International Social Work: A Costa Rican Perspective

• Attend lectures and site visits to social service agencies to learn more about social services in Costa Rica
• Exchange perspectives on practice with Costa Rican social work students and faculty
• Travel to significant cultural and historical sites around San Jose
• Tentative dates for Summer 2025 are May 20-June 1, 2025

Through examining key issues and dynamics in social services in another country, the program builds students' competency for intercultural and critical social work practice. Students learn about Costa Rica's responses to social problems and glean insights from student, practitioner, and community experiences in the Costa Rican context. In visits to social service agencies and other key institutions, discussions with Costa Rican faculty and community leaders, and exposure to Costa Rican natural, social, and historical resources, students increase their readiness for practice that celebrates diversity, advances human rights, and elevates social, economic, and environmental justice.
The following questions shape the context for these experiences:

• How do cultural, economic, and political differences shape social construction of and response to social problems, including through influencing service delivery?
• What influences do global economies and politics have on social work practice at multiple levels and across different client systems?
• How can a grounding in human rights and justice inform social work practice with diverse clients in different national contexts?
• How can social workers use self-reflection and critical thinking to evaluate their own intercultural practice, as part of lifelong learning?

Three hours of academic credit are granted by the University of Kansas upon successful completion of the program. Students will enroll in 3 credit hours of SW 560, SW 855, or SW 955, dependent upon academic level.

While KUSSW students in the macro specialization do not have elective slots, macro students can replace SW 846 with study abroad, including this program.

Undergraduate students in the KU Honors Program who enroll in SW 855 will have the course count as an Honors course.

Further, students from outside the School of Social Welfare are sincerely invited to join in the Costa Rica program. Interdisciplinary practice is a key part of social work and a requirement for University of Costa Rica social work students. For U.S. students, learning alongside students from other campus units can deepen the study abroad experience for all. Students with questions about how to fit study abroad into their degree plans are encouraged to contact the faculty director for assistance. One formal in-person class session will take place prior to departure (location and format TBA). During that time, students will begin to develop questions they hope to explore during their time in Costa Rica. Students are encouraged to consider potential connections between their area of study and/or social work practice and to map the focus of inquiry to Costa Rica. How do you anticipate using your study abroad learning in your future?

While in Costa Rica, the group will talk with faculty from the UCR School of Social Work, attend lectures and discussions about current economic and political issues in Costa Rica, and speak with practitioners about their work on global concerns such as immigration, indigenous communities, children's rights and well-being, and the environment. Planned site visits include a women's rights collective, an interdisciplinary community project in Guacimo province, and a women-led water collaborative working to defend and equitably distribute this essential resource.

Students will stay in hotels in shared accommodations with daily breakfast included. Many group lunches and dinners are also included.

While in San José, the group will have guided tours of the city to see some of the main attractions, including the National Museum, and will attend a cultural night to watch traditional dancing. To give students opportunities to experience Costa Rica beyond the capital, the group will travel to La Fortuna and hike to the Arenal waterfall and participate in tours of hanging bridges and a chocolate farm. The group will also have opportunities to shop traditional markets to purchase artisan goods, some of which support the women's empowerment collaborative in San Ramon. It's planned that the group will visit Guacimo, to learn more about the interdisciplinary community projects UCR students help run. At the end of the program the group will travel to the Pacific Coast. There, students can go to the beach, visit the butterfly garden, and/or go on nature walks during the day or at night to view the local flora and fauna including more than 330 species of birds and several species of monkeys!

Please note that while there are many activities that include walking, students with disabilities have successfully participated in the program. If you have concerns, please reach out to the program coordinator or faculty director for more information.

The program is open to undergraduate and graduate students of all majors, with priority given to students in the School of Social Welfare (admitted freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors, as well as students in the MSW, DSW, and PhD programs). Minimum 2.5 GPA required with exceptions considered after submission of a petition. 

With approval from the faculty director and the School's Center for Community Engagement and Collaboration, community professionals may also take this course for BSRB-approved continuing education credit. 

Program Cost for International Social Services: A Costa Rican Perspective

Undergraduate and Graduate students in the School of Social Welfare who commit to the 2025 program will receive a $500 scholarship from the School. Students who plan to graduate in May prior to the study abroad program may need to defer graduation to August to be eligible for the scholarship. Please inquire with your academic advisor to confirm your eligibility for this scholarship. 

Melinda Lewis, Professor of Practice in the School of Social Welfare, leads the program. Professor Lewis’ social work career has focused on macro strategies for policy and social change, including advocacy and community organizing, and she has taught undergraduate and graduate classes in the School over the past 2.5 decades. Her years of work with Latinx immigrant communities in the U.S. make this Costa Rica social work study abroad course a particularly great fit for her professional background and personal commitment. She has close working relationships with several University of Costa Rica social work faculty and practitioners and looks forward to sharing these impactful experiences with students again in 2025! Professor Lewis speaks Spanish and collaborates with the professional interpreters to ensure English-speaking students can understand and be understood throughout the study abroad program.

Professor Lewis was awarded the KU International Affairs Advisory Board International Teaching Award in 2024.