SLU Launches First Cohort of Casa Belize With Opportunity to Win Free Flights
Maggie Rotermund
Senior Media Relations Specialist
maggie.rotermund@slu.edu
314-977-8018
Reserved for members of the media.
Saint Louis University is offering early applicants to SLU’s new Casa Belize study abroad an opportunity to win a free flight for their travel to Belize.
Casa Belize, launched this fall, will send its inaugural cohort of students to Belize for the fall 2020 semester.
SLU is offering several chances to win a free flight to Belize to students who apply early. The Casa Belize program is open to interested students at any Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) member institutions.
Students who complete their application to the program will be entered for a chance to win the tickets on Dec. 20, Jan. 15 and Jan. 31. The drawing will be held at 12 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Instagram at @BeCasaBelize.
Applications must be submitted by noon CST Friday, Dec. 20, Jan. 15, and Jan. 31 to be considered in each drawing. Students who apply by Dec. 20 have three chances to win. Those who apply by Jan. 15 have two chances to win as names will stay in the running during all three drawings if not selected. Winners will be notified by email.
The tickets will be awarded as a $500 flight credit on Southwest Airlines once the program deposit is made. Southwest has the most frequent and affordable service to Belize City, with daily service to and from Houston, Denver and Fort Lauderdale.
This unique study abroad opportunity is a partnership between SLU and St. John’s College in Belize City where students take what they learn in the classroom into vibrant and multicultural communities, learn from local leaders and community members, reflect on national and international realities, and explore the uniquely diverse ecosystems of Belize.
The program is open to students of all majors. The deadline for applications is Feb. 1, 2020, for the fall 2020 semester.
Through interaction with marginalized communities, students will explore academic perspectives on the social realities of Belize and the region, live simply in community with fellow students in an on-campus residence and will be invited to share their spirituality – no matter their faith tradition – with that community. Reflections based in Ignatian spirituality and a community retreat during the semester provide additional opportunities to process the experience abroad.
In this alternative study abroad model, students will spend two full days a week accompanying community members. This experience informs classroom discussion and personal reflection on the reality of marginal communities in Belize and at home.
Students will also explore the country’s ancient roots at Maya ruins, will take a water taxi to the Caribbean islands just off the coast and discover one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet.
Casa Belize is made possible by support from SLU’s Office of Mission and Identity, the Office of the Provost, the Center for Service and Community Engagement, the Office of International Services, the College of Arts and Sciences, the leadership and faculty of SJC, Centro Ignacio Ellacuría, and the Jesuit Community of Belize.
More information is available by following @BeCasaBelize on Instagram or write to goabroad@slu.edu.
Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers nearly 13,000 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University’s diverse community of scholars is SLU’s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place.