Program Overview
10
Days
11
Cultural Engagements
30
Students
In March 2025, undergraduate students from Mercy University’s School of Social and Behavioral Sciences traveled with us for an immersive glimpse at Colombia’s rich culture, innovative urban planning, and regenerative sustainability efforts.
Students began in Medellín, exploring key barrios and landmarks as they learned about the comprehensive social transformation of this vibrant city over the past 25 years. Students navigated Medellín, pausing to admire the statues of La Plazoleta and beautiful art made from trash in Comuna 13.
Students were excited to learn from a developer at Ruta N, an innovation and social development lab that fuels STEM and entrepreneurship efforts throughout Medellín. Members of the group had the chance to ask insightful questions about the Smart Cities initiatives and how technological development can influence social growth (and vice versa).
The program also included a visit to a cacao farm in Sopetrán, nestled in the mountains outside Medellín. There, farmers shared the daily challenges of transporting cacao pods from the steep hillside plots to the main house and eventually into town. Hearing this, students collaborated with the farmers to design and install a zipline system that allows the pods to be sent downhill quickly and safely. This innovation not only reduced the physically demanding labor of carrying heavy buckets along rugged terrain, but also significantly improved the farm’s efficiency.
The program continued to Guatapé where the group got to experience the uniquely Colombian combination of nature and human innovation firsthand as they visited Peñol Rock, a suspected prehistoric meteorite that sits in the middle of a hydro-electric dammed reservoir.
I must say, Colombia has been the first trip of mine that has taken such an emotional toll on me— referring to our trip to Guatapé. I had so many realizations and moments of reflection that day. Climbing the rock was extremely rewarding and inspiring. Watching people of every age, background, and identity climbing the rock with their own personal motivations was so touching.
Student
Mercy University
On their final day in Colombia, students rolled their sleeves up for a hands-on visit to Moravia—the former municipal landfill that has been transformed over the years into a lush green oasis. First, the group learned the history of Moravia and toured the neighborhood with local guides. Then, students slipped on their gardening gloves and cleared trash, mixed organic compost into soil, and planted new trees, shrubs, and bulbs.
Another student noted their gratitude “for all the planned activities,” especially the outings to local neighborhoods like Moravia and Santa Fe de Antioquia where they could experience “all the color and life in [the local’s] day to day lives. Without [these activities], I would have never been able to experience that feeling of gratitude, inspiration, and love.”
A look inside the program
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