Human Rights Advocacy Study Abroad Programs in Africa

I had a lovely time here, although it was not without flaws. The amenities were not great especially considering how much we paid to be here. The company guilt tripped and body shamed us. But I made innumerable new friends and had experiences that I will cherish forever.

Very nice experience, learned a lot. People I’ve met here are now friends I will still be in contact with. The internship was where I learned new skills and networked with people within the fashion industry and got inspired by being here abroad

Tremendous staff. Environment is like none other and they accommodate well. For Seville, the city has been tremendous and CIEE gives you a proper introduction to this magnificent city. Whether an intern or a student during one of the sessions, you can get along with everyone and overcome the anxieties of a new city

I would be very likely to recommend CIEE Study Abroad to a friend because this program gives you many opportunities to explore the city you are in as well as the surrounding areas. All of the employees are very kind people who will be their to uplift and support the students who are abroad.

My study abroad in Rabat, Morocco was unlike any academic or cultural experience I'd ever had before. In a city rich with religion, language, and life, the history and culture of Morocco were embedded into every corner, every view and every interaction I had. Along with taking relevant courses on North African politics, North African cultural identities, and media in the Middle East, all taught by Moroccan professors, my study abroad experience was enhanced through my experience living with a host family, and the relationship I cultivated with them throughout my four months in Rabat. IES Abroad Rabat also did a fantastic job of hosting weekly cultural events and organized numerous group trips to different cities and regions across Morocco; some of my favorites included Chefchaouen and the Sahara Desert! This experience not only allowed me to further explore academic interests in North African post-colonial politics but also develop personal ties in the exploration of potential career paths that could take me back to Morocco.

I have had a great experience, it is organized and comes at a good cost. The staff on-site is very supportive and helpful (as well as Brooke in Portland), but we had an emergency situation and the Portland higher-ups didn't handle it well, nor did anyone answer the emergency number provided to us.

I feel that CIEE tries to have activities for us and I really do feel that I am learning a lot here. Also everyone here seems really nice and I feel that though we are different a lot of the students seem to have the same mindset and its a good chance to network.

CIEE is very well-staffed and they do everything they can to make sure you have the best experience possible. Everyone is friendly, the rules and guidelines are laid out for you, and the excursions CIEE plans are a blast!!

This has been the best summer of my life. Everything about CIEE has blown me away. Virginia Niera has been an extremely attentive and helpful program director. She and Antonio Romero were both quick to offer help with any issues I might have. The professors, Amador Fernandez and Antonio Rodriguez, taught with enthusiasm and care. Each class genuinely excited and intrigued me. They graded fairly and truly cared about students understanding and learning. We took informative, fun, and interesting trips. They were all well-planned and extremely enjoyable. The tour guides we had, Adrian and Alicia, were knowledgable and made the tours very meaningful. The trip to Morocco really opened my eyes to other cultures and ways of life. Finally, my homestay could not have been better. I really got close to my host family, and I felt like I had a place in Seville where I could be totally comfortable. I have already recommended this program to two of my friends, and I plan to encourage more to do it if they w

My first experience abroad and I love it here. I feel that CIEE tries to have activities for us and I really do feel that I am learning a lot here. Also everyone here seems really nice and I feel that though we are different a lot of the students seem to have the same mindset and its a good chance to network.

Study abroad is something that everyone needs to be apart o at least once in their lifetime, and CIEE was a great way to do it. I think I would recommend this because we’re given a place to reside in a foreign country with people who have no problem helping you at the drop of a pen. The CIEE community becomes your family and makes you feel like you’re at home and always offer things to do for free or at least help to make your study abroad experience as great as it can. It’s also nice that you can choose from different programs and either be a student for half and an intern for the other half, be an open campus student and stay for an entire semester, or every 6 weeks choose a new home. It’s an amazing experience for a reasonable price but an opportunity and of a lifetime.

While I knew I wanted to go to Morocco to study abroad, I was stuck choosing between two extremely prominent, strong programs, with IES being one of them. I had all but settled on the other option when I found IES, and began to explore the website. From its online presence alone, IES stood out as a transparent, direct program that provided students with the aid and information needed to successfully study abroad; ultimately, this was what swayed me to choose IES. The communication and willingness to help students by IES only got better when I arrived in Rabat. Although I had wanted a bit more pre-departure information regarding class schedules, etc. it became clear once I arrived that some information was inherently difficult to provide, especially with housing in the medina (Rabat’s old city). However, we were taken care of every step of the way. The professors, regardless of their subjects, were always willing to help us understand different topics (even if they weren’t a part of their class!) and were so great about giving travel tips, study tips, or even just to talk about course material more conversationally. They were so eager to help and really, genuinely cared about our learning experiences. This goes beyond the professors, though, to the staff as well. Our coordinator worked (literally) day and night to make sure we were always doing okay, from having check-in meetings, to homstay inspections, to always responding to our WhatsApp messages, to even just having an open door policy where students felt comfortable walking into her office to talk. Our experiences in Morocco were improved a thousand times over because of her hard work, which often went hand in hand with the director’s work. Although he was always really busy, he always found a moment to help us out, even with figuring out travel plans. The faculty and staff at IES Rabat played a huge role in helping us feel comfortable during our time in Morocco. Beyond school though, Morocco could not have been more beautiful, or more inviting, if it had tried. Although the bustle from the walk to and from school was overwhelming at first, it soon became comforting to hear shop owners calling out their prices as food sizzled on grills in the background. We laughed with taxi drivers, bargained with shop owners, and bantered with the waiters at our regular cafe in a way that I never could have expected. I’m still so grateful for the way Morocco welcomed us, and for how its people, and especially my host family, extended their hospitality through food, sarcastic (but loving) jokes, and joy at our immersion in the culture. The people enriched every single experience, from camel rides through the Sahara to driving tours in the peninsula of Dakhla. When I think of the times I miss in Morocco, I find that what I miss most is the people that were there, and how they made each memory so much better. I don’t think I’ll ever know how to fully show my appreciation for my time in Morocco, but I do know that I’ve been home for over a month, and I still think about its beauty every day. I can’t recommend this program, or this country, enough as one of the most rewarding places to study abroad and learn about so many different topics that are rarely discussed in the Western world. I can never thank IES enough, and I know that someday I’ll be back in Morocco to adventure (and eat so much tagine) again.

Rabat, Morocco was not the first place I thought I'd be when studying abroad in Spring. But it was the place that brought forth everything I was looking for in a study abroad experience. 1) I wanted a cultural encompassment. I wanted to learn from a perspective outside of the Western scenario I’d grown up in all my life. How does a little difference highlight the gems of human life? How does it question our unquestioned habits? In Morocco I learned that difference is the warmest reason for people to reach out and connect to each other. A little willingness to speak Darija, the local dialect, and every Moroccan I met wanted to have a conversation. My host family was my real family, with astounding hospitality I could never have expected. The religion I most often heard about in news allegations at home became a cultural foundation rich in history, art, science, and morality. 2) I wanted a vibrant experience. To see lots of color, pleasing architecture, and varied nature surroundings. To taste delicious food as the true foodie I am. To surround myself in beautiful difference as loud as my senses could experience. In Rabat, I met the land of color. Where every wall, floor, and pillow can be a different pattern and official buildings were never bland. If you love food, you will LOVE Rabat. My host mom prepared every meal for her family and encouraged me to try new things. My walk home was a path of temptation from bakeries, sandwich shops, smoothie stands, fresh fruit carts. The U.S. dollar was worth about 9 Moroccan Dirhams, adding to how inexpensive it was to eat. I could enjoy a restaurant meal and dessert for less than 10 USD. 3) Coming from a wintery U.S. university, I wanted to be warm by the beach! Welcome to Rabat, where a jacket will do from January to April, and May was finally warm enough spend a day at by the water. Being so close to the ocean was amazing! If you study here, be sure to take advantage of the view, the sunscapes, soccer on the beach, and more. 4) I wanted travel opportunities and the chance for all kinds of cities and nature. Who knew Morocco is a gradient of desert, mountain, and forest terrains. Rabat’s location was excellent for reaching well known Moroccan cities for under $40 both ways. The ONCF train system made it very easy to travel. There was a train station only about a 15 minute walk from the IES center. Once in a city, I could stay in a hostel for $10 a night or split an Airbnb with friends. 5) Probably my BIGGEST reason for studying abroad was language-related. I wanted to continue learning French with native speakers. Living in Morocco meant I could start learning standard Arabic, another language goal of mine. Here I could see what it was like to live in a society where most people speak about three languages. The language dynamics and feeling on multilingualism was amazing. Moroccans were so encouraging to non-native speakers who tried to communicate. Morocco is rewarding place to learn a new language if you’re nervous about practicing. For learning standard Arabic with no prior experience, this program was a gift. I had one of the best professors who was patient, determined, and informative of the language. I communicated in French with my host family, took three classes in French (1 was at the local university), and sometimes used French to talk to barter or order food. Overall, I began to feel like Darija was the language of choice for the Moroccans I encountered. My host family spoke with each other in Darija, and not every Moroccan spoke French, which was often treated as a more academic or prestigious language. I was surrounded by both French and Arabic writing. I wouldn’t say Morocco is the best place to learn French if you want to really engage with the people there. It was a good place to practice using the French I already knew with confidence. In this way, I know I improved in my pragmatic French skills. I would still like to live somewhere where I had no choice but to speak French with locals all the time. ~~~And that is why I give a grateful shout-out to the Everything that Morocco brought me. Before ending, another subject I can touch on is my academic experience. I took 3 courses including the double-credit Arabic course, I audited 1 course, and I attended a university course in French that began later in the semester. The workload was manageable enough to travel or explore most weekends, but I did feel busy studying every week day. There was not as much work as I expected in similar subjects at my home university, but the subject material always seemed to permeate my day to day life, and time to learn outside of the classroom was much needed. If you’re heart is set on taking a university course with local students, just keep in mind that the University schedule doesn’t always work out with the IES course schedule. The limited options and university timing changes meant that not all students were able to do so.

My time is Southeast Asia was something I will never forget. I got to build incredibly friendships with people and experience a lot of firsts. We went zip lining , snorkeling, to the beach and we volunteered with amazing foundations. We learned Thai and experienced what it was like to live with a host family. Overall this trip has taught me a lot about myself and I would recommend that everyone study abroad.

My time abroad in Thailand and Cambodia was my first time ever leaving the United States. It has always been a dream of mine to travel and I’m forever thankful to Carpe Mundi for giving me the opportunity. The 2 months I spent in Southeast Asia were the best 2 months of my life. I got to hike with elephants, go zip lining, scuba dive in the warm waters of Cambodia, explore huge cities, and spend time volunteering with local people and communities. I made deep connections with my host family and the people in my cohort. Not only did I get to experience all of these amazing things and make life long friendships, I was also able to learn more about myself. I discovered more about who I am as a person and the different things I am interested in. I was also able to push myself out of my comfort zone and try things I never thought I would be able to do. This experience is something that will last with me for the rest of my life.

Everyone needs to go abroad. It is awesome experiencing so many cultures. Professors while abroad are very helpful and care about their students. I really enjoyed getting to know my professors and learning not only class content but also from their real life experiences. Traveling on the weekends was obviously my favorite part of this experience. I was able to visit a bunch of different countries. Wish I could stay longer.

By getting outside of my comfort zone as much as possible, I was able to experience parts of the world while figuring out new things about myself! Staying in a home stay is completely worth it because you get to practice your Spanish and meet incredibly interesting locals!

Living in Spain was such a great experience! From the food to culture and things to do, Spain has it all. I´m definitely going to miss my time here and all the great people I met. Studying abroad helped me grow so much as a person, and I won´t ever forget this experience.

This experience allowed me to reflect on the type of person I am, what I like and what I do not like, and really step out of my comfort zone. Studying abroad has allowed me to develop critical values that are important for everyday life. I have always believed that one of the best ways to erase ignorance is by traveling and my experience here has proved that.

Experiencing Morocco with IES Abroad was life-changing to say the least. From pairing me with the most wonderful host family imaginable to arranging immersive travel experiences, I was consistently impressed with the program. The staff at the IES Center in Rabat were welcoming and ready to help whenever we needed it. They also went to great lengths to have genuine connections with my fellow students and me throughout our time in Morocco, helping us to feel comfortable enough to ask questions and seek advice. On the administrative end of things, IES made every aspect of the experience really easy to understand. From the moment I submitted my application, a very coordinated system of knowledgeable people made sure that I was always in the know about scholarship opportunities, deadlines, updates, safety information, and useful tips. Moreover, IES offers plentiful opportunities to go above and beyond the regular program structure through opportunities to participate in internships, take classes at the local university, and research.