About the trip
Puerto Rico is often called the “Isla del Encanto” – the Island of Enchantment – due to its vibrant culture, beautiful beaches and warm people. At the same time, Puerto Rico has a complex history of colonialism and inequality. Puerto Ricans are both proud of their heritage and frustrated by its severe political and infrastructural troubles; as Bad Bunny expressed it, “Puerto Rico está bien cabrón” (a dual-meaning phrase—either “excellent” or “terrible”). We invite you to come with us to explore this duality, examining sources of pride and frustration, and studying challenges and potential solutions. You’ll see firsthand how communities are responding to those challenges — from community-led renewable energy projects with Fundación Borincana and Resilient Power Puerto Rico, to a community-scale micro-grid at Casa Pueblo, to a hydroelectric cooperative in the island’s mountainous interior — and meet the people building a more resilient Puerto Rico from the ground up. In doing so, you’ll have a chance to develop skills that employers value — global consciousness, effective communication, cultural sensitivity and empathy, and policy analysis skills – and consider how to apply these in other contexts as well.
Trip LeaderS
Rebecca Evans, Associate Professor of Politics & International Relations & Director, Hub for Civic and Global Leadership. As coordinator of the Melrose Fellows program, I have traveled to Puerto Rico with Ursinus students six times since 2019 and I am eager to go back. My research focuses on Latin American politics, and I am convinced that international travel has amazing benefits.
Meghan Tierney, Associate Professor of Art History. I’m excited to make my first trip to Puerto Rico with Ursinus students. My research on the art of the ancient Americas has brought me to many other places in Latin America, and I look forward to exploring the vibrant contemporary art scene as well as puertorriqueño artists historical responses to colonization.
Annie Karreth, Associate Professor of Politics & International Relations & Director, Hub for Civic and Global Leadership. As a political scientist, my research focuses on political and economic development in low-income countries, especially how people in ethnically and racially diverse neighborhoods cooperate with one another to govern their communities. I can’t wait to explore Puerto Rico with Ursinus students!
Jay Shelat, Assistant Professor of English. I am excited to travel to Puerto Rico for the first time with Ursinus students! I am a scholar of contemporary literature, with a focus on state-crafted forms of terrorism, namely imperialism. By visiting San Juan, I look forward to speaking to students about the way Puerto Rico’s position as an American territory (i.e. a colony) contributes to its current infrastructural challenges—and how, despite those challenges, the island produces a wonderfully rich literary and artistic scene. What is the relationship between culture and state violence? How does the culture speak against that subjection
Trip Dates
March 6 - 13. 2027 (tentative)
Sample Activities
Puerto Rico is a living laboratory for some of the most pressing questions of our time — about energy, resilience, environmental justice, and what it takes to rebuild. On this trip, you won’t just read about these issues; you’ll meet the people working on them every day, and start asking yourself what role you might play.
- Visit projects by Fundación Borincana and Resilient Power Puerto Rico to see community-led renewable energy and distributed energy systems in action. Explore what careers in energy resilience, nonprofit work, and environmental advocacy can look like on the ground.
- Visit Casa Pueblo, an exemplary community-scale micro-grid initiative in Adjuntas, and meet with the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña in Utuado to learn about cooperative, community-based approaches to energy independence and disaster preparedness.
- Visit LimPiaR to explore community-led waste reduction and recycling initiatives, and consider how environmental sustainability work connects to public health, policy, and civic leadership.
- Explore how artists and cultural organizations contribute to community resilience — from a street art tour of the Santurce es Ley project to a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico (MAC). Examine the relationship between culture, identity, and resistance to systemic challenges.
- Visit Hacienda La Esperanza Nature Reserve with the nonprofit Para La Naturaleza to understand the long history of human and environmental exploitation in Puerto Rico, and how conservation work today is part of a broader vision for a more just and resilient future.
- Attend a guest lecture at the University of Puerto Rico – Río Piedras and engage directly with Puerto Rican students on questions of political status, environmental vulnerability, and social change, building the cross-cultural communication skills employers in virtually every field are looking for.
- Join a Bio Bay Night Kayaking trip (optional) in Fajardo where the group will see glowing micro-organisms light up the water.
Associated hubs
Hub for Civic and Global Leadership: This trip offers students a cross-cultural learning experience, allowing them to examine the impact of local and federal policies on economic, political, and social outcomes.
The Center for the Humanities in Action: This trip offers students interested in the arts and humanities an opportunity to explore how Puerto Rican artists and musicians have worked to preserve their culture and identity, and to interrogate the fraught history of US-Puerto Rican relations.
Parlee Center for Science and the Common Good: This trip offers students the opportunity to examine sustainability challenges and solutions in the context of Puerto Rico, including efforts to increase food security and improve the island’s health infrastructure.
Sport and Humanity Hub: Why does Puerto Rico have its own Olympic team? This trip offers students the opportunity to explore questions about national identity and its complex relationship to sport.
