Group of 23 people standing in front of a colorful, painted wall.

Cali Colombia

Travel to Colombia to Study Communication and Community Leadership

During this faculty-led immersion, you will gain practical training that will help you better understand the development needs of a local community.

You will work with community groups in Cali, putting your communication and listening skills to work.

Community leaders use creative and inclusive approaches based in story-telling, media and the arts to build relationships, create consensus, accomplish goals and work for social change.

The leadership skills you will gain are applicable to organizational development, intercultural collaboration and team building.

This program is run in partnership with Javeriana University. A typical day includes working with a community partner for half of the day, classroom instruction, group debriefs and project work, as well as tours and free time.

You can use your financial aid toward the cost of this study abroad program.

Communication, Leadership and Community Development

Dates:

  • July 11 - 25, 2027

Estimated Costs:

  • COML/ORGL Tuition (3 credits): Est. $3,285*
  • COML/ORGL Tuition - 6 credits: Est. $6,570*
  • Study Abroad Program Fee: $200

*Tuition and program fees are an estimate and subject to change.

Includes:

  • Individual accommodations
  • Most meals
  • Local group transportation
  • Group excursions and activities
  • Student insurance

Not included:

  • Airfare
  • Textbooks
  • Personal expenses

Curriculum

COML 572/ORGL 690 is a required course. COML and ORGL students may also choose to take COML 521 at the same time for a total of 6 credits. The courses are hybrid with online components. When you return home, you will continue to complete coursework.

COML 572/ORGL 690: Communication, Leadership and Community Development - 3 credits

Instructor: Pavel Shlossberg, Ph.D.

Working adaptively across cultures, you'll collaborate with local organizations in post-conflict settings to discover how creative practices—from art to storytelling to dialogue—can promote healing and transform division into connection. Learn to navigate cultural complexity with humility while using innovative approaches to directly participate in and impact local community projects that foster reconciliation, build trust, and create sustainable change. This immersive experience develops your capacity to lead sensitively across differences while honoring local wisdom and community resilience.

This course is eligible as an elective for the Global Leadership and Servant Leadership concentrations.

COML 521: Travel Writing

Instructor: Pavel Shlossberg, Ph.D.

This course explores communication theory, ethical frameworks, research methodology and cultural literacy as they relate to travel communication. A travel communicator fosters the spirit of exploration using a variety of methods and platforms with the intent of ethically promoting and documenting components of travel. The genre ranges from the documentary to the evocative, from literary to journalistic, and from humorous to serious. This course will show you how to engage your experiences more deeply in both strange and familiar places.

*Tuition and program fees are an estimate and subject to change.

You must be a current student (active in class) to apply to Study Abroad programs.

Current Student Application Information
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Questions?
Contact:

Heather Schmitt
Call or Text: (509) 313-6240
Email: schmitth@gonzaga.edu
Schedule an Appointment