Service Learning

COLOMBIA

9 days/8 nights | Full Board | Up to 30 participants | From $1,670pp

Experience Colombia’s vibrant Caribbean culture and stunning coastal landscapes through meaningful community engagement in Cartagena and surrounding areas. Contribute to local projects supporting education, infrastructure, sustainability, and youth development. Deepen your connection with Colombian life through immersive workshops in traditional cooking, music, crafts, and storytelling. Conclude your journey with a relaxing day at Playa Tranquila on Barú Island, enjoying the turquoise waters and the serene beauty of Colombia’s Caribbean coast.

Itinerary

Colorful street scene with vibrant buildings, greenery, people walking and sitting, and a church tower in the background under a clear blue sky.

Day 1

Arrive in Cartagena and settle into your hotel before beginning your journey with an engaging orientation introducing the purpose, values, and cultural context of the trip. In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner featuring traditional Colombian dishes and the vibrant hospitality of the Caribbean coast.

Two women dressed in colorful dresses with ruffles, sitting outdoors against a stone wall. Each woman balances a bowl or fruit on her head, with one pineapple on the younger woman's head and a bowl of various fruits on the older woman's head. The women are smiling.

Day 2

Explore Cartagena on a guided city tour, from picturesque bayside neighborhoods to the historic fortress and the colorful walled city. In the afternoon, enjoy a hands-on cooking class in a Casa Colonial, selecting fresh market ingredients and preparing a traditional Caribbean meal.

Crowded beachside pavilion with many women and girls seated in green chairs and standing, some taking photos, overlooking the beach and pier in the background.

Day 3

Travel to the Dream Center and get acquainted with its mission through an orientation and team-building session. Begin your first round of community service, rotating through projects supporting local education, youth programs, infrastructure, or sustainability initiatives.

Group of people, including children and adults, gathered in front of a building with a sign that reads "Punto Frío El Tiburón." Some are seated on white chairs, others are standing, and many are wearing white uniforms and caps. There is a soccer ball on the sandy ground in front of them.

Day 4

Continue contributing to community projects, switching roles to explore different forms of service and support. Later, immerse yourself in local culture through music and storytelling sessions that highlight the rhythms and heritage of Cartagena.

A group of people participating in a dance or exercise class on a beach at sunset, with thatched roof structures in the background.

Focus on environmental and community initiatives as you rotate through another set of service projects. In the afternoon, join a hands-on artisan workshop where local artists guide you in creating traditional crafts to deepen your connection to the region’s creativity.

Day 5

Group of young people, some in swimwear, smiling indoors in an open industrial space with concrete floors, white and yellow painted support beams, and a corrugated metal roof.

Day 6

Spend the morning supporting a new variety of community initiatives—ranging from youth activities to sustainability work—while collaborating with local partners. Later, take part in a cooking session preparing regional dishes and sharing a warm cultural exchange through food.

Group of people talking on a beach with a vendor stand selling fruit in the background.

Day 7

Engage in your final round of service projects, revisiting or completing initiatives that reinforce your week’s impact. In the evening, enjoy a celebratory dinner honoring the community connections, personal growth, and meaningful work accomplished throughout the experience.

Aerial view of a tropical beach with white sand, clear blue water, boats, and a row of thatched-roof cottages along the shoreline, surrounded by green trees.

Day 8

Travel to the stunning beaches of Playa Blanca on Barú Island for a full day of relaxation. Swim in clear Caribbean waters, unwind on soft white sand, or join optional snorkeling activities before returning for a final evening together. A memorable farewell dinner concludes the journey.

Aerial view of a coastal city with buildings, roads, a beach, and water, captured from an airplane window during daytime.

Day 9

Say goodbye to Colombia as you depart for the airport with new perspectives, meaningful memories, and lasting connections formed throughout your service-learning experience.

Meals & Accommodation

Hostels | Dorms for students | Single rooms for staff | Full board

A bedroom with a double bed featuring a patterned bedspread, a black wardrobe, a bunk bed with a top and bottom mattress, a small plant on the wardrobe, and a colorful parrots painting on the wall.

Balcony with wooden rocking chairs facing a lush garden with pink flowers, under a thatched roof and decorated with colorful paintings.

Small living space with a kitchenette, a window with yellow and red curtains, a small round table with two chairs, a bed with a colorful quilt, a wall-mounted flat-screen TV, a tall cabinet, a mirror, and decorative flowers.

Plate of Mexican food including grilled meat with onions, rice, black beans, potato salad, lettuce salad, and cucumber slices.

A bathroom with beige tiled walls and floor, a small white sink with a mirror cabinet above, a white toilet next to it, a shower area with a striped blue, tan, black, and white shower curtain, and two small windows on the wall, one open and one closed, with a blue bucket on the floor.

A cozy outdoor patio with a glass-topped table, four white plastic chairs, a vase with red and yellow flowers, and a bamboo thatched roof, surrounded by lush greenery.

Rooftop balcony with striped lounge chairs, a view of the ocean, palm trees, and a partly cloudy sky.

A bedroom with a bed covered in a red, white, blue, and purple checkered quilt, black wooden headboard, black nightstands on each side, a colorful abstract painting above the bed, a mirror on the left wall, and a doorway leading to a sunny hallway.

Plate with arroz, black beans, grilled chicken, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, and tortillas.

Sunset over the ocean with silhouettes of palm trees and people on the beach, some near umbrellas.

Beachside terrace with thatched roof, striped lounge chair, small table with two chairs, potted palm, and tropical plants, overlooking a city skyline and blue sky.

A bedroom with a window covered by yellow curtains, a small round table with three high chairs, a bed with a colorful patterned bedspread, a framed tropical bird artwork above the bed, and a small black nightstand.

Locations

Included

8 nights accommodation
All meals and soft drinks
Transportation
All activities
Entrance fees
Certificate of completion
Program management

Not included

International flights
Visas
Tips/gratuities
Laundry service
Alcohol
Travel insurance
Items of a personal nature

Which courses can our Colombia Service-Learning Trip be tailored to?

Cultural Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Human Rights, Peace/Conflict & Justice, Social Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, Community Health.