Summer Exchange Program with Costa Rica for Students with Disabilities

We received this via e-mail and want to bring it to the attention of the students among our readership. MIUSA is not affiliated with United Spinal Association, and this is presented for informational purposes only:

Mobility International USA (MIUSA) is currently recruiting for our Summer 2008 US/Costa Rica: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Disability Rights Leadership Exchange Program. We would like to offer an additional $100 scholarship to any youth selected to participate in the programs that says they found out about the program through you or your organization. The deadline to receive completed applications including the application fee is March 28, 2008.

We will select up sixteen youth ages of 18-24 to explore Costa Rica and participate in an exciting cross-cultural and cross-disability exchange program! They will become ambassadors of disability pride by sharing cross-cultural disability perspectives with members of the local the community! Delegates will be:

• Developing leadership skills
• Building self-confidence
• Making friends
• Learning/ using Spanish!
• Delegates will experience Costa Rican culture, food and customs by living with a host family!

MIUSA strives to organize programs that include people with and without disabilities and people from diverse cultural backgrounds. First time travelers with disabilities who are from a cultural minority and of low socioeconomic status are included every year. MIUSA exchange programs are inclusive of people who are Deaf and hard of hearing, or have cognitive, visual, physical, psychiatric, systemic, non-apparent, or other types of disabilities.

Generous scholarships are available to allow youth to participate in the program thanks to funding from the New York Community Trust DeWitt Wallace/Youth Travel Enrichment Fund, established in Community Funds by the co-founder of The Reader’s Digest Association. For the past fourteen years, MIUSA has received the generous support of the DeWitt Wallace/Youth Travel Enrichment Fund, established by the founder of The Reader’s Digest Association, to provide an educational travel opportunity to young adults with disabilities from diverse communities. Youth chosen to participate in the Summer 2008 US/Costa Rica: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Disability Rights Leadership Exchange Program will join a network of more than 2000 MIUSA alumni representing more that 100 countries! Below you will find a paragraph about the program to include in newsletters and other correspondence as you and your staff deem appropriate. For your convenience we have also attached a post able flyer and full program application.