Each year BroSis conducts our intensive International Study Program (ISP) focused on a nation in African, Latin America or the Caribbean. All High School members who have been enrolled for at least one year are eligible to apply. Participants spend 6 months (January – June) studying about the host country, followed by 4-weeks of travel during the month of July. The program is a natural continuation of our work on leadership development, Pan-African and Latinx history, and global awareness.

During their stay they have daily meetings and exchanges with representatives from national organizations, community groups, government agencies and business. They meet with students and youth organizations and build cross-cultural connections. Traveling from major cities to small villages, from mountain tops to beaches, our members are immersed in the rhythms of the host country: learning, exploring, exchanging and growing during a month overseas. They gain an expansive understanding and appreciation of humanity and broaden their global awareness. Inevitably, they return home more motivated and better prepared as students, youth leaders and global citizens.

Global Studies, Knowledge of Self & Group Bonding

ISP participants examine the history, culture, politics and environment of Africa and Latin America. In doing so, they build a nuanced understanding of world history, US foreign policy, intersectionality and “globalization”. Each program focuses on issues specific to the host country and provides members with an education that cannot be obtained from textbooks or documentaries alone. Hands-on experiences, in foreign countries, are deeply empowering.  As our members learn about the complex history and cultures of the African Diaspora, and the world outside the United States, their world-views are deepened and expanded and their lives are forever changed.

Coordination

ISP is coordinated by BroSis Co-Founder and Associate Executive Director, Jason Warwin, who has nearly 30 years of experience in international education programming. Program facilitation is led by BroSis staff who work collaboratively on program planning, facilitation, and logistics. Over the course of the summer they serve as teachers, guides, caregivers, and friends, offering their knowledge of the host country and global issues, cross-cultural sensitivity, conflict resolution, and first aid. ISP has three components:

1. Preparation

Each Fall our teens apply to ISP. From January through June the group prepares for the overseas experience by participating in bi-weekly workshops, conducting research, meeting with guest experts, attending cultural outings, and taking foreign language lessons. They create a Mission Statement of collective goals for the experience, and just before departing take part in a 3-day Orientation.

2. Immersion

The group divides its time overseas between urban areas and extended stays in a small town or village. They have exchanges with youth from non-governmental organizations, work on community projects, and meet with U.S. government officials. Youth facilitate seminars, conduct ethnographic research, lead public presentations, and attend foreign language, history and culture classes at a university taught by local professors. Spontaneous activities and adventures help make the learning process exciting and fun. Throughout the trip participants facilitate peer-education workshops utilizing essays, news articles, literary excerpts, and social data found in our curriculum. Lastly, every participant contributes to a Group Journal that becomes a record of each day’s activities and the meaningful insights acquired while studying and living overseas.

3. Exhibition

Once back home each participant shares their experience, and their new knowledge and perspectives with their families, schools and communities by creating a personal presentation. Over the years presentations have included:

• Creating a slideshow
• Producing a video
• Installing a photography exhibition
• Creating a theatrical performance

Host Countries, Theme & Key Partners

Since 1996, BroSis has facilitated ISP in the following nations:

Brazil (2006, 2009, 2015, 2018)
Cuba (2016, 2019)
Dominican Republic & Puerto Rico (USA) (2003, 2008)
Dominican Republic & Haiti (2013)
Egypt (1999)
Ghana (2001, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2023)
Mexico (1998)
Morocco & Spain (1996)
South Africa (1997, 2005)

ISP works with university, NGO and secondary school partners whose vast knowledge of the host country and access to sites and resources allow for a diverse program. Our partners enable us to stay connected to the overseas communities we visit year after year. Though our members are relatively privileged in comparison to their African and Latin American peers, Bro/Sis is aware that the youth we meet overseas may never have the opportunity to travel outside their country. Long-term partnerships ensure those who help to make ISP an immersed and unique experience also benefit from our visit.

Through our youth development model, distributing our publications, and participating in projects that assist local communities, we offer tangible impact. Adagana in Ghana is modeled on Bro/Sis, and Bro/Sis Co-Founder Jason Warwin started Brotherhood in Brasil (Irmãos Unidos) where he is training local youth workers. It is exciting for our members to know that, unlike a typical tourist experience, they will connect with Adagana or Irmãos Unidos who have a similar mission as Bro/Sis. Bonds forged in cross-cultural understanding and shared values are made and youth leadership is supported.

Enduring Impact

For some of our members, participating in ISP is their first opportunity to fly in a plane. For others, it is their first time leaving the United States. Many have never facilitated a workshop or conducted hands-on research. They return home with a broader understanding of the world, a deeper understanding of themselves, a greater appreciation for their legacy, and renewed love of learning. 

Click any of the links below to read about our various trips and hear members’ reflections on their experiences.