Winter 2017 California-Mexico Dreamers Study Abroad Program

UPDATE: As of June 13, 2017, the California-Mexico Studies Center (CMSC) has extended the application deadline for DACA-recipients to participate in our Winter 2017 California-Mexico Dreamers Study Abroad Program, which will take place in the Mexico City-Cuernavaca area from December 22, 2017 to January 14, 2018.

This application deadline extension is for new applicants-only. All other applicants that had previously submitted their application before the original June 9th deadline, still need to submit their Personal Statement of Purpose (PSP) essay and their 2 letters of recommendation (LORs) by June 16, 2017 as it was previously required.

New application deadline for new applicants: You must submit your online application, Personal Statement of Purpose essay and 2 letters of recommendation by June 30, 2017. We will not accept applications and/or supporting documentation after June 30th.

If you have any questions, call us (562) 430-5541 or email us at: californiamexicocenter@gmail.com

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

During the 3-week travel-study experience, the participating Dreamers will immerse into a comprehensive language and cultural educational program at the Centro Tlahuica de Lenguas e Intercambio Cultural (CETLALIC) Institute; which will consist of historical, cultural, linguistic, and academic “cátedras” on social movements, the Mexican educational, economic and political systems, various museum and archeological visits, and also a home-stay living experience with Mexican host families while attending CETLALIC.  Also, participating Dreamers will have the opportunity to conduct independent travel and ethnographic research on their family origins, which will allow Dreamers to visit their birthplace during the Christmas-New Years break, and produce a 10-page ethnographic-research paper based on their findings.

Dreamers living anywhere in the continental U.S. are welcome to apply.  Moreover, we encourage Dreamers from other countries than Mexico to apply as well, as long as they are fluent Spanish-speakers, given that the entire program will be taught in Spanish.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:

• To research, develop, promote, and establish policies and programs between higher educational institutions and cultural organizations that will enhance the teaching, mobility and exchange of faculty, students, and professionals between California and the U.S. with Mexico and other nations in the Western Hemisphere.

• Establish the administrative framework for a replicable educational program model for Dreamers’ Study Abroad Programs at other colleges and universities through the DACA-Advance Parole process that can be reproduced by any U.S. institution of Higher Education;
• Prepare participating Dreamers as ambassadors of the model, for them to replicate similar programs at their own colleges and universities, based on their personal experience;
• Continue and expand video and photo documentation of Dreamers’ human stories;
• Allow Dreamers to conduct independent travel-study family ethnographic research in their communities of origin with their family and relatives, and to discover their roots in Mexico on their own.

PROGRAM COST:

Selected participants will be required to pay for the following fees in order to participate in our program:

• Advance Parole Travel Permit $575: to be paid by July 13, 2017 to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Program fee $2,500: first half of the program fee will be due on July 13, 2017 ($1,000) and the second payment will be due on October 6, 2017 ($1,500) to The California-Mexico Studies Center, Inc.
• Personal travel expenses: you must pay for your own airfare, and other travel-related expenses during your family ethnographic research (approx. $1,000).

BREAKDOWN OF STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM DATES:

• Independent Travel and Ethnographic Research: Dec. 22, 2017 - Jan. 3, 2018
• Historical and cultural immersion in Mexico City: Jan. 4 - Jan. 6, 2018
• Academic program at CETLALIC (Cuernavaca): Jan. 7 - Jan. 13, 2018
• Return to the U.S.: Jan. 14, 2018

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

To be eligible for consideration to our program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be 21 years-old or older, and speak fluent Spanish
• Have an active DACA status
• Have a valid passport from the respective country of origin
• If applicant is Mexican-born, he/she must commit to apply to, and attain the Instituto Nacional Electoral’s (INE) Credencial para Votar en el Extranjero before traveling to Mexico on December 22, 2017
• Must have no criminal and/or immigration record
• Must participate in ALL PROGRAM activities from Dec. 22, 2017 to January 14, 2017
• Must be able to pay the $2,500 program fee

INCLUDED IN THE $2,500 PROGRAM FEE:

• Advance Parole application preparation, legal advice and filing assistance
• Spanish and Mexican culture instruction at the CETLALIC Institute
• Housing, meals, field-trips, and travel insurance for the duration of the program
• A home-stay living experience with Mexican host families
• Local transportation and lawful re-entry into the U.S.
• A chance for Dreamers to visit their birthplace, conduct family ethnographic research, and discover Mexico independently
• Psychological counseling and group therapy sessions
• Leadership skills to create similar programs and/or other projects that benefit Dreamers to“pay-it-forward” as required by the program’s mission.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

To be considered for acceptance into our program, applicants must complete a three-step application process which requires the following:

• Step 1: Complete and submit the online application form below by  JUNE 30, 2017 (EXTENDED DEADLINE)
• Step 2: Submit a Personal Statement of Purpose (PSP) essay and 2 letters of recommendation by JUNE 30, 2017 (EXTENDED DEADLINE)
• Step 3: Attend an in-person or Skype interview between JUNE 20-24, 2017, as scheduled by CMSC Staff after you submit your application and supporting documents

Two Letters of Recommendation: You must email us one letter of recommendation from an employer or a professional reference, and one letter from a professor, academic advisor/counselor, dean, dept. chair, church or community leader.

Personal Statement of Purpose: You must email us a 2-3 page statement addressing the following:

1.  Explain why you are interested in participating in our program, and

2.  Elaborate on one or more of the following projects that you would be interested to work upon your return:

• Create a similar California-Mexico Study Abroad program at your college or university;
• Develop a project to assist other Dreamers at your campus or community (ex: establish a Dreamers’ Resource Center, AB540 student organization/club, etc.).
• Work or volunteer at a community-based organization to provide immigration services. (Ex: DACA and Advance Parole assistance, INE credential registration, U.S. citizenship and voter registration, etc.).
• Become a campaign leader for the CMSC’s INE Credential Voters Registration Campaign for Dreamers and Families.
• Research and develop a project about “Los Otros Dreamers” and/or U.S. Citizen Children Exiled in Mexico and in Central America.
• Or, propose a project that will benefit undocumented immigrants which you would like to develop and implement after the travel-study experience.

The personal statement of purpose must be at least 1000 words, 12pt. font, double-space, 1 inch margins, and the file should be named according to this format: FirstName_LastName_PSP

Email your essay and letters to records@calmexcenter.org by no later than June 16, 2017 (Extended Deadline June 30, 2017).

Please take into consideration that the Advance Parole application approval process time can vary from 1 to 4 months, thus, we will give preference to those applicants who are quick to submit their completed online application, personal statement of purpose and letters of recommendation. We will consider everyone who applies within the application period from May 2 to June 9, 2017, but we will review applications and select applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. Thus, we highly encourage you to apply and submit your supporting documentation as soon as possible. Please do not wait until the last minute.

APPLICATION FORM:

To apply to the program fill out the following form or click on this link that takes you to the online application.

Also, make sure to check out our Frequently Asked Questions Page in case you have any questions prior to applying.

DEADLINES AND IMPORTANT DATES:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

If you have any questions or need assistance with the application process, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page or call our CMSC Office: (562) 430-5541, our Mobile phone: (562) 280-4893 or email us at: californiamexicocenter@gmail.com

INDEPENDENT STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM OPPORTUNITY:

The CMSC is currently working on developing an independent study abroad program for students who would like to study abroad in Mexico on their own time and budget throughout the year.  For more information on our independent study abroad program contact us at: californiamexicocenter@gmail.com

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