PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Students will explore matters related to health and healing in Mexico with a particular focus on the Yucatán Peninsula and Maya peoples. This faculty-led program will enable students to receive credit for a four-credit course, as well as complete their XLP. The course offers an examination of Mexico’s medical system, structural factors that impact wellbeing in the region, and healers and healing approaches from biomedicine and indigenous traditions. Drawing on multiple academic disciplines we connect contemporary health and healing practices with national and local history, and wider transformations in global health. Topics of study include health inequity, traditional health beliefs and practices, reproductive health, mental health, and foodways and agriculture. Guest speakers and community site visits will enrich and deepen our understandings of health and wellbeing in this region.
Program Dates: January 3-17, 2027
Application Priority Deadline: May 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM
(see how to apply at the bottom of this page)
Program Highlights
- Open to ALL majors
- ANSO/HSOC 283
- 4 academic credits
- Can fulfill core requirements: GN, SS, LINQ, and XLP
- Host family accommodation
INCLUDED ACTIVITIES
- Visit to Valladolid
- Guided tour of Ek Balam
- Visit Hunukú
- Guided walking tour of Mérida historic downtown
- Museum of the Mayan World
- Salsa dance lesson
- Cooking class with local students & visit to botanical garden
- Day trip to Maní / Solar Maya
- Day trip to Uxmal and Cenote Yaal Utzil
- Izamal and Celestún day trips
- 2-Day Visit to Maya Community of Yaxunah
FACULTY LEADERS
- Dr. Catherine Van de Ruit, Associate Professor of Sociology
- Dr. Lauren Wynne, Associate Professor of Anthropology / Coordinator of Food Studies Program / Coordinator of Criminal Justice Studies Program
Total cost: ~$4,500
Included:
✓ Tuition/Class instruction and guest speakers
✓ Airfare/Transportation
✓ Meals
✓ Housing
✓ Excursions
✓ Insurance
✓ Orientation
Not included:
X Passport
X Textbooks/course supplies
X Personal spending
Financial Aid
Students may look into the following for funding opportunities:
- Gilman Scholarship
- Fund for Education Abroad (FEA)
- Rotary Club
- Espadas and Neborak Fund - Internal funding of up to $1,000 may be available to students with high financial need
How to Apply
- Create an account with your student email in Via-TRM
- Login to your Via-TRM account, then follow this link to the Program Page
- Navigate to the “Term Information” tab at the top
- Select “Apply Now” to begin an application
Application Priority Deadline: May 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM
special considerations
Free time & independence: This is a fairly packed itinerary, but students who want to explore independently will have some opportunities to do so. During free time, program leaders can suggest optional activities. Students should be prepared to navigate Mérida to get to class meetings and other scheduled activities. As always, students are expected to follow program guidelines and stay in communication with leaders as needed.
Physical demands: The program activities do include lots of walking in warm, sometimes hot, weather. Mérida is not a particularly accessible city for those with limited mobility (high curbs, lots of hazards on sidewalks outside of the most touristy areas).
Language difficulty: Spanish proficiency is not necessary for participation, though it is helpful. Students should be open to basic everyday communications in Spanish, as it is part of the experience. For all organized activities in which guest lecturers or tour guides do not speak English, translation will be provided. The program provider attempts to (1) place non-Spanish speaking students in host families with some English language proficiency or (2) place those students alongside one or more Spanish-speaking peers from Ursinus for home stay with non-English-speaking host families.
Accessibility & accommodations: We can work with students in advance to provide reasonable accommodations where needed. If students have specific needs, they should reach out early so we can plan accordingly with our on-site partners.
“This program was funded in part by a grant from the United States Department of State. The opinions, findings and conclusions stated [herein] are those of the author[s] and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State”.