Social Work | Undergraduate Programs | International Programs

International Programs

Through the UNCG International Programs Center (IPC) a UNCG student can study abroad for a semester or year. Financial aid can be applied to Study Abroad, and IPC is also able to provide travel grants to all UNCG students through its Endowment for International Programs.

It is usually best for social work or pre-social work students to plan on studying abroad during their sophomore year to complete their program of study in four years. Talk with your social work academic advisor about your interest in studying abroad, and visit the Study Abroad website.

Resources

Costa Rica

In 2006, the Departments of Social Work and Human Development and Family Studies began a summer language and culture immersion in Costa Rica every other summer. Starting Summer 2013, this program has been sponsored by the School of Health and Human Sciences and is open to all HHS graduate and undergraduate majors.

This program offers students an opportunity to increase their knowledge of Latino culture and improve their Spanish language skills. Participants have four hours a day of language instruction (4 students to 1 instructor) and stay with selected Costa Rican families.

The course cost includes trips to:

  • The Monteverde cloud forest,
  • The Poas and Arenal volcanoes,
  • A trip to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica.

The trip includes daily activities of service and learning such as:

  • Participation in community building,
  • Visits to refugee communities,
  • Interaction with indigenous tribe members.

Global Work with Immigrant Kids (GWIK)

Social work seniors at UNCG have the opportunity to study abroad in Belgium or Spain through The Global Work with Immigrant Kids (GWIK) Project (see Chancellor’s Report). The GWIK Project is designed to educate new social work practitioners for work with immigrant and refugee children and families. Social work students participate in semester-long exchanges, which involves intensive language instruction, a 15-week field internship, and additional courses, including one web-based course.

Social work students apply fall semester of the junior year for study abroad fall semester of their senior year.

Study abroad opportunities with the GWIK Project

Study at Plantjin does not require prior language study. Application to Ramom Llull requires two years of Spanish before the senior year experience begins. In addition to providing UNCG students with a study abroad opportunity, the project also brings students from the partner universities to study at UNCG for a semester and provides for faculty exchanges among the partner universities.

For more information about GWIK contact:

Meredith C. F. Powers, Ph.D., M.S.W.
Associate Professor
Email: [email protected]