About the Program

The 2012 Brazil Study Abroad program is a pilot project developed to support the University of Nebraska's global engagement priority to offer the opportunity for significant international experiences to students. This is a three-semester hour course that combines: a) distance learning and survival Portuguese prior to departure, b) on-site study abroad and basic Portuguese language instruction at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, c) a service-learning project at a local community organization working with poor neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro and possible travel to a second Brazilian city. Among the critical issues students will explore in Brazil are: education, politics, food, health and environment, inequality and social justice, race, urbanization and Brazil’s rise to a global power.