Academic Program

This interdisciplinary service-learning course is cosponsored by the University of Iowa and District 6000 of Rotary International. Readings and classroom sessions will focus on service-learning, teamwork, intercultural competence, Mexican culture and history, project planning and development, as well as analyzing, reporting and presenting as a team.

In collaboration with Rotarians and local community members, students will work in teams to develop and execute discipline-specific projects that address community-identified needs in Xicotepec de Juarez, Puebla, Mexico.

This course includes travel to Xicotepec, Mexico over Spring Break (1 s.h.).

Additionally, the course meets twice weekly on campus throughout the Spring Semester (2 s.h.). Permission of the course instructor in your College is required.

Work & Partnership

The Xicotepec Project is a humanitarian, community-development project sponsored by the Rotary Club of Xicotepec and Rotary District 6000 of Iowa. The project began in 2002 and has involved not only Rotarians and their families, but also many high school and university students. Project team members have a commitment to humanitarian service and participate enthusiastically throughout their week in Xicotepec.

The main purpose of the course is to work on selected projects sponsored by the Xicotepec Rotary Club. Rotary helps support and execute projects that address some of the most urgent needs in the community, including construction, dental and medical care, and education. Participants may be asked to perform several different jobs during the week.

Faculty Directors

Public Health / Section :0001
Paul Gilbert and Sophie Switzer

Dentistry / Section :0003
Steven Levy and Jennifer Sukalski

Program Dates

This program takes place during the University of Iowa's spring break. Dates for the Spring 2025 session will be available by mid-fall 2024.

The program dates for the Spring 2024 were March 9-17, 2024.

For More Information

For more information about this program please contact the appropriate Faculty Director listed above, or UI Study Abroad Program Coordinator Cory Petersen.

Xicotepec, Mexico

Xicotepec is a mountainous city of 90,000 located northeast of Mexico City. The city is known for its abundant vegetation, so it is no surprise that in the central square of the town, you can see colorful arrays of flowers and trees pruned to resemble human or animal figures.

Along with plants, coffee is another main product of Xicotepec, giving the city the pleasant aroma of fresh flowers and roasted coffee beans.

The city offers a unique combination of the communion of the pre-Hispanic and colonial times. La Parroquia de San Juan Bautista has a Gothic majesty that resembles the famous Parisian Cathedral of Notre Dame; this architectural piece coexists harmoniously with a colossal stone structure of over thirteen tons known as La Xochipila, a vestige of the pre-Hispanic city of Xicotepec and the celebration center of the current city, where the structure comes alive with color and mysticism during the holidays.

US Department of State Country Information

The US Department of State provides safety and security information for every country of the world to help you assess for yourself the risks of travel. Each country information page contains a Travel Advisory, Alerts, and other important details specific to that country that could affect you.

Pay close attention to the entry and exit requirements, local laws and customs, health conditions, and other details to help decide whether traveling to any given country is right for you. Non-US citizen travelers may also wish to seek guidance from the embassy of their country of citizenship. The UI International Travel Policy for Students addresses restrictions on student travel to high-risk locations and engagement in high-risk activities abroad.

Meals

All meals will be planned by Rotary and are included in the cost of the program.

Passport

If you do not have a passport, it is important that you apply for one as soon as possible to ensure you receive it before the program begins. US citizens can find more information about how to apply for a passport on the US Department of State’s website.

US citizens can find more information about how to renew a passport on the US Department of State’s website.

Students with a valid passport should check the expiration date. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months AFTER the anticipated return to the US from studying abroad. If your passport is not valid for at least 6 months after your anticipated date of return to the US, you must renew your passport before applying for the visa you will need to enter your host country.

Expedited processing service is available for US passports (although this still takes several weeks and is at an additional cost). UI Study Abroad encourages students to ask the passport agency at the time of application whether expedited service is recommended.

Non-US Citizens

Students who are not US citizens should contact their consulate for more information if they need to get a new passport or renew their passport.

Travel Arrangements

Flights are included in the cost of the program and all students and faculty will fly to Mexico together from the Chicago O'Hare (ORD) airport.

Local Transportation

All program-related transportation in Mexico is arranged by Rotary and included in the program cost.

Eligibility

Eligibility varies by section. Please contact the appropriate Faculty Director for more information.

Good academic and disciplinary standing: Students must be in good academic and disciplinary standing at the University of Iowa, or at another US college or university where the applicant is enrolled in a degree program. Students placed on either academic or disciplinary probation for any period of time overlapping with the study abroad program dates are ineligible to study abroad on a University of Iowa program. Academic and disciplinary history will also be considered when determining whether a student is prepared to represent the University of Iowa as part of this program. Students who are not in good standing at any point overlapping with the program dates will have their acceptance revoked, and will be responsible for the associated late withdrawal fees.

Cost

Students will be responsible for paying many of their program costs through their University of Iowa U-Bill, while other costs will be out-of-pocket costs paid by the student directly to vendors before and after going abroad. Refer to the cost sheets below for details on the costs associated with this program.

The cost sheets outline the total estimated costs associated with participating in this program and can be used for financial aid purposes. They include fees charged on students’ U-Bill as well as out-of-pocket expenses. Actual out-of-pocket expenses will vary from individual to individual. Quoted estimates are conservatively high, yet realistic.

Costs for future sessions are usually similar to the current session, however students can expect a modest increase in overall costs each session. Final cost sheets for future sessions are typically available early in the semester before the session begins.

Cost Sheets

A cost sheet for the Spring 2025 session will be available by mid-fall 2024.

Scholarships & Financial Aid

You can find information about options for funding your study abroad experience, including financial aid, scholarships, grants, etc., on UI Study Abroad’s Finances page.

The University of Iowa’s English department also offers scholarships that English majors can apply to this program. You can find more information about these options on the UI’s Scholarship Portal website.

How to Apply

1) Students should first meet with the appropriate Faculty Director to discuss their interest and eligibility for this course. This should take place before the application deadline.

Public Health / Section :0001
Paul Gilbert and Sophie Switzer

Dentistry / Section :0003
Steven Levy and Amy Lesch

2) Following the discussion with a Faculty Director, students must complete a Study Abroad Application for the course. The application process requires a copy of the information page of your passport (or ticking a box that indicates you are applying for a passport).

UI Study Abroad Application

3) Once students have been accepted by their Faculty Director and Study Abroad, they will be asked to submit a Study Abroad Confirmation of Particiipation Form and also complete an application through the Rotary District 6000 website. Instructions for both of these steps will be emailed to students in an acceptance letter.

Application Deadline

Application deadlines for the Spring 2025 session will be available by early fall 2025. Deadlines for the upcoming session are expected to be similar to previous sessions. The application deadlines for the Spring 2024 session were as follows:

UI Study Abroad Application:

October 10, 2023 (Dentistry)

October 20, 2023 (Public Health)

Following acceptance from UI Study Abroad, the Rotary application deadline was November 13, 2023.

Confirmation Materials

Next Steps: