Summer SAGE Program

  India

Agra,  Aranmula,  Bangalore,  Chennai (Madras),  Delhi,  Jaipur,  Mysore,  New Delhi,  Rishikesh

Term: Summer 
Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: July of each year

Description: The Summer SAGE Program offers high school students four amazing journeys to India. SAGE trips are carefully designed so that participants have a transformative experience that allows you to grow intellectually, socially, and emotionally. Each trip has a unique and interesting theme, allowing students to explore their own personal interests. You can do service work in a rural Indian village, live with an Indian host family, or ride through the picturesque landscape on the historic Himalayan railway. Journey north to the high peaks of the Himalayas, live among the Nomads, and explore environmental sustainability issues. Venture to southern India to discover traditional art forms, learn about India's diverse religions, and experience a peaceful sunrise from an ancient palace. Or learn about Gandhi's life, spend time working alongside rural development organizations, and explore the impact of globalization on India. Are you ready to discover, engage, and transform? Adventure is calling....don't miss this opportunity to see the real India!

Highlights:

Community Service in Eastern India   

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 the renowned Mother Teresa, and devote time to serving India's poor and disenfranchised. Participants learn about Mother Teresas life and philosophy and visit 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 also travel to a rural area outside of Kolkata, where they spend time living in a remote Indian village. While in the village, they carry out service work at a school for disabled children during the day and spend evenings living with local host families. Over the course of the journey, SAGE participants will also have the opportunity to experience the daily sensations of Indian life by eating traditional meals, enjoying tribal arts and performances, and learning how to speak Hindi. 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.

Nomads of the Himalayas

On this extraordinary expedition to the Tibetan plateau of India, students experience a unique encounter with nomadic people and witness how ancient indigenous culture still flourishes in the Himalayan region. SAGE students set out on a hiking adventure through Ladakh, one of the most breathtaking and untouched regions of the world. Starting at 10,000 feet, they trek by foot and jeep through remote mountainous landscape, 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. They learn about ancient indigenous knowledge, and experience the rich and self-sustaining nomadic culture first-hand. SAGE students explore local ecological sustainability issues and participate in an environmental service project. Throughout the journey, participants also come into contact with the sensations of rural Indian life 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. They determine how they can apply new insights to their lives, and reflect on how they have been transformed by their time living among the nomads of the Himalayas.

Arts and Religions of India

On this amazing journey through southern India, participants learn about diverse religions, the beauty of traditional art forms, and the fascinating interrelationship 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. Participants 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. Throughout the journey, students experience the sensations of daily Indian life by shopping at open markets, visiting Hindu temples, viewing Bollywood films, and swimming in the Bay of Bengal.   Students also have the opportunity to serve at a local community service organization, such as a home for abandoned girls, or a center that serves street children. In the final days of the trip, SAGE students spend time reflecting and thinking critically about their experiences in India and discussing what they have learned over the course of the journey.
**To view a detailed trip itinerary and description from last summer's program, click on the PDF file link on the GoAbroad website.

From Gandhi to Globalization

On this incredible journey in western India, SAGE participants experience the contrast between traditional and modern Indian life. They learn about Mahatma Gandhi, his role in the independence movement, and his philosophical principles of simplicity and nonviolence. Participants do volunteer work alongside 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 traditional way of life. During the journey, SAGE students also learn about urban, contemporary living, and witness the impact of globalization in India. They spend time in cosmopolitan city centers, meeting with local business professionals, and exploring aspects of Indias 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, to spend time reflecting on their experience. The group spends time thinking critically about their experiences in India and discussing how these new life lessons can be integrated into their daily lives.
**To view a detailed trip itinerary and description from last summer's program, click on the PDF file link on the GoAbroad website.**

Cost in US$: $2800 to $3200, plus international airfare

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to India in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently Or in Groups of 10 to 12

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Transcript
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit DebriefingAbroad
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Studies Abroad for Global Education (SAGE)'s Mission Statement: The SAGE Program offers high school students the opportunity to travel and study abroad as a way to gain greater understanding of themselves and the world. SAGE programs are carefully designed so that participants have a transformative experience, and so they grow intellectually, socially, and emotionally. We challenge students to move beyond their comfort zone, to think more critically about the world and themselves, and to become engaged and responsible global citizens.

Year Founded: 1990