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Beyond the classroom: Ursuline students learn and serve in Mexico

Beyond the classroom: Ursuline students learn and serve in Mexico

by Shannon Dufresne
 

For six Ursuline students, a summer journey to Mérida, Mexico, became a chance to discover how much you can learn when the classroom extends across cultures.

The current 10th graders spent 10 days in Mexico in August as part of the CIEE Good Neighbor PlayLab, an immersive program combining global learning with direct service. Working with young children in the local community, students explored how play supports early childhood development and then put what they learned into practice.

The experience was part of Ursuline's growing Global Education Initiative, which gives students opportunities to engage with other cultures and build the confidence to learn in unfamiliar settings.

Cultural immersion

Accompanied by social studies teacher Chris Woodside and religion teacher Samantha Marrero, the students navigated a new city, communicated in Spanish, and lived with local host families. But some of their most meaningful learning came through their relationships with the children they met.

For Reagan Spillane '29, one such moment came during a visit to a park with children from Zarigüeyas. As she watched two young boys squabble over a toy car, she was suddenly reminded of her own younger cousins.

"I was struck with such an intense feeling of familiarity, and then the reminder that people across the globe are separated only by circumstances and opportunity," Reagan said. "Truly, children everywhere are the same everywhere."

That recognition was part of a larger shift Woodside observed during the trip. Students arrived ready to serve, he said, but their experience challenged them to think more deeply about what service actually means. Their time with the children offered a firsthand lesson in the distinction between doing something for someone and building relationships that recognize the dignity and abilities of those being served.

Madeline Chaput '29 came to a similar realization during a building activity at Zarigüeyas. After a group of boys finished their project, they took a leftover cardboard box and, without any direction from the Ursuline students, transformed it into a soccer field.

"It reshaped how I think about Serviam. Sometimes serving means stepping back rather than stepping in."
- Madeline Chaput '29

"It showed me how naturally kids problem-solve and create when given the space to do it themselves, even with the language barrier we were navigating," Madeline said. "It reshaped how I think about Serviam. Sometimes serving means stepping back rather than stepping in."

Learning by doing

Throughout the program, the students moved between workshops at the CIEE center and opportunities to apply what they were learning with children in the community.

Early sessions explored storytelling and art as forms of educational play. Students practiced reading aloud and attended a professional puppet show in Spanish before developing their own theatrical interpretation of the Yucatán children's story "The Dwarf King of Uxmal."

They created props and costumes, then performed the story for children at Comedor Zarigüeyas, even inviting some of the children to join them onstage.

The learning extended throughout Mérida. Students practiced Spanish during a walking tour of the historic center and used their language skills to order at a local bakery. They also experienced daily life with their host families.

A visit to Uxmal, an ancient Maya city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, connected their study of the region with the story they had performed for the children. At Museo Choco-Story, students learned about the history and production of chocolate in the Yucatán and watched a demonstration of chocolate-making techniques.

Those experiences required students to become comfortable not always knowing exactly what to say or do.

"Learning how to communicate in and navigate a new city forced me to rely on myself and others in a way I haven't had to before."
- Reagan Spillane '29

"Studying abroad within a homestay presents some challenges that must be solved independently," Reagan said. "Learning how to communicate in and navigate a new city forced me to rely on myself and others in a way I haven't had to before."

She returned home with what she described as newfound independence and self-reliance, along with an appreciation for immersing herself in another culture.

"I am so incredibly grateful to have experienced Mérida, Mexico, and all it has to offer," Reagan said.

A new understanding of Serviam

During the final days of the PlayLab, students drew on what they had learned to create their own activities for the children. Working with simple materials, they explored ways to encourage creativity and independent play rather than relying on elaborate resources.

For Madeline, the experience ultimately changed her understanding of St. Angela's call to serve.

"Before this trip, I thought of service as something active, doing things for people," she said. "Now I think real service is sometimes quieter: creating space for someone else, even a child, to lead and problem-solve on their own."

The experience also gave students a chance to discover their own capabilities. Woodside said he watched the girls become increasingly comfortable communicating across a language barrier and adapting to unfamiliar situations.

"Our students are capable of way more than they realize," he said.

For Reagan, that growth was inseparable from the opportunity to experience another culture firsthand. She described Mérida as a place where hospitality and generosity shaped her interactions and where ideas about what it means to be "rich" extended far beyond material possessions.

"Even in my short time there, I felt myself adapting the best traits of these people," she said, "and truly feel as though I have grown deeply from this experience."

That is at the heart of Ursuline's approach to global education: giving students meaningful opportunities to move beyond what is familiar, learn alongside others, and return home seeing themselves and the world differently.

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