Oaxaca has a tropical highland climate and temperatures average 70 degrees fahrenheit year-round. The mountain valleys around Oaxaca are characterized by linguistically and culturally isolated communities which few travelers ever see. An hour and a half from Oaxaca one can find villages where Spanish is rarely spoken and people live much as they did 300 years ago. Students on the Oaxaca program will have the opportunity to visit such communities. At the Instituto Cultural , a former family estate where the Penn program is located, the broad porches, porticos, patio, and yard provide numerous places for students to discuss issues informally with their professors and practice Spanish with conversation partners.
Students stay in rented rooms in Mexican households.
Please refer to the application checklist for application information.