High School Study Abroad in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The Wildlife Rescue Center in Jogjakarta provides a safe haven for an array of 'at risk' animals from the rainforests of Borneo. The center is dedicated to rescuing, and where possible, rehabilitating wild animals so that they may one day return to their natural habitats. Some of the animals being housed at the center include orangutans, Siamang gibbons, crocodiles, raptors including the Javan eagle, and many other bird species. Help aid with rehabilitation efforts through intimate encounters with primates and spend time teaching basic English to help with continued conservation education.

Comprised of over 17,000 islands and 700 living languages, Indonesia is home to the highest level of biodiversity of any nation. Whether hiking through bamboo forests, spearfishing with your homestay father, or examining gender roles in the world’s most populous Muslim nation, Indonesia is sure to challenge your worldview and stimulate your senses. Students on the Indonesia summer abroad program examine the complex relationship between cultural and environmental preservation as they traverse ecologically and anthropologically distinct islands in Indonesia’s grand archipelago. Arriving in Yogyakarta, students dive into Javanese culture, working with street artists, attending shadow-puppet shows, and studying the basics of the Bahasa Indonesian language. We then head east to the island of Flores. We meet with local coffee producers, hike amid dormant volcanoes, and learn about local religious traditions with our gracious hosts. A few flights and boats take us to the archipelago of Wakatobi, home to the Bajau people, or the “sea nomads.” We embrace their unique lifestyle, snorkeling over fragile reefs, attending indigenous ceremonies, and learning about conservation initiatives.