The Community Service in Eastern India
trip is one of our most personally rewarding
student programs. Travel abroad to eastern
India and live with a local host family;
learn basic Hindi; do community service
work in rural and urban settings; study
and learn first-hand about Mother Teresa’s
work; experience the sights, sounds, and
sensations of life in an Indian village.
This trip is one of the most multi-faceted
community service summer abroad programs
for highschoolers.
Trip Description
Mother Teresa once said, “In this
life we cannot do great things. We can only
do small things with great love.”
On this service journey to Eastern India,
SAGE students follow in the footsteps of
Mother Teresa, learning about her life and
philosophy devoted to serving India’s
poor and disenfranchised, and visiting her
famous service organization, the Missionaries
of Charity. The group will spend time in
Kolkata (Calcutta), doing community service
work at a local school, orphanage, or hospice
center. SAGE students then travel to a rural
area outside of Kolkata where they carry
out service work at a school for disabled
children during the day and spend evenings
living with local host families, a combination
of service and cultural experience that
SAGE is proud to offer in its student programs.
Travel abroad participants will experience
the daily sensations of Indian life by eating
traditional meals, enjoying tribal arts
and performances, and learning how to speak
Hindi.
““Going
out into the village really changed my
perspective on everything... You might
think that because the villagers live in
poverty, they have horrible lives. But
somehow there is this inherent
happiness…and people are very content
there. That was something amazing to
see.” -Marcie
Duncan, Evanston, IL
Toward the end of the trip, the group travels
north of Kolkata to Darjeeling, a picturesque
region that is famous for its tea plantations
and the historic Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
While in this idyllic setting, participants
spend time reflecting on their service and
experiences in India and discuss how they
can apply new insights to their lives back
at home. This trip emphasizes the personal
transformations that can come about through
community service. Summer abroad programs
for highschoolers can be more than just
seeing new places; with SAGE, they are opportunities
to be active participants in communities
around the world!
Trip Details
Students and Trip Leaders meet and depart
from Newark airport, then fly into Delhi
and on to Kolkata (Calcutta). The journey
takes place in the eastern region of India,
a rarity in most student programs. Travel
abroad trip cost is $2800, plus international
airfare.
In India, Himalayan hiking is both a journey
through nature as well as an exploration
of one’s very place in the world.
Trek in spectacular mountain landscapes,
study and experience Himalayan and Buddhist
culture, live among nomadic tribes, attend
dazzling cultural performances, learn about
environmental sustainability issues, and
contribute to the area through work on a
group environmental service project. “Nomads
of the Himalayas” is a deep exploration
of the communities of northern India. Himalayan
hiking trips rarely include such an up-close
examination of this ancient culture nestled
in the Tibetan plateau.
Trip Description
On this extraordinary expedition of mountainous
India, Himalayan hiking provides a backdrop
for a unique encounter with nomadic people
and the ancient indigenous culture that
still flourishes in the region. SAGE students
set out on an adventure through Ladakh,
one of the most breathtaking and untouched
regions of the world, making this trip certainly
the best choice study abroad programs in
India will ever have to offer.
Starting at 10,000 feet, participants trek
by foot and Jeep through remote mountainous
terrain, where they spend time living among
local Buddhist nomadic communities. Students
learn how indigenous people thrive in the
challenging and sparse mountain environment,
and how Himalayan nomads live in careful
balance with nature, thus experiencing first-hand
the ancient wisdom of this rich and self-sustaining
culture. SAGE students then explore local
ecological sustainability issues and participate
in an environmental service project.
Throughout the journey, participants come
into contact with the visceral sensations
of life in remote India…by wandering
through open markets, visiting Buddhist
monasteries, eating traditional Ladakhi
meals, and enjoying local music and dance
performances. On the final week of the journey,
SAGE students spend time thinking critically
about their time in Ladakh, reflecting on
how they have been transformed by living,
even temporarily, with the nomads of the
Himalayas. This trip offers a rare adventure:
group student tour & traveling in one
of the most unexplored places in the world.
“Hiking
in the Himalayas – passing through
isolated mountain villages – was
unforgettable. To walk the mountain
paths and see people so removed from my
modern life was an experience that
cannot be duplicated."
-Nicole Evans,
Bellingham, WA
Trip Details
Students and Trip Leaders meet and depart
from Newark airport, then fly into Delhi
and on to Leh, the capital of Ladakh. The
journey takes place completely within the
Himalayas, making this an adventure a group
of student tour travelers will remember
their entire lives.
Trip cost is $3200, plus international airfare.
Take classes at an Indian arts center;
study traditional music, dance, and
arts with local masters; visit important
religious sites and learn about the
diversity of religions in India; explore
the relationship between the arts
and religions in India. “Arts
and Religions of India” also
involves some community service; summer
abroad programs for highschoolers
are rarely this all-encompassing,
thought-provoking and fun!
Trip Description
On this amazing summer study abroad experience
in southern India, participants learn about
diverse religions, the beauty of traditional
art forms, and the fascinating inter-relationship
between the arts and religion in India.
SAGE students spend time at two art centers,
taking classes in mythological drama, Indian
vocals, traditional dance, mural painting,
and other ancient art forms. They then visit
historical religious centers, meet with
local experts, and explore how diverse faiths,
such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity,
and Islam, are practiced in the Indian context.
Students culminate their experience at Auroville,
an intriguing village township dedicated
to international unity, spiritual consciousness,
and environmental sustainability.
“I went
beyond my personal boundaries going into
a country so different and socializing
with people I have never met. This gave
me a greater sense of independence, and
also made me a more flexible person.
Seeing the diversity, experiencing the
culture and discussing issues widened my
horizons and changed my perspectives.”
-Sierra Morgan, Bedford, NY
Throughout the journey, students experience
daily Indian life by shopping at open markets,
visiting Hindu temples, viewing Bollywood
films, and swimming in the Bay of Bengal.
The trip is also one of SAGE’s community
service summer abroad programs for highschoolers,
offering students the opportunity to serve
at a home for abandoned girls, or a center
that feeds and clothes street children.
In the final days of the trip, SAGE students
spend time reflecting and thinking critically
about their summer study abroad experience,
and discussing what they have learned over
the course of the challenging but ultimately
fulfilling journey.
Trip Details
Students and Trip Leaders meet and depart
from Newark airport, then fly into Delhi
and on to Bangalore. The journey takes place
in the southern part of India, in the states
of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Trip cost is $3000,
plus international airfare.
Learn about Mahatma Gandhi and the
Indian independence movement; live
in a remote Indian village; work alongside
a Gandhi-inspired development organization;
visit modern Indian business leaders
and centers and explore how globalization
is transforming India on a daily basis!
Look to this summer study abroad to
get a whole new level of international
awareness; “global citizens”
are often how alumni of this program
describe themselves.
Trip Description
On this transformative summer study abroad
through western India, SAGE participants
experience the contrast between traditional
and hyper-modern Indian life. They learn
about Mahatma Gandhi, his role in the independence
movement, and his philosophical principles
of simplicity and nonviolence. Participants
volunteer with a Gandhi-inspired rural development
organization and spend time living in a
remote Indian village. Through this experience,
students witness Gandhi’s principles
in action, and encounter a more simple and
philosophical way of life.
During the journey, SAGE students also
learn about urban, contemporary living,
and witness the staggering impact of globalization
in India. They spend time in cosmopolitan
city centers, meeting with local business
professionals, and exploring aspects of
India’s modern economy. The group
is then able to compare and contrast their
earlier village experience with a more urban,
affluent, and contemporary lifestyle in
India.
Throughout the journey, participants experience
the sensations of daily Indian life by shopping
at open markets, visiting palaces and temples,
riding camels, and eating traditional Indian
meals. In the final week, SAGE students
travel to Navdanya, a rural retreat center.
There students spend time thinking critically
about their summer study abroad experiences,
and discuss their new level of awareness.
Global citizenship becomes a theme as students
explore how these new life lessons can be
integrated into their daily thoughts and
practices.
“The
Gandhi to Globalization trip was an
absolute success. The people,
transportation, travel arrangements,
sightseeing, voluntary work, and
everything in between was perfect, and I
applaud you for creating a fantastic
trip. THANK YOU!” -Erika Pinto, Los
Angeles, CA
Trip Details
Students and Trip Leaders meet and depart
from Newark airport, then fly into Delhi.
The journey takes place in the northwestern
part of India, in the state of Rajasthan
and in areas surrounding New Delhi. Trip
cost is $3000, plus international airfare.
