Spend three weeks (July 23- August 13) in Southern India immersed in the daily activities of patients and providers, children and families, schools and teachers investigating how race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, gender and gender expression, sexual orientation, and geographic location shape health status and quality of life.

Local experts will lead the way as participants conduct culturally appropriate needs assessments, engage stakeholders from underserved communities, and help with interventions to improve health and wellbeing. Field sites include: 

• The Dharavi Slum founded in 1884 under British colonialism and now considered one of the world's largest slums
• The Prajana Counseling Center India's oldest domestic violence NGO 
• Yennepoya Medical University Ayruvedic, Allopathic, Homepathic, Yogic and other medical colleges founded by the Islamic Academy of Education in 1991 to improve health and educational equity for Muslins and other under-represented minorities 
• CSI Rehabilitation Center originally founded as a residential home for children with polio, CSI now provides early intervention and community-based rehabilitation and vocational services to children and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities

This six-credit program is a great fit for pre-med, allied health, human services, social work and psychology students, as well as those interested in international development, law, and social justice.

Students will also explore the vast cultural diversity of Southern India through a series of intentional activities and excursions that focus on interconnected aspects of well-being including food, faith, the arts, and the natural environment.