Please note the dates for the Spring Break trips. The university Spring Break is March 1-7, 2026, while Stritch and the MSMP program’s Spring Break is March 8-14, 2026.

1-Week Spring Break Immersions, $1,000 individual fundraising goal:

El Salvador 

March 1-7, 2026

Open to all with these Spring Break dates 

The El Salvador Encounter through CRISPAZ is an educational immersion experience in which participants learn from the Salvadoran people about their lives, histories, and hopes for the future. A major focus of the encounter is to reflect on the meaning of working for justice rather than working for charity, understanding one’s role as a global citizen and humanizing the different issues that are present in our societies. Participants learn directly from Salvadorans about issues such as the impact of war, neo-liberal economics, U.S. foreign policy, migration, mining, the environment and a tradition of liberating faith all through a healthcare lens. The trip will also include meetings with Salvadoran medical professionals to learn from health care teams and public health educators to understand ongoing initiatives in a rural community. This educational immersion has a special emphasis on the voice and experience of the poor and marginalized of El Salvador.     

*No language prerequisite, but basic Spanish is recommended.

Cuernavaca, Mexico

March 8-14, 2026 

Open to all with these Spring Break dates

This ISI to Cuernavaca, Mexico, through Augsburg University’s Center for Global Education and Experience, will explore themes of health and healing by getting a glimpse into the daily lived experience of the community. Based out of a study center in Cuernavaca, ISI participants will hear from organizations and guest speakers about public health, indigenous and alternative healing practices, and health promotion. Possible excursions include visiting hospitals, community clinics, women’s empowerment organizations, and more. More so, participants can expect to gain a fuller understanding of how immigration impacts the lives of Mexicans and how communities are responding to preserve and maintain their beautiful culture in the face of adversity and injustice.

*No language prerequisite, but basic Spanish is recommended.

1-Week Immersions, $1,000 individual fundraising goal: 

Pine Ridge, South Dakota

TBD mid-June 2026 

Open to SSOM, Parkinson, & Graduate Students 

This immersion invites students to learn about the Oglala Lakota, their culture, their spiritual tradition, the impact of history and geography on contemporary life, and contemporary challenges, including health care. This trip consists of conversations with tribal leaders, including spiritual leaders, nurses, educators, pastors, counselors; visit to historical sites, including Wounded Knee, White Clay, the Badlands, and the Black Hills; tour of the Indian Health Service Hospital; Sunday Mass in the tribal church and lunch with the congregation.   

*No language prerequisite.

2-Week Immersions, $1,250 individual fundraising goal: 

El Salvador and US-Mexico Border 

12-14 days between May 24 - June 7, 2026 

Open to SSOM, Parkinson, & Graduate Students 

This immersion invites participants to follow the path of a Central American migrant by starting in El Salvador and then traveling to the US-Mexico Border. For the first part of the experience, the El Salvador Encounter through CRISPAZ is an educational immersion experience in which participants learn from the Salvadoran people about their lives, histories, and hopes for the future. A major focus of the encounter is to reflect on the meaning of working for justice rather than working for charity, understanding one’s role as a global citizen and humanizing the different issues that are present in our societies. Participants learn directly from Salvadorans about issues such as the impact of war, neo-liberal economics, U.S. foreign policy, migration, mining, the environment and a tradition of liberating faith all through a healthcare lens. The trip will also include meetings with Salvadoran medical professionals to learn from health care teams and public health educators to understand ongoing initiatives in a rural community. The immersion then continues to the US-Mexico Border where participants will visit migrant shelters and learn from various migrant justice and advocacy organizations, such as COFAMIDE, No More Deaths, and Hogar de Esperanza y Paz. 

*No language prerequisite, but basic Spanish is recommended. 

Palacios, Bolivia

May 31-June 14, 2026 

Open to SSOM students 

The majority of this immersion is spent in a rural clinic, Centro Medico Susan Hou. Founded in 2001 by Loyola nephrologist, the late Dr. Susan Hou, her husband, Northwestern endocrinologist Dr. Mark Molitch, and Bolivian endocrinologist, Dr. Douglas Villaroel, CMHP serves over 3,000 patients annually through clinic visits, surgical campaigns, deparatization programs, and emergency care resources. Participants at this site receive exposure to clinical flow and care provided in CMHP, having the opportunity to participate with daily clinic operations such as assisting in the lab or pharmacy, patient intake, observing physicians, and practicing patient interview skills in Spanish. Students may also work with the network of Community Health Promoters and give health education presentations at local schools. While in Palacios, students stay in a home on the clinic property and are immersed in the daily-life routines of the surrounding community. 

*Advanced or fluent Spanish is a prerequisite for participation. 

Quito, Ecuador

End of May to early June 2026 

Open to SSOM & Parkinson students 

Join the tremendous work of the Center A Family of Families (Centro una Familia de Familias) in Quito, Ecuador. Their mission to accompany and educate began over 50 years ago as an effort to provide an employment alternative to shoeshine boys working in the streets. Today, the work of the center has grown to positively impact the lives of over 6,000 families, or over 30,000 individuals, through accompaniment of whole families, building educational opportunities, providing technical skill training, and community building through education and health initiatives. The ISI team will learn about daily life of the community as well as the intersection of community need and organized response. Participants will encounter local Family & Social Promoters who work with individuals and families on basic health practices and initiatives through home visits and educational sessions. There will also be opportunities hear from local physicians, physical therapists, or other health care providers as they respond to the health care needs of the community. 

*Conversational to advanced Spanish is a prerequisite for participation.