techni-colored mounds of spices or the snow capped Atlas mountains in Morocco. Find the meaning of biodiversity among the Baobab trees of Madagascar.

Whether you’re dancing to the beat of a drum, paddling a pirogue out to sea or sipping black coffee in a souq, there are stories in the lands of our ancestors and wisdom in the echoes of their laughter.

Come ready to hear Arabic, French, Wolof, Malagasy… there are stories waiting to be heard. We’re listening…

are you?

43

MADAGASCAR ISLAND OF DIVERSITY 6-Week Summer Abroad Program

AGES

Explore Madagascar’s biological and cultural diversity, economic challenges, environmental conservation efforts, and the stories of the Malagasy people.

June 28 – August 8

16 – 18

A NTA N A N A R I VO AMPEFY

MADAGASCAR

A M BATA M A N G A

MOR ANDAVA

ANTISRABE

R ANOMAFANA PARK

AF R IC A: SUM M ER

ISALO PARK

44

RUGGED TRAVEL

MADAGASCAR: THE EIGHTH CONTINENT.

coast of the Mozambique Channel for our first

Stunningly diverse and colossal in size, more than 80%

homestay. This community is grappling with

of the plant and animal species in Madagascar are not

habit destruction, and local environmental

similarly unique. Over the past 2,000 years, immigrants

activists share unique perspectives on

have paddled dugout canoes across the Indian Ocean and

these global issue.

floated rafts across the Mozambique Channel, blending the influences of Southeast Asia and Africa into a distinct Malagasy narratives of the Malagasy people, as well as the diverse species that inhabit this incredible island.

HOMESTAY

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

FOCUS OF INQUIRY

the impacts of overfishing and marine

found anywhere else in the world. The Malagasy people are

identity. Over the course of the summer, we uncover the diverse

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

The rest of our journey takes us on a rugged, winding path through rural homestays and breathtaking landscapes.

Whether we’re meeting with policymakers in Antananarivo or looking for chameleons in

Our journey begins in Ampefy, a village nestled in the shadows of a booming waterfall. A short orientation provides the

Andasibe National Park, we come to realize that each creature has a role to play in shaping the future of Madagascar.

foundation for our future travels, as we learn to navigate local transportation, speak with homestay families, and examine the influences of globalization with a more critical eye.

“This trip was incredible. The fact that we fit so much into six weeks and were able to explore so many different aspects of Madagascar from rainforest to beach to sandstone

We journey south to camp in the sandstone canyons of Isalo National Park and search for lemurs in Ranomafana's lush mid-altitude rainforest. Next, we travel to the

canyon was amazing. Everything was an experience. I loved it.”

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

—ELSA BECHU

Right: Cara Lane-Toomey; Gigi Crouch

DAYS

DATES

Left: Eloise Schrier; Bella Heffer

41

DESCRIPTION

MOROCCO C R O S S R O A D S O F M O U N TA I N S & C U LT U R E S 4-Week Summer Abroad Programs

30

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Discover the famed hospitality, faiths, and languages of Morocco across mountain ranges, ancient cities, and rural villages.

June 28 – July 28

16 – 19

WANDERING THROUGH A MOROCCAN SOUQ (MARKET PLACE), FRAMED

BY THE ANCIENT WALLS OF CITY MEDINAS, YOU ARE SURE TO THINK THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED ANOTHER ERA. Hiking along ancient trade routes and current nomadic enclaves, we experience a Morocco that few travelers

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

HOMESTAY

LANGUAGE STUDY

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

“The rural homestay taught me the most. I learned so much in terms of spoken and comprehensive language, Moroccan culture and way of life, and friendship and hospitality. I also learned a lot about myself, as I was surprised I was able to thrive so well in an environment I never could have imagined myself being in.”

—JACKSON KENNA

encounter. Our time in remote villages immerses us in Morocco’s unrivaled hospitality; families welcome us as kin and our tea cups are never left empty.

Throughout the country we

Though Morocco shows us a land of great differences, we come to see how religion and culture unite indigenous provides us wonderful opportunities to learn about

budding Arabic language skills. In the

the history and tradition of this, often mystical, Muslim

imperial cities of Fes and Marrakesh,

culture. Whether outside an intricately decorated mosque in

the sounds of people bargaining in

Casablanca or walking an unpaved road in a quiet mountain

Arabic fill our ears as the smells of

town, we often hear the call to prayer, and are reminded

exotic spices fill your nose. Yet only

five times a day that among the vastly disparate lives of

cities and to a village of peaceful mud huts in the mountains.

Morocco’s people, Islamic culture, faith, and devotion continue to bring families and communities together as it has for over 1300 years.

W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

FES CASABLANCA MIDDLE ATL A S M O U NTA I N S

ESSAOUIRA MARRAKESH

H I G H ATL A S M O U NTA I N S

MOROCCO

AF R IC A : S U MM E R

engage with locals using our

a few hours hike takes us out of the

SPAIN

Amazigh and Arab peoples. Our time in Morocco

45

E YA K

AR

D•

•FRO

B O

M

TH

BY ZANDRA CAMPBELL, STUDENT Dragons Princeton Bridge Year Senegal

SOME THOUGHTS ON RELIGION A WEEK AGO, AS I POSTULATED BEFORE ALLAH

motions of a prayer that didn’t mean anything to me at face

IN A SUFI SERVICE FOR TABASKI (A CELEBRATION

value, we shared something. We were sharing an experience—

OF THE SACRIFICE OF ISHMAEL), TEARS ROLLED

the sun on our faces, the feeling of the plastic woven mat

DOWN MY CHEEKS. The tears surprised me, but I soon

under our knees, and the feeling of jàmm (peace). We were

recognized that I was crying because the practitioners’

connected through these moments in the universe that we

prayer was so beautiful, and they were so united, and I wasn’t

share.

a part of it. Their faith in Allah connected them, and I felt that, despite my love for Judaism, my disbelief in a god

Faith in a god can be a beautiful thing, but it isn’t some

isolated me from that community experience. Afterwards,

magic ingredient for joy—you don’t need faith to do good

the group conversed about their faiths, and members of my

or be connected to people. And in any case, I do have faith. I

team expressed that although they did not subscribe to Islam,

have faith in people to be and do good. The teranga (spirit of

joining in the prayer connected them both to their own faiths

hospitality) pervasive through Senegal gives me hospitality.

and the community. My sadness deepened; everyone’s faith

On our last night in Dene, the spiritual community in which

seemed to be such a part of that community experience that

we stayed during Tabaski, the community threw a goodbye

I so desperately craved. I felt that I must be missing out on

party for us. We danced around a bonfire singing in Wolof,

some of the world’s joy, but you can’t force yourself to believe

and to close the night, one of the woman of Dene sang the

in something, right?

national anthem of the United States in Wolof for us. I was so

With or without God, the world is an amazing place.

taking selfies, and they begged me to pick them up and spin

Statistically, the chances of our own existences are so

them around again and again until I grew so dizzy, I could

infinitesimally small, and the chances of that many people

barely stand. I realized that not sharing the same religion

equally as improbable of existing as I should come together

or even the same god didn’t mean I couldn’t take part in

and stand in that circle around that bonfire is practically

the community. Even going through the seemingly empty

impossible. Yet there we were, and that’s miraculous.

Visit the Yak Board for course reflections from Dragons students past and present at 46

YA K.WHER ETHER EB EDR AGON S.COM

Right: Angelica Calabrese; Nicos Christou

Later on in the day, however, I was playing with all the children as they helped sacrifices the rams. We were laughing and

Left: Christy Sommers

AF R IC A: S U MM ER

touched, I teared up again.

SENEGAL IN THE SHADE OF THE BAOBAB TREE 4-Week Summer Abroad Program

30

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Discover true generosity: live with Senegalese families, learn drum and dance, find yourself immersed in a new worldview.

June 28 – July 28

15 – 17

M A U R aI Tnew A N Icraft, A

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

RUGGED TRAVEL

HOMESTAY

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

SAINT LOUIS DENE DAKAR

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN NDEM THIES

IN SENEGAL. Enter a fortuneteller’s hut and ask

SENEGAL TA M BACO U N DA

TEMANTO SAMBA KOLDA KEDOUGOU

GUINE A

MALI

“The trip did an amazing job of giving us the right direction, but not holding our hands all the time like many other programs out there. I have developed as an individual,

a question about your future. Spin and dance with

as a global citizen, and as a contributing member of a community.”

Sufi mystics. Discover fluent Spanish speakers on

—MICHAEL FORTENBERRY

a mangrove island. Speak with a young man preparing to cross the Strait of Gibraltar to find work

trees turn into lush, green forest. We trek through the foothills of

in Spain. This country is a collision of influences:

the Fouta mountains, visiting Pulaar villages, traditional

French, Islamic, African, and increasingly, American and Chinese. Renowned for its hospitality and tolerance,

We come to rest for a week of homestays, where students live in a traditional thatched-hut

Our journey begins along the sandy shores of Dene, a

family compound. Students spend the day as

community located just outside of Dakar. Here we learn

locals do, working in the fields, milking cows,

cultural norms, study comparative religion, practice

partaking in drumming and dance lessons,

greetings in Wolof and French, explore colorful markets, dance and drum with local teachers, and begin to examine issues surrounding the term ‘development.’ This week

and listening to village meetings.

As we sink into the rhythm of Senegalese

sets the stage for an in-depth exploration of issues related to public health, gender,

life, we see that the tradition of teranga (the

education, social justice, and human migration.

culture of giving) offers us many lessons about

Heading south, we watch the flat desert landscape scattered with ancient baobab

community and the web of connections we share.

W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

AF R IC A : S U MM E R

Senegal makes room for all.

healers, and environmental activists along the way.

47

Take a breath. Listen for the rhythm of your own steps.

48

GAP YEAR SEMESTERS CAN TURN THE WORLD INTO A CLASSROOM.

Beyond well-worn routines, discovery of new perspectives awaits. You might find it from a snow capped peak in the Andes or from a sleepy fishing village in Laos. You could feel moved by an impromptu drum circle in Senegal or a meditation retreat in the Himalayas. This is your time to revel in awe. To find joy in unexpected places. To reconnect with curiosity. To use your voice. To consider critical issues and be optimistic about cross-cultural solutions.

are you ready to let the world teach you?

You don't need a classroom to be a student…

49

RUSSIA

MONGOLIA

BEIJING

CHINA

CHINA

XI’AN

XIAHE

CHENGDU

SOUTH OF THE CLOUDS

KUNMING

NDIA

3-Month Gap Year Program

83

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Improve your Mandarin, practice a traditional Chinese art form, and explore ethnic minority communities throughout China.

Sept 15 – Dec 6 February 7 – May 1

17 – 22 17 – 22

CHINA. FEW COUNTRIES EVOKE THE SAME CURIOSITY AND INTENSE FASCINATION. Our semester in China does more than introduce the contemporary China that is seen in the country’s burgeoning cities; our course takes us among

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

HOMESTAY

LANGUAGE STUDY

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

ISPs

"Some of the best most impactful and enjoyable [memories] were actually unplanned or even unintended. They just happened on the road or were bumps along that road, and those are probably the ones which leave the biggest impressions."

—ROBERT BURNS

this country’s diverse peoples and cultures and across lesser visited urban and rural landscapes. Inventive travel experiences are balanced with a strong language

50

Building on all we've learned and experienced in Kunming, we begin

Kunming—located southeast of the Tibetan Plateau—is our home for six weeks of

travel through China's western

the program. This “city of eternal spring” is the capital of China’s Yunnan Province; an

corridor with unique itineraries

ideal location from which we explore majority Han Chinese/minority relations, economic

each semester that may take

reforms and development, environmental concerns, and China’s rich history. Through

us through Guizhou, Sichuan,

guest-lectures, discussions, and mentored community-engagement, we explore

Qinghai, Ningxia, or Gansu

traditional Chinese approaches to healing, cooking, exercise, art, and music. While

Provinces. With a broad

in Kunming, students live independently with Chinese host families, many of whom

curriculum and an itinerary

represent the “new middle class” within contemporary society. At the Dragons Program

designed to explore the variety

House, we gather for Chinese language study, work on Independent Study Projects,

this country has to offer, our

hear from visiting scholars, and cook traditional meals with fresh foods purchased at

semester program offers an

the local market.

unparalleled overview of China today.

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

Right: Sampor Burke; Emma Hoffman

GA P Y E AR SE MEST ER

history and economic development, society, and cultural traditions.

Left: Parker Pflaum; Photo from Dragons archives

curriculum and a comprehensive, inter-disciplinary exploration of modern Chinese

KUNMING

CHINA

XISHUANGBANA

VIETNAM LUANG PRABANG

LAOS

MEKONG

VIENTIANE

THAILAND

T I B E TA N P L AT E A U T O T H E H E A R T O F S O U T H E A S T A S I A

BANGKOK

3-Month Gap Year Program

CAMBODIA K R AT I E

PHNOM PENH

83

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Examine issues of transboundary resource management within Asia’s largest river basin, explore diverse belief systems, and participate in community driven learning service.

Sept 15 – Dec 6 February 7 – May 1

17 – 22 17 – 22

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

RUGGED TRAVEL

FROM ITS SACRED HEADWATERS IN THE TIBETAN PLATEAU, THE

mines leftover from the US' Secret War. We enter

MEKONG RIVER FLOWS 4,800-KM TOWARDS THE SOUTH CHINA SEA,

rural home-stays on the idyllic river island of Don

CLEAVING A BOUNDARY BETWEEN MYANMAR, LAOS, AND THAILAND.

Dohn, relaxing into “Laos time” as we prepare for

To the Tibetans, the Upper Mekong is a powerful spiritual entity. To the Chinese, the

the final leg of our journey.

river is a means of economic development. By focusing on the interdependency of

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

In Cambodia, we learn about the ancient

people and the natural world, The Mekong Semester examines how the demand for

Angkor empire and the tumultuous history of

electricity and anthropocentric needs are causing irreparable damage to delicate

a region ravaged by war that is once again at

ecosystems and traditional ways of life.

the forefront of development work We meet with activists in Phnom Penh and stay with

Tibetan Buddhist landscapes and examine the impacts of China’s controversial

communities living on the banks of the sacred

mega-dam projects. In border villages, we explore transnational trade and China’s

river. Near the mouth of the Mekong Delta,

impact on the cultural integrity and economic security of the Greater Mekong

we reflect on the long-term health of the river

sub-region.

ecosystem and bring our great journey to a close.

Crossing into Laos, we explore the province of Luang Namtha on treks beneath the jungle canopy and travel through some of the most remote regions in Southeast Asia,

“Dragons strengths are in the authenticity of where they go, what they choose to do and

where cross-border trade and a booming ecotourism industry are contributing to rapid

see, where they stay and how the participants are involved along the way. Dragons does

modernization and environmental degradation. In Vientiane, we turn our focus towards

not just lead students by their hands and guide them, they let them figure things out.”

public health initiatives, visiting an international NGO working to clear unexploded W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

— PA R E N T S O F N I T S A P L AT I S

GA P Y E AR S EM E STE R

Our journey begins in China’s Yunnan Province where we trek through sacred

HOMESTAY

51

CHINA

M A N DA L AY

M YA N M A R K ALAW

LAOS

M YA N M A R TRADITIONS & TRANSITIONS 3-Month Gap Year Program

MAWLAMYINE

THAILAND

83

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Witness democracy in action. Meet with international development experts, volunteer at a Buddhist monastic school, and engage with the rich cultural heritage of Myanmar.

Sept 15 – Dec 6 February 7 – May 1

17 – 22 17 – 22

LEARNING SERVICE

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

to promote ours.” After soaking in the majesty of this Great Dagon Stupa, we hop

THE BARK OF THE THANAKA PLANT AS A NATURAL SUNSCREEN. In 2011,

on a train for to Bagan, the ancient temple complex in the north, for orientation. We

after fifty years under a repressive military dictatorship, the country opened to the

begin lessons in introductory Burmese, Theravada Buddhist traditions, regional power

semester program have the opportunity to explore a complex culture, greatly

GA P Y E AR SE MEST ER

RUGGED TRAVEL

IN MYANMAR, MEN STILL WEAR TRADITIONAL LONGYI AND WOMEN USE

international community. Students on this unique

52

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

structures, and the dazzling complexity of Myanmar's ethnic, historical, and political landscape.

The next few weeks find us visiting the great Mount Popa for a short trek and our

untouched by Western influences.

first encounter with devout Theravada Buddhism. Following a rural homestay in the

Together, we explore themes

village of Atar, students spend five weeks living and learning at the largest monastic

related to cultural preservation,

school in the country. Here we continue our focus on learning service by volunteering

economic development, and

in small groups according to interest and paired with Burmese students to foster

political transition as they

meaningful exchange.

relate to the shifting faces of Myanmar.

We begin our voyage at the tranquil Shewdagon Pagoda, where Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi once asked the world to, “Please use your liberty

After a visit to Shan state for a gorgeous trek through the highlands, students spend the final weeks of the course directing their own travels, perhaps into the Irrawaddy Delta or a journey to Karen state. Concluding the course in Yangon, we see the country through the eyes of merchants, entrepreneurs, and young activists who aim to redefine the way the word sees their country. Over the course of three months, students on our Southeast Asia Semester build core competencies as global citizens and discover community-led models for societal change.

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

Right: Aaron Slosberg; Hannah Richter

YA N G O N

Left: Xenia Octavia Viragh; Danny Wood

BAGAN

CHINA

MANADO

BORNEO

INDONESIA

LUWUK

TA N A TO R A JA

MOROWALI KENDARI

MAKASSAR

C O M M U N I T Y, C U LT U R E , & C O N S E R VA T I O N

WA K ATO B I

3-Month Gap Year Program

INDONESIA UBUD, BALI

AUSTRALIA DESCRIPTION

83

DAYS

Experience the majesty of the most diverse archipelago on Earth: explore Javanese arts, spearfish with sea nomads, and discuss conservation initiatives with local experts.

DATES

AGES

Sept 15 – Dec 6 February 7 – May 1

17 – 22 17 – 22

SPANNING FROM MALAYSIA TO AUSTRALIA, WITH OVER 17,000

mangrove ecosystems, and look at the nuances

EQUATORIAL ISLANDS, Indonesia hosts the world’s highest level of biodiversity

of environmental conservation.

and one of the richest cultural tapestries on earth. Our program begins in Yogyakarta

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

FOCUS OF INQUIRY

islands famous as a source of nutmeg and

have been for centuries. With our Program House as a base, students engage in arts

cloves. Featuring dramatic volcanic formations

study, language instruction, and topical discussions on the course’s themes of religious

draped in luxuriant vegetation and uninhabited

diversity, creative expression, and cultural and environmental conservation, all while

islands wrapped in white sand beaches, the

living with carefully selected homestay families.

Bandas boast incredible marine diversity and a fascinating history at the center of the spice trade.

We return to Yogyakarta to conclude a course that is

coffee production, hike spectacular volcanoes, explore topics in spiritual plurality, and

rugged and comprehensive, and that introduces students to some

develop a deeper understanding of traditional farming.

of the most significant ecological, cultural and geo-political conversations of our time.

We then travel to the southeastern archipelago of Wakatobi, an extraordinary National Marine Park and home to the Bajau people (also known as “sea nomads”).

Staying in the stilted bamboo huts of Sampela, students learn about Bajau culture,

“Each place we went to and family I stayed with showed me something about life.

Swimming with dolphins in the Bandas. Spear fishing in Sampela. Playing soccer in

practices, and religion. We snorkel world-class coral reefs, learn from host fathers

Langa. Playing gamelan in Java. There were so many impactful and enjoyable activities.”

how to fish with spears and nets, attend indigenous ceremonies, visit endangered

— W I L L I A M D U FA U LT

W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

GA P Y E AR S EM E STE R

mysterious Bandas, a small group of volcanic

orchestra), Javanese dance, and shadow puppetry are studied and performed as they

From Java, we head east to the island of Flores where students live in the pastoral

RUGGED TRAVEL

Heading east we may travel to the

on the island of Java. In this center for arts and culture, ritual crafts of gamelan (bronze

village of Langa. Here students stay with generous homestay families, learn about

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

53

CHINA

EH

N E PA L

TIBET NEPAL

LHI

K ATH M A N D U

L A N G TA N G KANCHENJUNGA

BHUTAN

H I M A L AYA N S T U D I E S 3-Month Gap Year Program

INDIA

83

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Experience the mysticism of the Himalayas: trek on the roof of the world, study traditional arts with local masters. Live in a farming village, and sit for a Buddhist meditation retreat.

Sept 15 – Dec 6 February 7 – May 1

17 – 22 17 – 22

THE HIMALAYAS. SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, THESE COLOSSAL PEAKS WITH THEIR VAST WEB OF RUGGED, ISOLATED VALLEYS AND DISTINCT ETHNIC GROUPS HAVE DRAWN ONLY THE MOST INTREPID TRAVELERS

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

HOMESTAY

TREKKING

ISPs

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

"I learned how to harvest barley, milk cows, and sort flax seed. I learned about Ayurvedic healing and took a jungle hike to find herbs. I had private lessons on the Bhagavad Gita.

I witnessed the true meaning of community and felt a deep connection to humanity.”

FROM DISTANT LANDS. Through rural and urban homestays, a retreat in a

—ISABELLE GRANT

Buddhist monastery, high mountain trekking, and in-depth independent study, Dragons

54

deep roots in a mystical land.

Our Himalayan Semester is based in the

a range of concepts in Buddhism and Hinduism and how these blend and co-exist in a beautiful patchwork. From academic discourse to hands-on study, students find areas of personal interest to explore during our time in Kathmandu. Bronze casting, jewelry making, stone carving, thangka (Buddhist iconography) painting, and music

Kathmandu Valley, an ancient crossroads

are just a few of the apprenticeship opportunities available. Students critically reflect

and melting pot of Himalayan peoples.

on their place in the world through exploring concepts of service, visiting grassroots

While living with host families and

development projects, or participating in the daily workings of an ashram.

studying Nepali language, students

From Kathmandu we hike into the foothills of the Himalaya to explore rural Nepali

meet with local scholars and activists

village life. We settle into a calmer pace of agrarian life, living simply while learning

and learn about Nepal’s history, politics,

about subsistence living. We also venture high into the Himalayas for an unforgettable

and culture. The study of spiritual traditions is a central component of our Nepal semester, introducing students to

trek amid the earth’s tallest mountains. Hiking over high elevation passes, we enjoy several weeks of active exploration through one of the most ruggedly beautiful and dramatic areas on earth.

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

Right: Christina Rivera Cpgswell; Stew Motta

GA P Y E AR SE MEST ER

encountering ancient spiritual traditions with

Left: Maria Xu; Scott Diekema

Nepal students explore this remarkable region,

CHINA

TIBE T

A K I S TA N

KANCHENJUNGA

NEPAL

DELHI

GANGTOK KALIMPONG

S A NTI N I K E TA N KO LKOTA

INDIA

INDIA

SUNDARBANS

H I M A L AYA S T O T H E G A N G E S R I V E R 3-Month Gap Year Program

83

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

From the expansive Gangetic Plains to the highest Himalayan peaks, our India semester offers exploration of India’s vast diversity of people, cultures, and landscapes.

Sept 15 – Dec 6 February 7 – May 1

17 – 22 17 – 22

FROM THE EXPANSE OF THE GANGETIC PLAINS TO THE HIGHEST PEAKS

through lush forests. An extended

OF THE HIMALAYAS, D ragons India semester offers students insight into the vast

trek with majestic views of the

diversity of people, cultures, and landscapes across India. Students navigate from

mighty Kanchenjunga, the world’s

verdant tea plantations to high Himalayan passes; from mangrove forests lining the

third tallest mountain, allows

coast to expanses of lush rice paddies fed by the sacred Ganges river. We experience

students to experience the

first-hand how India’s emerging global economy has generated riches for some and

exquisite beauty and power

displaced others, while also raising infinite questions about the role of enduring spiritual

of the Himalayas. Off the

traditions in a modernizing state.

trail, the group settles into an at a local Tibetan Buddhist

rich cultural and spiritual traditions of the region, directly engaging with the pervasive

monastery, gaining insight into

roles of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Shamanism in daily life. Community leaders

Buddhist philosophy and practicing

and experts share perspectives on Indian politics, climate change, and culture, and

contemplative techniques.

farmers.

TREKKING

ISPs

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

intensive meditation retreat

Bengali plains town—allow students to participate in the daily rituals that underpin the

independent study projects engage students with artists, musicians, healers, and

HOMESTAY

Whether participating in colorful Hindu festivals, chanting alongside saffron robed Buddhist monks, or singing

Traveling north to the ancient Buddhist kingdom of Sikkim in the heart of the

along to Sufi Muslim folk songs, India semester students participate in the daily rituals

Himalayas, students settle into a group stay with an indigenous Lepcha community

that underpin the living cultural foundations of the region and inform what it means to

learning about the fragile ecosystem, enchanting folks tales, and going on day hikes

be “Indian” in the 21st century.

W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

GA P Y E AR S EM E STE R

Two extended homestays—one in the Himalayan foothills and another in an idyllic

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

55

CHINA

TIBE T

PUNAKHA

PARO

B H U TA N

NASPE

THIMPU

URA

B H U TA N

INDIA

E N V I R O N M E N TA L S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y & C O M M U N I T Y H A P P I N E S S 3-Month Gap Year Program

BANGLADESH

AGES

Experience this secluded Himalayan country where “happiness” and Buddhist belief systems are the guiding principles underlying economic, environmental, and community development.

Sept 15 – Dec 6 February 7 – May 1

17 – 22 17 – 22

CLOISTERED AMIDST THE DRAMATIC BACKDROP OF THE HIMALAYAS,

TREKKING

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

Starting in neighboring Nepal, we spend our first week learning about the shared geographic and cultural foundations common to this Himalayan region before flying

SCHOLARS ALIKE. Part of its allure can be found in Bhutan’s intentional seclusion

into Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital. Partnering with a Bhutanese environmental NGO, we

royal monarchy carefully controlled external influences, only allowing television into the country in 1999.

Even today, travel to Bhutan is tightly monitored

GA P Y E AR SE MEST ER

HOMESTAY

BHUTAN HAS CAPTURED THE IMAGINATION OF EXPLORERS AND from the world beyond its boundaries. Up until very recently, the

56

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

explore how Buddhist traditions have given rise to a belief in the inherent sacredness and non-economic value of Mother Nature. We live in homestays, engage with thriving Buddhist monasteries, and explore the many sacred sites in the regions surrounding Thimpu. Moving to more remote regions along the border with Tibet, we continue

by a deliberately restrictive visa program

to immerse ourselves in the lesser-explored cultural heartlands of Bhutan through

for foreign visitors. Bhutan’s seclusion,

extended treks in Himalayan peaks, community homestays, attendance of religious

however, has resulted in an unparalleled

festivals, and Independent Study Projects with local masters in traditional arts and

conservation of long-held values,

crafts. Our semester concludes back where we started, with a reflective retreat in Nepal

Buddhist beliefs, and cultural practices.

to help bring perspective and closure to our time together.

Through homestays, community engagement, and immersion in cultural practices, our semester explores how

Throughout our travels in Bhutan, we gain new perspectives on our relationship with the environment, broadened understanding of sustainability, and awareness of how our underlying values can influence individual and societal choices. In a country where the

Bhutanese traditions have created a society

phrase “Gross National Happiness” has become a key metric in national development,

uniquely centered on the values of community

Bhutan presses us to ask how our own “happiness” can contribute to the sustainability

happiness and environmental sustainability.

of our communities and shared resources.

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

Right: Laila Skramstad; Juancho Galich

DAYS

DATES

Left: Chelsea Ferrell

83

DESCRIPTION

ME XICO

TIKAL

BELIZE

G UAT E M A L A

SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS

TODOS SANTOS

PACHA J

S PA N I S H L A N G UAG E & G R A S S R O OT S AC T I V I S M

G UAT E M A L A

3-Month Gap Year Program

SAN JUAN LA LAGUNA ANTIGUA

EL SA LVA D OR

83

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Build Spanish language fluency, examine models of political activism, and engage with diverse Mesoamerican communities and cultures.

Sept 15 – Dec 6 February 7 – May 1

17 – 22 17 – 22

LINKING TWO MASSIVE OCEANS AND CONTINENTS, CENTRAL AMERICA

state of Chiapas in Southern Mexico to explore

IS A CAUSEWAY OF MESOAMERICAN CULTURES AND ECOLOGICAL

the common Mayan cultural heritage which

DIVERSITY. Today, the communities sharing in this Mesoamerican heritage continue

transcends national boundaries. While

a legacy of adaptation to rapid environmental and social challenges. The Guatemala

living with farming communities and

Semester takes a hands-in-the-dirt approach to understanding the indigenous cultures

further honing our Spanish skills,

of Mesoamarica through extended rural homestays, personalized language study, work

students learn about Chiapas’

on community learning service projects, and examination of grassroots activism.

history of revolution and resistance,

In the western highlands of Guatemala, over eighty percent of the population is

HOMESTAY

LANGUAGE STUDY

LEARNING SERVICE

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

participate in agricultural initiatives, climb mystic ancient temples, and

pressures. Living in with indigenous families, we work in el campo, learn Spanish in

explore the delicate encounter between

personalized classes, and immerse ourselves in Mesoamerican culture. Herbal healers,

past and present.

Through a rugged and authentic

Projects while conversations with local NGOs working in human rights, community

exploration of some of the most remote

health, and development provide opportunities to get involved in contemporary

regions of Guatemala and Mesoamerica, our

struggles for continuity and change in Guatemalan society. Beyond intensive

semester unearths the complex issues facing indigenous communities working towards

community engagement and homestays, we explore Guatemala’s geographic and

sustainable development in a globalizing landscape. With intensive Spanish lessons,

cultural diversity through extended travel and hiking expeditions.

rural homestays, and thoughtful learning service engagement, students gain an

The final phase of our itinerary has the option to take us across the border into the

immersive perspective on our relationships with land, tradition, and community.

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GA P Y E AR S EM E STE R

indigenous Maya, maintaining a legacy of rich cultural strength in the face of external

weavers, and community leaders share their knowledge through Independent Study

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

57

BR A ZIL

PERU CUSCO CORDILLERA APOLOBAMBA

SOUTH AMERICA

PUNO S O R ATA L A PA Z COCHABAMBA

ANDES & AMAZON 3-Month Gap Year Program

CORDILLERA REAL

BOLIVIA

CHILE

83

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Examine social movements and environmental conservation efforts in the mountains and jungles of Bolivia and Peru.

Sept 15 – Dec 6 February 7 – May 1

17 – 22 17 – 22

INDIGENOUS WOMEN IN COLORFUL FLOWING SKIRTS. THREE COCA LEAVES PRESSED TOGETHER FOR PACHAMAMA. Fresh snow on a ridge of the

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

RUGGED TRAVEL

HOMESTAY

TREKKING

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

"The most wholesome, frustrating, nourishing, enriching program. This journey came full circle, and the experiences we had on our own, as a group and within Bolivia and Peru

Cordillera Apolobamba. Gold miners bent over trays alongside the Madre de Dios…

seemed to be exactly what we all needed. I would not change a thing.”

— F A R I D A H N D I AY E

These scenes all speak to the many walks of life in Bolivia and Peru. Whether it’s a

58

this display of collective creativity in action,

the Andes & Amazon semester have the opportunity to learn about issues of social

we strike out on our first trek, circling up

justice and environmental activism, while the warm culture of ayni (reciprocity) makes

at night to discuss the impacts of climate

them feel at home throughout their journey.

change as we witness glaciers receding

The semester begins in the agricultural town of Tiquipaya in Central Bolivia. Here,

before our eyes.

students live with local families, largely of Quechua descent, and settle into the rhythms

In Peru, we re-trace ancient Incan

of daily life. Our time is characterized by intensive Spanish instruction, exposure to local

trekking routes to Machu Picchu, and

activists in Cochabamba, and independent study projects (ISPs). This first month lays

venture into the Amazon basin where

the foundation for our future travels, helping students develop critical language and

we listen to indigenous leaders recount

leadership skills. Ready for the next challenge, we set off for the twin cities of La Paz

the impacts of natural resource extraction

and El Alto, dramatic urban centers that sit above 13,000 feet amidst the snow-capped

on their communities. Traveling along tropical

peaks of the Cordillera Real. Here we partner with Teatro Trono, a local theater group

waterways, we conclude amidst a symphony of birds

that empowers youth to engage with issues of social justice on stage. Charged up by

and the embrace of the most bio-diverse forests on the planet.

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

Right: Steven Gu

that resonates from this sacred land seeps into every aspect of daily life. Students on

Left: Grace Powell; Julianne Chandler

GA P Y E AR SE MEST ER

remnant of the Spanish empire or a tribute to Aymara gods, the magic and mysticism

AMBANJA

MAHAJANGA

MADAGASCAR

A NTA N A N A R I VO AMPEFY

MADAGASCAR

A M BATA M A N G A

MOR ANDAVA

ANTISRABE

C U LT U R A L & E C O L O G I C A L D I V E R S I T Y

R ANOMAFANA PARK

3-Month Gap Year Program

ISALO PARK

83

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

Study endangered landscapes and cultures, witness the competing interests of economic development, and discover the natural wonders of the "8th continent."

Sept 15 – Dec 6 February 7 – May 1

17 – 22 17 – 22

SET APART FROM THE AFRICAN CONTINENT, MADAGASCAR IS THE

production while working alongside

FOURTH-LARGEST AND ONE OF THE MOST BIOLOGICALLY DIVERSE

local farmers.

ISLANDS IN THE WORLD. Historical and geographic isolation have made

taxi-brousse, through the candlelight

nowhere else on earth.

of family dinners, or under the canopy

HOMESTAY

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

FOCUS OF INQUIRY

of a lush rainforest; our semester exposes us to the stories that make Mad-

surveys alongside wildlife researchers. We learn about lemurs, an endangered primate

agascar a place unlike any other. Alone at

well-known for their catlike faces, large ears, and playful sounds and behaviors.

the bottom of the Indian ocean lies a beautiful and wild island waiting to be explored.

homestay families and exploring the natural wonders of tsingy (limestone pinnacles) and the Avenue of the Baobabs. After watching the dancing shadows of the majestic baobab

“The most powerful aspects of the Madagascar course were incredibly small things...

trees at sunrise, we travel north to a quiet highland village near the capital. Electricity is

These moments are what make Dragons special because in order to really experience

rare and time passes quickly as we spend our days with families tending to daily needs:

these simple and profound things, one needs to...step out of the ideal and into the

planting crops, fetching sticks for cooking, or washing clothes in the river.

real. Open your mind and let go of the previous, secondhand judgments. Let go of

Even further north, on red dusty roads of the desert, we arrive in a place where the

convenience and complaints. Stop taking everything for granted. Open your mind and

rainforest touches the coast and the scent of vanilla fills the air where we spend the final

listen and look and let everything wash over you.”

weeks of the program volunteering in local villages and learning about cacao and vanilla

— AV A W E I L A N D

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GA P Y E AR S EM E STE R

tems. We trek in two of the country’s most famous national parks and conduct animal

In the eastern region of the country, we practice the Malagasy language with

RUGGED TRAVEL

From the bumpy back seat of a

Madagascar a place where almost all of what you see, hear, and do are possible Early on in the program, we set out to explore some of the country’s unique ecosys-

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

59

SPAIN

FEZ

MOROCCO

H I G H ATL A S M O U NTA I N S MARRAKESH

MOROCCO

A N C I E N T C I T I E S T O T H E AT L A S M O U N TA I N S 3-Month Gap Year Program

ALG ERIA

83

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

From forested mountains to the Sahara desert, study the languages, faiths, and diversity of culture that make up the western-most outpost of the Arab world.

Sept 15 – Dec 6 February 7 – May 1

17 – 22 17 – 22

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

RUGGED TRAVEL

HOMESTAY

LANGUAGE STUDY

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

ISLAMIC ART AND DIVERSE TRADITIONS COMBINE IN THE ENCHANTING

"Jennifer loved everything about the group, the instructors, the people of Morocco and

CITIES WHOSE VERY NAMES STRIKE COLORFUL CHORDS IN THE IMAGI-

Morocco...It opened her mind about what she would like to do with her life...”

NATION: CASABLANCA, MARRAKESH, AND FES. Within and beyond the city

— S A N D R A L E M U S , PA R E N T O F J E N N I F E R L E M U S

walls we explore incredible sites, tastes, and experiences, accessible only to the intrepid unique opportunity to explore philosophical and political Islam, as well as progressive

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approaches to gender issues and ethnic diversity.

Our journey will allow us to compare

youth and elders, urban and rural dwellers, Arabs and indigenous tribes, farmers and

the vastly different rural and urban

academics. Through rugged travel and authentic interactions, we examine the dominate

Moroccan lifestyles, as well as see

issues of this diverse society standing at the crossroads of Middle Eastern, African, and

first hand the varying degrees

European cultures.

to which history and religion

We stay with urban families in cool cinder-block buildings and indigenous

impact daily duties, culture,

families in warm mud-homes, help host communities with daily activities, travel

and understanding of the world

through striking natural settings, and walk through an endless series of canyons in

beyond Morocco. In the western-

search of the opportunity to camp alongside nomadic families. Our time in urban

most outpost of the Arab world,

environments and remote villages immerses us in Morocco’s unrivaled hospitality, as

we explore a culture which will

people welcome us as kin and our cups are never left wanting for sweet mint tea. In

embrace us at every opportunity

a world where understanding Islam becomes increasingly relevant, we are given the

with its famed hospitality and kindness.

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

Right: Elke Schmidt; Nicos Christou

GA P Y E AR SE MEST ER

We travel through the most ecologically diverse country in North Africa. Buses and pack animals help us wind through the great diversity of people who make up Morocco:

Left: Stefan Reutter; Ami Li

traveler fueled by a curious spirit.

MAURITANIA

SAINT LOUIS

DAKAR THIES

SENEGAL TA M BACO U N DA

THE

KOLDA

MALI

G AMBIA KEDOUGOU

LABE

WEST AFRICA RHYTHMS OF SENEGAL 3-Month Gap Year Program

GUINE A

83

DAYS

DESCRIPTION

DATES

AGES

From agricultural villages to mangrove islands, explore West Africa while delving into artistic and musical traditions in a culture renowned for its generosity and hospitality.

Sept 15 – Dec 6 February 7 – May 1

17 – 22 17 – 22

"Amazing and transformative! Eve learned so much about global issues...She became sensitized to how people live outside the US and the challenges they face. All this learning and growing took place within a joyful, warm and welcoming environment."

— PA R E N T S O F E V E S T E I N

PROGRAM COMPONENT EMPHASIS

RUGGED TRAVEL

HOMESTAY

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

FOCUS OF INQUIRY

language skills at the market, in service work, and with the community.

Casting off in a pirogue (a Senegalese fishing boat), the group sails to an island community in the where students are

AS YOU WALK DOWN THE STREET IN SENEGAL, PEOPLE GREET YOU WITH

welcomed by host families. We serve

THE WORD “PEACE” AND STRANGERS INVITE YOU INTO THEIR HOMES

alongside a local women’s cooperative to replant mangroves and camp on nearby islands, catching fish for our dinner and

when hundreds of people stop to worship on the city’s sidewalks. Senegal’s famous

keeping our eyes peeled for the dolphins,

hospitality, called “teranga,” is in the air from the moment we set foot on the sandy

manatees, and flamingos that call this

streets of Dakar.

unique environment home. Returning to

The semester takes us from the French colonial outpost of St. Louis, to the

the mainland, our feet carry us to breathtaking

fast-paced capital of Dakar, all the way to a Sufi Islamic coastal village on a white

waterfalls and plateaus, where we speak with local

sand stretch of beach. Students on this semester stay almost exclusively with local

environmental activists and explore the home of some

families and have the opportunity to meet with leaders, traditional healers, regional

of West Africa’s last chimpanzees.

development specialists, and other experts in West African history, geography, and philosophy. Students study Wolof and French throughout the semester, using their new

We conclude in an artist enclave perched on rocky cliffs above the sea, leaving with stories we carry with us, and continue to tell, for years to come.

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GA P Y E AR S EM E STE R

FOR A CUP OF TEA. It's a country of contrasts where new development occurs beside centuries-old traditions. The Muslim call to prayer sounds five times a day

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B E YO N D S U M M E R & G A P P R O G R A M S T H E R E A R E M A N Y WAYS TO E N G AG E Dragons offers other types of programs. Whether you are a parent, teacher, college student, or business leader, Dragons has opportunities for inspired community engagement, facilitated

62

COLLEGE STUDY ABROAD

EDUCATOR PROGRAMS

ADULT PROGRAMS

PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS

F o r- C re d i t A c a d e m i c Courses for College Students

F o r Te a c h e r s , E x p e r i e n t i a l E d u c a t o r s , & Ad m i n i s t ra t o r s

F o r A d u l t Tr a v e l e r s , Fa m i l i e s , & P r i v a te G r o u p s

For Schools and Organizations

An alternative approach to college study

International and domestic professional

Small, expertly-guided travel groups with

Customized travel programs for schools

abroad through cultural exploration,

development courses that deliver a core

itineraries customized to inspire curiosity

and universities. Consulting and training in

regional and intercultural studies,

curriculum in cross-cultural and experiential

and cultivate profound relationships with

ethical cultural engagement and program

independent research projects, language

education while immersing educators in

people and place.

development.

courses, and a small-group experience.

critical global issues.

This Page: Elizabeth Causey; Amrit Ale

experiential learning, and intentional cross-cultural travel. Here are a few ways to go Where There Be Dragons...

N OT E S O N S A F E T Y U N D E R S TA N D I N G O U R R I S K M A N AG E M E N T SYS T E M S At Dragons we challenge our students intellectually, emotionally, and physically because we believe growth and discovery are often found outside of their comfort zones. Our job is to create opportunities for meaningful challenge while safely, professionally, and transparently managing the inherent risks of travel. In our 25+ years of experience in the field, we’ve successfully trained over 1,000 Dragons Instructors and stewarded over 300,000 “in-field” days. Over time, we’ve built robust risk management systems, extensive local contacts, and a practiced understanding of regional safety issues that help us to offer innovative and intentional programming.

THERE ARE FOUR FOUNDATIONAL ASPECTS OF OUR RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS THAT ENSURE SAFETY IS ALWAYS OUR TOP PRIORITY:

1

W E H I R E E X P E R I E N C E D I N ST R U C TO R S Typically, a Dragons instructor team collectively represents multiple languages, ten or more years of in-country experience, and years managing groups in remote settings. Every instructor

team has Wilderness First Aid/Responder, or higher, medical certifications. Instructors are also adept at working with students to manage medical issues.

2

W E P L AC E A P R E M I U M O N I N S T R U C T O R T R A I N I N G A N D P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E LO P M E N T Each year, we facilitate a 2-week all-staff training focused on student group management, physical and emotional safety, cross-cultural communication, experiential education, leadership

development, and international risk management. We also lead trainings on best practices in international programming for outside faculty, schools, and organizations. For these reasons, schools and universities such as Princeton University, Thacher School, Milton Academy, and over 50 other institutions have chosen Dragons to design and facilitate custom programming.

3

W E H AV E A N E X P E R I E N C E D 2 4 / 7 S U P P O R T T E A M With experienced administrators based domestically and internationally, Dragons Risk Management Team is dedicated to ensuring the highest-quality international programming, with careful

attention to the safety and security of our students, instructors, and in-country partners. This team is on-call 24/7 while students are in the field.

4

W E H AV E A R O B U S T N E T W O R K O F I N T E R N AT I O N A L R E S O U R C E S Our organization is built on 25+ years of personal connections, and we often receive word of security issues before they are taken to press. We supplement word-of-mouth

updates with reports from the US State Department, the Overseas Security Advisory Council, the World Health Organization, and the Center for Disease Control. We work closely with International SOS to receive access to 24/7 medical consultation and emergency support services. We have carefully researched in-country medical facilities and our instructors go into the field with comprehensive emergency management tools.

?

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT DRAGONS SAFETY AND SECURITY POLICIES PLEASE CONTACT US. WE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DISCUSS THE FINER POINTS OF OUR RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS WITH YOU.

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M E E T A F E W O F O U R I N S T R U C TO R S T H E Y A R E E X P E R I E N C E D E D U C ATO R S . T H E Y A R E CO M M U N I T Y B U I L D E R S . T H E Y A R E M E N TO R S .

With an average of 4+ years living abroad and local language fluency, our instructors have developed the skills to return to communities as cross-cultural liaisons. Our instructors draw upon personal networks to create opportunities for connection and guide students as they navigate inter-cultural nuances. We feel honored to work with this incredible community of global educators. We hope you’ll take a moment to get to know them.

4: 1 RAT I O

H IGH R ET E N TIO N RATE

E DU CATIO N

A typical group consists of

On average, over 80% of our

The majority of our instructors

Dragons Instructors average

51% male, 49% female; the

12 students and 3 instructors

instructors return each year; over 60%

hold a masters degree or PhD

30+ years of age and have a wide

majority were born outside of the

range of professional backgrounds

U.S. and are multilingual

have worked 3+ programs

LI FE EXP ER I ENC E

Shuier Zhang China

Anna McKeon Cambodia

Shuier's parents have been Dragons homestay parents for over a decade in Yunnan. She spent the last 10 years studying in the London area, where she works as a professional translator and interpreter. She loves using her language fluency to bridge cultures and facilitate communication. When she is not leading Dragons students or working on translation projects, Shuier works as a freelance art journalist, writing about art exhibitions in London for publishers in China.

Anna left university intending to be an actress and singer in London’s West End, but ended up working on social change initiatives in Cambodia. Anna's experiences along the way have given her a unique skill set that she finds particularly useful for introducing young people to new cultures, challenges, and perspectives as they explore the world and their own identity. Now a freelance communications consultant based in Phnom Penh, Anna spends most of her time working for the Better Volunteering, Better Care initiative, advocating against volunteering in orphanages and promoting ethical and responsible volunteering alternatives.

Joseph Vincent China

Uttara Pant India

Joseph first began learning Chinese at the age of sixteen when he moved to Taiwan as a Rotary exchange student. He continued to study Chinese literature, history, art, and religion at Reed College before completing his MA in Chinese Literature at National Taiwan University. Joseph came to Dragons after two years working as an instructor at the Chinese summer programs at MiddleburyMonterey Language Academy and when not instructing for Dragons, works as a translator for Tzu Chi Foundation, a Buddhist NGO based in Hualien, Taiwan.

Uttara’s love for the mountains began in the Palani Hills of India. Here, among eucalyptus trees and bison, she attended an international boarding school with students from around the world. Moving to the US, she attended Sarah Lawrence and Harvard Universities while focusing her studies on psychology, geography, and development economics. After graduation, she found her way to SECMOL, an alternative school in the remote Himalayan communities of North India, and later worked at Navdanya, an India based NGO working to preserve traditional agricultural methods through seed banks and advocacy for women farmers’ rights.

Talia Brooks-Salzman China

Ming Jiu Li China, Southeast Asia

M.Sc. in Translation Studies, University of Edinburgh M.A. in Interpreting and Translation, University of Westminster

B.A. Chinese Literature and Language, Reed College M.A. Chinese Literature, National Taiwan University

B.A. East Asian Studies, Oberlin College M.S.O.M. Acupuncture & Chinese Herbalism, SW Acupuncture College A past Dragons student, Talia majored in East Asian Studies at Oberlin, concentrating on Mandarin, Chinese religion, and politics before recently completing a 4-year graduate degree in East Asian Medicine. She has worked and lived in Cambodia, Laos, Japan, and China as a cross-cultural educator with US and international students. In her native New York City, Talia has worked in education and advocacy around issues of body awareness and identity through The Body Positive. She is a Wilderness First Responder, yoga teacher, and acupuncturist.

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DI VER SI T Y

QUESTI ON S? GI VE US A CA LL AT 303.41 3.0822

M.A. University of Cambridge: English Literature P.G.Dip GSA Conservatoire, Musical Theatre

B.A. Liberal Arts, Sarah Lawrence College M.A. International Education Policy, Harvard

B.S.E. Environmental Engineering, Duke University Ming was born in southwest China, but spent most of his youth in Singapore.

After finishing high school, and two years of mandatory military service, Ming moved to North Carolina where he obtained his engineering degree from Duke University while working on issues of gender and social justice with the Women’s Center. Ming has led over 5 courses in China and Southeast Asia with Dragons. As an educator, he is guided by Simone Weil’s quote that “attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.”

Caitlin McKimmy North India

Irene Platarrueda Latin America

Caitlin once found the word “Dragons” spelled out in stones at the crest of a high mountain pass in North India. Intrigued, Caitlin tracked us down, and has since led courses in the Himalayas and the Andes. Caitlin speaks Tibetan, Hindi and Spanish. She has lived in a Buddhist monastery in central India, taught English in Northeast Tibet, interviewed Sri Lankan forest hermits about love, and worked with the Tibetan community in exile to understand their conception of “Buddhist Ecology.” Caitlin believes that the upheaval of conscientious travel can unearth something inexpressibly rich within us.

Irene spent her early childhood in the Colombian Amazon forest where her mother worked with indigenous communities. Later, her family moved to the shores of Lago Atitlan in Guatemala. As she grew up, Irene came to believe that the real richness of our planet lies in the diversity of the human experience. Irene has since worked with the United Nations Development Program on a joint peacebuilding initiative with the Colombian government. Irene is committed to holistic community building, and works with Dragons students to help them realize the fullness of their potential.

Japhy Dhungana Nepal

Richard Brown Guatemala

B.A. in Religion and Neuroscience, Carleton College M.T.S. in Buddhist Studies, Harvard Divinity School

B.A. Summa Cum Laude, with Honors in Anthropology from the University of California Los Angeles.

Japhy speaks five languages, and always has a difficult time answering the question: “Where are you from?” Raised in Nepal, Japhy spent his childhood exploring the Himalayas and dreaming of exploration and adventure in distant places like California. As a teenager, he immigrated to inner-city Los Angeles with his family, setting the stage for a dramatic cross-cultural education.

After completing his undergraduate studies, he rode his beloved bicycle, “Bucephalus,” from his mother’s front door in the US all the way to Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia. Japhy is an accomplished alpinist and rock climber.

B.A. in Socio Cultural Anthropology from the National University of Colombia

B.A. Anthropology, Columbia University Born in South Africa to a journalist and a diplomat, Rich has lived in Guatemala since 2013. After graduating from Columbia, he worked with miners and activists in rural Appalachia to combat mountaintop removal coal mining. Rich is an editor and journalist for EntreMundos, a bilingual magazine in Guatemala focused on human rights and social development issues. Rich is just as passionate about identifying bird and plant species as he is about fostering intercultural dialogue.

Nick Gredin Nepal, North India

Micah LeMasters Madagascar, Indonesia

Nick found his passion for cross-cultural education and Buddhist studies as a past Dragons student in Nepal. After completing an undergraduate degree in sociology, Nick went on to earn his master’s degree in religious studies with a focus on Sanskrit language and the spiritual traditions of the Himalayas. He then trained as a Wilderness EMT before returning to Nepal in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquakes to work for a year with Helping Hands Health Education, an NGO that provides medical and educational aid in rural Sankhuwasabha District.

Micah first traveled outside of the US after buying a plane ticket to London on a whim. Immediately falling in love with the idea of ‘other’, he spent a year living in Australia studying Aboriginal history and Australian literature. After several backpacking trips through Europe and the US, Micah joined the Peace Corps in Madagascar, where he taught high school, conducted adult literacy classes, and worked with the World Wildlife Federation. He then enrolled in a Master’s course where he studied the implications and effects of multi-modal literacies, cultural nuance and language on educational processes and experiences.

Claire Bennett Southeast Asia, Himalayas

Babacar Mbaye Senegal

Claire is driven by a passion for global equality and social justice. She first ventured to Asia as a volunteer in Nepal and later returned to found a rural development organization, PHASE. Since then, she has spent time volunteering in Cambodia, coordinating regional strategy for “global education” within the UK school system, and facilitating Global Youth Action—a global work project for disadvantaged youth. Claire is an incurable optimist and has boundless energy – mainly fueled by caffeine from her British tea-drinking habit. She’s currently writing a book on the value of learning service, instructing courses for Dragons, and working as a freelance development consultant.

It takes a wise man to know one, and sometimes it feels hard to quantify all that Babacar brings to a Dragons program. Babacar is an educator at heart, and has worked as an English teacher in Senegal since 1997 after receiving his MA in English. Babacar has been working with Dragons since 2006, first supporting Dragons summer courses and more recently moving into a full-time position with our Princeton Bridge Year program. Although students see Babacar as their fearless leader, he maintains that he is first and foremost a student of their unique perspective and wisdom.

Juan Salvador Galich Guatemala

Sidonie Emerande Madagascar

M.A. Religious Studies, Naropa University B.A. Sociology, University of Southern Maine

M.A. History, University of Cambridge

Proud of being the son of artists and a true nature lover, ‘Juancho’ has worked as a professional guide and educator in Antigua Guatemala for over 10 years.

When he is not climbing volcanoes or guiding film crews on adventures, he is collaborating on musical projects with local and international artists. Juancho discovered the beauty of Guatemala through his passion for mountain biking and outdoor adventures, and was inspired to work as a local activist campaigning to help support communities as they endeavored to preserve nature and improve their lives. Juancho is a trained chef who traveled and lived in the U.S. for two years before following his heart back to Guatemala—where he continues to pursue a lifestyle that is deeply connected to the natural landscape.

B.A. with honors, American history/English, University of Indianapolis M.S.ed, Literacy, Language and Culture studies from Indiana University

M.A. English, Cheikh Anta Diop University

B.A. Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching M.A. Studies in Civilization on Gender/Social Issues, Antananarivo University Growing up in Madagascar, Sidonie moved around the country for her parents’ work. At 19, she participated in an international exchange program that sparked her passion for exploration and adventure. She started her teaching journey with Peace Corps in Madagascar as a Malagasy language and cross cultural facilitator.

Sidonie’s work with Peace Corps allowed her to collaborate with US volunteers, NGOs, and local authorities. Sidonie is also a lover of languages and speaks Malagasy, English, French, German, and passable Arabic and Spanish.

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W H AT C A N I H O P E TO G A I N FROM THIS EXPERIENCE? A CO M M O N Q U E S T I O N , A N SW E R E D BY O U R PA R T I C I PA N T S

“I was challenged. I became more confident. I became more inspired. We had incredible discussions. I learned about a new culture which in turn made me think critically about myself and my own life. I reevaluated my values and I think I am now a more loving, compassionate, understanding, curious, and inspired person.”

—EL WILLIAMS, SOUTH AMERICA SEMESTER “Before my Dragons course, I knew I was passionate about global engagement, but had no idea how to translate that internal drive into action. After my course, I felt as if I gained the

“My time in Indonesia has allowed me to act, advocate, and lead by example for friends and family about world issues I really care about. Even three years later, I think about my

confidence, courage and support to get out into the world—whether that meant becoming

homestays, instructors, and friends from the trip all the time. It ignited a passion for global

involved in a club at my school, as a volunteer in my local community, or with the issues of a

environmental and social justice causing me to choose my specific majors and minors at school

country far from home.”

—OLIVIA SOTIRCHOS, NORTH INDIA PROGRAM

(Environmental Studies, Sociology, and International Development). My semester in Indonesia gave me so much direction for who I want to be.”

— C R I S S Y M c C A R T H Y, I N D O N E S I A S E M E S T E R

“I no longer get impatient in lines in the grocery stores or complain about the long wait for my coffee. My world is bigger now, and my town feels smaller. I feel a little more caged in—not a great feeling, but I know that it will push me to keep on getting out of my comfort zone and keep traveling.”

“The community from which I come has shaped many of my views, mannerisms, and perspectives; while this is generally okay,

— K AT E C A N N I N G , M A D A G A S C A R P R O G R A M

such a cloistered outlook on the world

“I learned about resource extraction, the lives of indigenous tribes in the Amazon, Andean

concerning the lives, thoughts, and

inevitably leads to a lack of perspective spirituality and music, and about my fellow Dragons who made my experience truly

struggles of people around the

unforgettable. But the greatest effect that my experience had on me was my perspective on

world. Exposure to Moroccan

myself. Through reflection, Peru taught me more about my role in the world as a global citizen,

people, in all their differences

my role with my peers, and about who I want to be.”

compared to Americans, radically

— W I L L L e VA N , P E R U P R O G R A M

changed my worldview. Meeting Muslims daily and having

“I’ve started meditating daily since I got home, and have been keeping a gratitude journal I write in every few days. When it is so easy to get swept away in the chaos of my senior year of high school, filled with college applications, difficult classes, family responsibilities, friends, and everything else, I have found that my experiences abroad have become a grounding force.”

— S I LV A N A M O N T A G U , E A S T E R N H I M A L AYA S P R O G R A M 66

informative conversations about their faith changed the way in which I view religion.”

—BRETT COHEN, MOROCCO PROGRAM

Resting on trek, a Dragons instructor and student share a moment of reflection inspired by the surrounding Bolivian Andes. Keaton Smith

S O W H AT N O W ?

NEXT STEPS

THE SEARCH FOR THE RIGHT SUMMER OR SEMESTER P R O G R A M S TA R T S W I T H A S K I N G G O O D Q U E S T I O N S .

VISIT OUR WEBSITE Visit Dragons website to see photos, videos, more specific program descriptions, and read participant reflections from the field via our Yak

Here are some for you to consider (and ask of different providers) as you do your research:

Board. If you have questions while exploring our site, just send a message to us via Live Chat.

»» How many years have you been running international programming?

SPEAK WITH DRAGONS STAFF

»» What is your ratio of instructors to students?

Give us a call! We love hearing from prospective students and

»» What are the typical professional qualifications and ages of your field staff? »» Do your field staff speak the local languages and have extensive in-country experience?

parents. Our staff is ready to answer any question, no matter how big or small. And we’re always happy to put you in touch with alumni students for their perspective on specific programs.

»» How many of your staff return year after year?

MEET A DRAGONS INSTRUCTOR We have Dragons instructors touring the country and meeting with

»» What type of trainings do you provide your field staff?

prospective students and families. Connecting in-person is a great way to hear about programs and find out if Dragons is right for you.

»» How do your mitigate and respond to risks on course? »» How are your programs and itineraries designed?

READY TO JOIN US?

»» How do you approach the theme of “service” and manage the dangers of “voluntourism”?

Don't wait too long. Our most popular summer and semester programs generally start to fill up 3-6 months before departure. Students

»» How do you ensure the sustainability of your programming with local communities?

are admitted on a first-come, first-serve basis, so get in touch to hold

»» How do you help students apply what they've learned abroad after they return home?

remaining on a specific program.

your place on a program. Or check our website for updates on the spots

To hear our responses to these questions, and more, give us a call at 303.413.0822.

WHERE THERE BE DRAGONS ON INSTAGRAM

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APPLY ONLINE

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SUBMIT A DEPOSIT TO HOLD YOUR SPACE

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INTERVIEW

FINANCIAL AID Any student that demonstrates reasonable financial need is eligible to apply for financial aid. When awarding financial aid, we look for applicants who are curious, driven, and ready to fully engage with communities around the world.

Follow us on Facebook for community news and reflections, photos, and videos from around the world. facebook.com/WhereThereBeDragons

Approximately 20% of our students go abroad with some level of financial assistance each year. Check out our website to find out more.

W W W.W H E R E T H E R E B E D R A G O N S . C O M / S T U D E N T S

67

MAPMAKERS ONCE DREW DRAGONS TO REPRESENT LANDS UNKNOWN. BOLD EXPLORERS WHO VENTURED BEYOND THE MAP’S EDGE WERE SAID TO GO

“ where there be dragons ”…

There are people who live their lives for adventure, exploration and knowledge… people who are willing to venture into the unknown for the sake of discovery.

For those people, we offer incredible experiences. We hope you are one of them.

RUGGED TRAVEL

HOMESTAY

LANGUAGE

TREKKING

STUDY

LEARNING SERVICE

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

INDEPENDENT STUDY PROJECT

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

741 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO 80302

Phone: 303.413.0822

OR

800.982.9203 | Email: info@wheretherebedragons.com

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