Vietnam: Pearl of Asia

  Vietnam

• Hanoi: 
Hanoi
• All Other Areas in Vietnam: 
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon),  Hue,  Da lat,  Sa Pa

Dates: June 28-August 8

Description: Transcending its image in Western media and history books, our Vietnam course introduces students to a remarkable country where you'll find a people renowned for their gracious hospitality, an inspiring landscape of piercingly green fields and aqua-blue seas, and an ancient culture that is immensely proud and durable - at peace after centuries of conflict.

Our Vietnam course challenges motivated students to participate in extensive service work and to learn from aid and development projects, providing participants the opportunity to discover the depth of Vietnam's rich cultural heritage and its immense capacity for positive change. Through daily experiences with people at all levels of the socio-economic spectrum, course participants develop genuine relationships with local communities.

We begin our journey in the northern city of Hanoi - rich in art and culture, and a great launching pad for the study of Vietnamese history and development issues. We become acquainted with the city by peddling bikes through small alleys, visiting local markets and historical sites, and by guest-teaching in schools. While in Hanoi we begin our Independent Study Projects (ISPs), which continue throughout the journey. We also visit with contemporary artists, discovering the richness of modern intellectual thought and creative movements in Vietnam.

In a visit to the American Embassy we meet with diplomats and discuss the lives of Westerners who experienced a very different Vietnam in the 60's and 70's. Next, we head to spectacular Halong Bay, where we sea kayak and stay in house-boats. We then head off to Mai Chau or Sapa where we trek through jungle while staying in minority villages - providing the perfect backdrop for lessons on issues facing rural minority populations.

During our third and fourth weeks we focus on ISPs in Hue, where students have the opportunity to serve as interns with local artists, community development organizations, a Buddhist pagoda, or government offices. We then travel further south along the coast, fishing with locals, snorkeling, and playing in the warm waters of the South China Sea.

Our final two weeks are spent in the South, in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Siagon,) and the Mekong Delta. Joining service groups in Ho Chi Minh City, we teach, build houses, plant trees, and assist volunteer doctors. During this time we stay with our Vietnamese counterparts in their dormitories, taking part in their daily activities while creating new friendships. With staff of the Red Scarf Teen Magazine we contrast youth experiences in Vietnam with those of the West. And we also visit the Children's Cultural Institute and participate in further volunteer work at Thi Nghe's Center for Disabled Children. After six weeks of intimate, honest and rewarding engagement we will have forged lasting friendships and a life-long attachment to this beautiful country.

Highlights: Rugged Travel: Moderately Rugged

Trekking: 2 stars
4 days of moderate jungle trekking in the north, with minority village visits; optional day hikes

Service: 3 stars
Volunteer service in orphanages, clinics for disabled children, guest teach English at primary schools, look into the successes of micro-economic development projects, take part in "Green Summer" tree planting projects

Survey of development issues: 4 stars
Land-use, farming, and water management; urban and rural healthcare; minority relations and development; deforestation, coastal ecology

Internships and ISPs: 5 stars
ISPs throughout program; Internships available in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City

Language Study: 2 stars
Frequent classes in Vietnamese throughout the program

Philosophy and Comparative Religion: 3 stars
Introduction to Buddhism in Southeast Asia

Focus of Inquiry: 5 stars
History, politics, and peace studies; health and development as they pertain to women and children's issues; Buddhist practice; strategies for effective development work

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Vietnam in Groups

Typically Participants Work in Groups of max 12

Application Process Involves:

• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Written Application

Where There Be Dragons's Mission Statement: Through expertly guided and honest introductions to the cultural and physical landscapes of developing Asia and Latin America, and through Experiential Education that stresses the empowerment of the student, Dragons strives to cultivate cultural awareness and sensitivity, opportunities for personal growth through physical and emotional challenges, and a commitment to the communities through which we travel, providing young adults with a richer understanding of themselves, and of the social and physical worlds around them.

Year Founded: 1992