Public Health in the Yucatán—Summer

Activities and excursions are designed to pull you into the communities you visit and encourage cultural connections of every kind. There’s no extra fee to participate in these optional outings—everything is included in your program fee. 

Below are a selection of activities and excursions; options may vary for your program.  

Activities 

• City-as-Text activity: Get to know Mérida’s beautiful downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods. Learn both the legendary history of the city and the region as well as the impact of contemporary social processes like gentrification and touristification.  
• Guided walking tour of historic downtown. A fun way to get the historical context you’ll need for your classwork. Highlights include the Governor’s Palace, House of Montejo, and the Mérida Cathedral, one of the oldest in Mexico.   
• Bus tour of Mérida. Learn about the city’s main features, history, and important landmarks from an experienced local guide.  
• Museum of the Mayan World. During this visit, you’ll learn about the history, culture, and identity of the Maya, from pre-Hispanic times through modern day—ideal preparation for our day trips!  
• Biciruta. Explore the iconic Paseo de Montejo—the city’s main avenue—with beautiful green spaces and impressive architecture.  
• Salsa lesson. Learn how to connect movement with distinctive Caribbean rhythms that reflect years of fusion and cultural history.  
• Chichén Itzá day trip. Explore the remnants of an ancient Maya city, where as many as 35,000 once lived, with a professional archaeologist. Visit a nearby cenote (swimming hole) and learn to cook a delicious Yucatecan meal.  
• Uxmal day trip. Travel back in time with a local archaeologist to this famed World Heritage site to explore the impressive pyramids, palace, and roadways of this ancient Maya city.  

Excursions  

Public health in Cuba. This four-night/five-day excursion provides a rare opportunity to see first-hand how Cuba’s community-based health system operates, and how it differs from private and centralized models. Discover how Cuba integrates biotechnology, traditional medicine, and public health, and explore the challenges and innovations related to providing equitable health services to a range of populations. 

 Highlights:     

• Three guest speakers that will address our academic themes 
• Three academic visits to clinical settings such as the Center for Engineering and Biotechnology, a polyclinic, and a local pharmacy 
• Old Havana guided walking tour, highlighting history, architecture, and political legacy 
• Museum visit. Dive deeper into Cuban history and culture with a visit to a museum such as Museo de la Revolución (revolutionary movements and state-building that shaped national health and social policies), or Museo de Bellas Artes (see how art reflect culture and identify as they intersect with public narratives on health, community, and social change).  
• Plaza de la Revolución, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks 
• Fábrica de Arte, an innovative arts venue  

Details:  

• IFSA handles securing visas required by Cuba.  
• Students live in homestays near the University of Habana in houses or apartments in the Vedado neighborhood.  
• IFSA provides a Cuba SIM card for each student. 

Students live with local families in what’s known as a homestay. Homestays make it easy to immerse yourself in the region’s rich culture. They also provide many opportunities to build your Spanish language skills. 

Homestays: 

In Mérida, we place students with carefully screened families, many of whom have been hosting IFSA students for nearly 20 years. Many have grown children who have left home and enjoy having young people around. Families host up to two IFSA students at a time.   

You might live with a retired couple and their beloved terrier, with frequent visits from their young grandchildren. Your hosts might have high school-age children and a grandparent living with them. Or you might join a single mom who shares her home with her adult daughter and grandson, with another adult child living nearby.   

• Location. Host families live throughout the city. You might live close to downtown within easy walking distance to the IFSA Program Center—or 45–60 minutes away via public transportation (that’s just 15 minutes away via Uber). 
• Living space. Each student has their own bedroom. Bathrooms are sometimes private but could be shared with other family members. Your hosts provide a desk or other suitable place to study.   
• Meals. Three meals a day included. Your homestay family understands that you also need time out to be with friends and explore—they’ll appreciate a heads-up when you plan to eat out. Students buy their own snacks.    
• Language. Few families are fluent in English, but most can communicate. We do our best to place students without Spanish skills with English-speaking families.  
• Other details. Internet included. Air conditioning is limited to eight hours at night, so expect to adjust to heat and humidity in this tropical environment. Most homes have a washing machine that students can use once a week. In some cases, the family offers to do the laundry. If the family does not have a washing machine, they will take the student once a week to the laundromat.  
• Nearby. Cafes, restaurants, malls, and public transportation.