Establishing A Mexico Service Learning Program: Changing Cultural Perceptions, Building Relationships And Taking Risks

Abstract

This article describes the shared experience of three university professors, two from the United States and one from Mexico. While it began by chance, this experience has become a life-altering journey. It has forced the authors to question their own cultural competencies, and demanded that they take risks and move beyond the comfort and security of that which is familiar. It has proven to be the most gratifying of experiences. “We fell in love with a culture that embraced us beyond what we felt we deserved. Most significantly, we have broadened our circle of professional colleagues to include international peers”.