The Jamaica Program is a brand new USG Goes Global Program for Summer 2021!  Full program details can be found here.


Join us for two weeks in Kingston, the capital of Jamaica. You will live and learn on the beautiful campus of The University of the West Indies at the Mona, Jamaica campus. You will learn about diversity and cultural living as well as personal growth and child welfare in the Caribbean. This may be a first time for traveling outside the student’s comfort zone by traveling via airplane, bus, and boat. This study abroad program gives students the opportunity to do so many things at an affordable price.
Students will have opportunities to immerse themselves in the Jamaican culture through on-site learning by lectures and demonstrations. Students taking the social work with children course will visit and/or volunteer at social service agencies. All students will learn through their visits of historical sites in Jamaica. Other activities include: volunteering with grassroots organizations that serve at-risk children and/or families (LifeYard), participate in sand therapy and dancehall/reggae demonstrations. The trip will also include excursions for visiting some of Jamaica’s pristine beaches (also known as cays) such as Lime Cay and Doc’s Cove in Montego Bay, touring of Kingston, Jamaica, a heritage tour of the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica campus. Students will experience cultural cuisines from cultural restaurants and eateries as well as on campus; visit the Bob Marley Museum and Devon’s House, and have cultural lectures from faculty at the University of the West Indies on the Mona, Jamaica campus. In addition to the cultural lectures, students will have experience with puppet play therapy, beach sand therapy, a dancehall studio visit.

Jamaican History Brief
In 1958, Jamaica and ten (10) other Caribbean countries formed the Federation of the West Indies. The concept of Caribbean unity was soon abandoned in 1961 when Jamaicans voted against the Federation of the West Indies. On August 6, 1962, Jamaica was granted its independence from England. Jamaica's original inhabitants are the Arawaks, also called Tainos. They named the island Xaymaca, which means "land of wood and water". The Arawaks have quiet and peaceful lives until they were destroyed by the Spaniards years after Christopher Columbus discovered the island in 1494.
University of the West Indies, Mona campus: The oldest UWI Campus; Mona, Jamaica encompasses 653 acres of land nestled in a lush valley formerly part of two large sugar estates. Scattered throughout the campus are the famous historic ruins of a roman-style aqueduct, water wheel, and other remnants of the sugar works which once stood on the site. A campus rich with history and infused with the warm culture of the island.
Summer 2021 & COVID-19 Notice: Currently, USG Goes Global is planning for Summer 2021 programs to run on-site in the traditional study abroad faculty-led model. However, there is a chance that travel may not be possible to some or all program locations in Summer 2021 due to COVID-19. USG Goes Global is planning a virtual study abroad back-up plan for each program in case travel is not feasible by next summer. This would mean that if travel isn’t possible, programs and courses will still be conducted online and will include virtual study abroad elements such as guest lecturers from each study abroad location, virtual museum tours, virtual group activities, etc. and students will receive their expected course credit. Note: whether programs operate on-site or virtually, courses that do not reach sufficient enrollment are subject to cancellation. Should programs need to shift to the virtual option, all students will default to virtual study abroad, and all students will still pay tuition ($199/credit hour) but the program fee would be reduced to the $300 deposit rather than the full program fee + airfare cost.

The Estimated Program of Cost of $1,800 Includes:
-Shared quad-style accommodations on Jamaica's University of West Indies Mona campus for the program's duration. Students will have their own room and shower with shared common room and kitchen facilities.
-Accommodations at Student Living 138, Gerald Lalor Flats on UWI Mona, Jamaica campus located in Kingston. Students will have their own room and shower with shared common room and kitchen facilities.
-Daily breakfast and lunch on weekdays
-2 Group Dinners
-Interactive learning activities based on course selection. For example: self-awareness course will visit a dancehall studio for reggae and dancehall demonstrations; social work with children will be taught puppet therapy, visit social service agencies, and participate in radio broadcast activity. All students will have a guided experience of beach sand therapy
-Several cultural excursions to some of Jamaica's most famous attractions and locations (Bob Marley’s Museum, Devon’s House, Montego Bay, Emancipation Park, in Ocho Rios, Tour of Kingston, Historical Tour of UWI campus, Life Yard, National Heroes Park, Lime Cay, and many others)
-Ground Transportation to and from the airport while in Jamaica
-Private Transportation during entire stay to all excursions included. *special trips can be provided for an additional fee at the student’s own expense
-Activities & excursions as listed below under the "Activities & Admin" section
-Health insurance policy providing coverage for any medical expenses that may incur

The Estimated Program Cost of $1,800 Does Not Include:
-Tuition, which will be paid directly to each student's home institution. The USG Goes Global tuition rate is $199/credit hour.
-Roundtrip Airfare. USG Goes Global will advise students on how to book flights and students may choose to fly as a group if they wish to do so. The estimated airfare cost is $500 USD.
-Textbooks or other required course materials
-Ground transport to/from Atlanta airport
-Passport or visa expenses
-Personal spending money for meals that are not included, souvenirs, or personal travel outside of official program activities.
Courses: Coursework will be completed through onsite lectures, tours, excursions, service learning, and group discussions coupled with assignments, and online lectures. Coursework will begin in the weeks before program departure, and may continue after program conclusion via online content. Students may take either one or two courses for a total of three or six credit hours. Students should reach out to their Institutional Representative to find out their home institution's course equivalencies. 

1. Self-Awareness: Understanding the Journey of Life
Self- Awareness primary focus is on personal growth and self-identity. It helps to capture the internal flow of your inner and outward life. The course will support efforts to focus on the unfolding of self-awareness, the new developments, values, and the interrelationships of self-discovery. The process of assessing and becoming aware of who you are through recognizing your own biases as well as understanding the differences in people. Exercises are designed to enhance students’ development of self and the use of self to empower others in social work practice as well as other helping professions. Students will examine their identity, interpersonal relationship skills, problem solving skills, styles of communication, and value system. It is a laboratory group experience designed to help social work students gain awareness and understanding of self as a helping person.

2. Social Work with Children: Violence and Trauma in the Caribbean
This course examines the impact of specific crises on individuals and families. The course will examine the many faces of trauma including national and community trauma experiences, historical and geographic trauma, witnessing violence or other traumatic events, interpersonal violence in childhood and adulthood, specifically childhood sexual abuse, childhood physical abuse, domestic violence/partner abuse, rape/sexual assault, and adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Students will learn about the short-term and long-term effects of trauma on human lives.

Please Note:
-A valid passport is required to travel to the Jamaica. US passport holders do not need an additional visa to travel to Jamaica. If you do not currently hold a valid passport, you may apply for one through the US Department of State. Participants traveling on passports of other countries should contact their institutional representative for assistance in determining whether or not a visa is required for travel to Jamaica. Passports must be valid for at least six months after the conclusion of international travel.
-The cost range listed on the Via TRM program page is an estimate of the total cost of the program fee. Students should purchase their own flight separately according to instructions that will be provided by USG Goes Global. The cost range estimated on this page does not include the cost for tuition.

Cancellation Policy
USG Goes Global reserves the right to alter or cancel the program at any time due to low enrollment or any other appropriate circumstance (including but not limited to situations that may endanger the health or safety of participants) in USG Goes Global's sole discretion. If USG Goes Global cancels the program, only those fees or costs that USG Goes Global is able to have returned by the third-party service providers will be returned to participants and the program cancellation schedule will still apply. (In the event of a course cancellation by USG Goes Global, any return of a participant's paid tuition will be determined separately by the tuition refund policy of the participant's college or university).

UNG Equivalencies

Courses are taught in English by faculty from USG schools.

For course descriptions, visit the program website.
Students do not register for these courses through BANNER; instead, the CGE works with the Office of the Registrar to register students after the study abroad application is complete.