Contact Us
Send to a friend
How to apply


Trip 1 - Community Service in Eastern India

Date:

June 26th- July 19th 2008 (24 days)

Cost:

$2800, plus international airfare

Trip Highlights

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.

Trip Itineraries: Community Service in Eastern India
Recommended Reading List: Community Service in Eastern India

Would you like to request more information? Ready to Apply?

Return to Summer SAGE information page


Trip 2 - Nomads of the Himalayas

Date:

June 30th- July 23rd 2008 (24 days)

Cost:

$3200, plus international airfare

Trip Highlights

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.

Would you like to request more information? Ready to Apply?

Return to Summer SAGE information page


Trip 3 - Arts and Religions of India

Date:

July 3rd - July 26th, 2008 (24 days)

Cost:

$3000, plus international airfare

Trip Highlights

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.

Trip Itineraries: Arts & Religions of India
Recommended Reading List: Arts & Religions of India

Would you like to request more information? Ready to Apply?

Return to Summer SAGE information page


Trip 4 - From Gandhi to Globalization

Date:

July 7th - July 30th, 2008 (24 days)

Cost:

$3000, plus international airfare

Trip Highlights

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.

Trip Itineraries: From Gandhi to Globalization
Recommended Reading List: From Gandhi to Globalization

Would you like to request more information? Ready to Apply?

Return to Summer SAGE information page

 

Application deadline: March 1st, 2008

 

 


SAGE Program © 2004
Site Design & Development by Web Collective©