This is a guest blog post from our student social media ambassador, Alyssa. Currently studying abroad on the semester program, “Liberal Arts, Migration and Social Change in Mexico.”
Interdisciplinary Educational Week in México City
The week after our Spring Break we had an interdisciplinary educational week in Mexico City. Being so close to CDMX is one of the advantages of Cuernavaca! On Monday we started our week with a tour of the beautiful UNAM where we even got to visit the Olympic Stadium!
The week was filled with different activities and topics each centered around the different courses we are taking. For biology students, on Monday afternoon we had the opportunity to visit Huerto Romita which is a community garden and restaurant focused on organizing the community and protecting biodiversity. It included a fun workshop of making seed bombs which is an Asian practice! On Tuesday, we were off to Xochimilco! It was beautiful to connect with nature through our boat rides, learning about the cultivation of the land for the indigenous community, and seeing an axolotl! This was one of my favorite activities of the week, as it was so refreshing to learn about gardening systems and how Humedalia is protecting the environment in Xochimilco. Our last biology related activity was visiting the museum on the UNAM campus!
We got a guided tour to learn about different animal species native to Mexico and participated in a 3D model workshop of an axolotl. In terms of art, Mexico City is filled with it! We visited the Frida Kahlo Museum and Modern Art Museum on UNAM’s campus as well. Both were filled with beautiful pieces!
Other activities included actually exploring and getting to know the city! We had a tour of the Historic Center and Templo Mayor where the remains of Tenochtitlan are located and an afternoon in Coyoacan! There were three events that were in relation to our communication class and my political science one. The first one was a talk at the Casa de los Pueblos Indígenas and it was truly empowering to hear how they are organizing as a community to fight for their rights. The second one was a visit to Casa Pocha, which supports individuals who are removed from the United States whether that be by offering housing, resources, or general information. Their mission and work is inspiring. Lastly, on Friday we had the privilege to visit the U.S. Embassy in CDMX to have a briefing with David Young. We learned about foreign service work but also the role of the embassy in Mexico and it was an opportunity I am very fortunate to have had.
Our semester is coming to an end soon and it’s very bittersweet! The semester flew by and I am sad that I only have a couple more weeks left in Cuernavaca. It has been nothing but the best and I am so thankful for this program!
