Gap Year in Brazil | Volunteer Study Abroad in South America with Carpe Diem International

Brazil

"Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience."
--Paulo Coelho

***This itinerary is still under construction and is subject to change in the next two months. Keep on checking back to see new and exciting parts of the program!***

In a landscape of picturesque beaches, overflowing waterfalls, and the world's wildest jungle, and with a culture famous for its never-ending embrace of life, vibrant dancing, music, and soccer, the Brazil semester will take you on an exhilarating ride. By venturing to Brazil's three most enigmatic areas - Salvador, the Amazon, and Rio de Janeiro - you will begin to develop a deeper understanding of what makes this country so special. Working to capture the essence of Brazil, you will live with a remote Amazonian tribe, trek through waterfall-laden national parks, volunteer in Rio's shantytowns and on farms in diamond-studded valleys, hone your Portuguese through classes and homestays, dance samba in one of Rio's world-renowned Escolas de Samba and much more. By lending a helping hand to various organizations, you will be inspired by the community organizers and visionaries who have made it their life's work to usher in a new era of social and environmental consciousness. Explore a rapidly transforming country and be witness to your own transformation in the process.

Orientation:

After arrival in Salvador, we head directly to Mariza Epicentro for orientation. This educational farm will be our temporary refuge as we adjust to our new environment and begin to discuss our intentions for the journey ahead. We'll take a few days nestled at this beautiful farm to learn more about Brazil, the program, and each other so we can set the tone for the upcoming three months. During this time, we'll also have time to relax and learn about this inspiring farm, whose founder envisions a world where we can work with native habitats to meet our food needs and heal the land. Here, we will also begin our study of Portuguese to prepare for our linguistic forays into the surrounding culture. .

Language Study

Spend two weeks in the bustling city of Salvador studying Portuguese more formally in a one-on-one or small group setting. Each morning begins with 4-5 hours of language study while living with your own homestay family. Afternoons are free to spend honing your newfound Portuguese with your families, participate in cultural activities like traditional cooking, capoeira (a traditional Afro-Brazilian art form combining martial arts, music, and dance), dance lessons, or explore the city's museums and cathedrals. Sneak away on the weekend for group adventure activities like beach trips or cultural tours.

Chapada Diamantina

Venture into the "Diamond Tablelands" of Chapada Diamantina, a region named for the flat-topped "table" mountains whose erosion has unearthed an abundance of diamonds that created the "diamond rush" of the 19th and 20th centuries. In this bizarrely spectacular land reminiscent of the American Southwest - except covered in lush vegetation and dripping with waterfalls - you will trek for four days through the cavernous canyons where wild rivers run and soak in the breathtaking vistas from the tops of the table mountains.

Organic Coffee Farm

With the stunning backdrop of the Chapada Diamantina, spend a week volunteering on an organic, biodynamic coffee farm where you can learn about the multi-step process of taking a coffee bean from a tree to a cup while preserving the surrounding ecosystem. Wake up to a breakfast of fresh fruit from the farm's trees and spend the day getting your hands in the dirt on the farm. This project will provide you with an intriguing window into the myriad new agricultural projects that are sprouting up all around Brazil (and elsewhere!) to remedy the issues of land degradation through irresponsible farming.

Eco-Village Stay

Learn about a new concept of community by staying on one of the many eco-villages in the region. These communities place an emphasis on minimal human impact to the environment through alternative community structures, buildings and farming techniques. You may spend a week at a village focused on spiritual exploration that collaborates with a local indigenous group that may allow you a rare glimpse into their culture. Or you may immerse yourself in an eco-village devoted to the study and practice of Capoeira, a fascinating dance, song, and fighting style with a rich history in Brazil.

Into the Amazon!

Fly into the heart of the world's most vibrant and wild jungle to live by the river's side in an indigenous community only accessible by boat. Spend a week lending a helping hand to this community through assisting with building a school, while joining villagers for walks in the jungle to learn of their traditions and vast ecological knowledge. Most travelers never feel the profound power of the Amazon through meeting its lively inhabitants and it will surely be unforgettable.

Jungle Trek

There is no better way to encounter the colorful natural treasures of the Amazon than by walking attentively through its tangly vines under the dense canopy of primeval trees, then spending the night falling asleep to the mysterious chorus of its animal inhabitants. Spend five days walking through the Amazon with one of the best guides in the area, who can teach you to better detect the millions of complexities present in the most biodiverse forest on the planet.

Minas Gerais

Heading from the depths of the Amazon to Minas Gerais, you will get to explore a region rarely visited by tourists, but renowned for its natural beauty and deep history from its time as a colonial mining hub. Stay in homestays while honing your Portuguese with more classes and assisting with local building projects when you aren't focusing on your linguistic prowess. Immerse yourself in this culturally rich experience to see what daily life is like for mineiros in the area.

Free Travel

"Free Travel" is a time for students to take over the direction, processes, and budgeting of the group's travels and activities utilizing the skills they've gleaned the previous 10+ weeks. The journey from Minas Gerais to Rio de Janeiro is full of beautiful attractions for you to explore. Will you venture to a monastery famous for the elusive maned wolves that visit at night, saunter through the cobblestone streets of one of the architecturally rich colonial cities, or ride a steam train in between cities? The choice is yours, but one thing is for sure - you will enjoy the opportunity to try your hand at steering the direction of the trip in this spectacular region.

Rio de Janeiro

Arguably the most famous (and infamous!) region of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro has enchanted visitors for centuries. The one-of-a-kind coastline has made this one of the most photogenic spots in the world and one of the premiere destinations in Brazil. Juxtaposed against this breathtaking scenery are some of the most dilapidated favelas - or shanty towns - in the country whose inhabitants are in the midst of a daily struggle to survive. These diverse ingredients have fueled a culture that lives in the moment and channels the joys and sorrows of this dramatic landscape into its alluring dance, the samba. You will get to experience these highlights and lowlights through community service in inspiring favelas that have organized themselves to improve their quality of life and fight to remedy the injustices perpetuated by the upper classes. We'll punctuate this intense urban immersion with trips to white-sand beaches, samba lessons, and Portuguese courses.

Beaches

Cap off the most memorable three months of your life on the sprawling beaches in the sleepy colonial town of Paraty. Spend your last week enjoying wonderful activities like horseback riding, rafting, hiking, beaches and waterfalls, sailboating, and the like. Then, as the sun sets on your Brazil semester, reflect on your experience with your group, prepare for the transition home, and say your tearful goodbyes to your nomadic family.

Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva observed, "Brazil has rediscovered itself, and this rediscovery is being expressed in its people's enthusiasm and their desire to mobilize to face the huge problems that lie ahead of us." By the end of this three month odyssey, we hope you too will have rediscovered yourself in the dynamic backdrop of this marvelous country and will be inspired by those who are committed to improving it.

Program Details

Program Dates:

Beginning in the Fall of 2012: September 18 - December 11th
Spring 2013: February 8 - May 2

Group Size:

A maximum of 10 Students & 2 Adult Leaders

Eligibility:

Ages 17 and Up

University Credit & Federal Financial Aid:

FAFSA & Up to 18 credits available through Portland State University: www.pdx.edu

Language Requirement:

None

Admissions:

No deadline - applications accepted on a rolling basis until 2 weeks prior to start date.

Program Fee:

$10,900 program fee includes all food, accommodations and scheduled program activities for the duration of the program. International airfare, health insurance and spending money are extra. International airfare estimated at $1100; internal flight estimated at $250. For information on Financial Aid click here.

Program Policies:

For a detailed description of our Program Expectations and Rules - The Sacred 6 - please click this link. These are the rules that we expect of all of our students for their overall safety and to provide the best possible program.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore a part of the world that is rich with history and tradition, and learn about yourself in the process. If you are interested in practicing your language skills, Carpe Diem's Brazil program presents the perfect way to hone your skills and aptitude. If you're just getting started learning a language, this program will be the perfect opportunity to learn how to read, write and live it.

Carpe Diem offers exciting opportunities to travel, study and learn about the people of South America, all while making a difference in the communities in which you'll stay. By studying abroad in South America with us, you'll scale mountains, work on meaningful construction projects and experience the unparalleled beauty of Brazil. Study abroad on the South American continent and experience a world you never knew existed.

During many of our semesters you can count on teaching being one of the many types of volunteering that takes place. This video is from our South America program group teaching English to some of the local school kids using the old standby of "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes." For more videos please visit our You Tube page.