Past Trips

In 2018 and 2019, several Mohawk College students, staff and faculty embarked on service learning and work placements abroad, expanding their knowledge of the world, enriching their cultural understanding and further developing as socially responsible global citizens. In this 6 minute video, hear from the trip participants about their experiences abroad. Mohawk College acknowledges the support of Ontario's Career Ready Fund for enabling these impactful experiences.

Past Trips

2022

Global Skills Opportunity Trip to Italy

GSO logo

In September of 2021, Mohawk College was awarded a Global Skills Opportunity grant from the Government of Canada to enable student trips abroad in support of global learning and intercultural competency development. Global Skills Opportunity is a national outbound student mobility program that enables more than 16,000 Canadian college and undergraduate-level university students from across the country to acquire the global skills employers want and the Canadian economy needs.  

One of Mohawk College’s Global Skills Opportunity projects supports students in the McKeil School of Business to study at the CUOA Business School in Vicenza, Italy for two weeks. Once there, they learn about the influence of culture and innovation on business model performance within an intercultural setting. In April 2022, the first cohort of 15 students and 2 faculty departed for the trip of a lifetime. While there, they visited local industries such as Lego, Benetton, and Ducati and participated in tours of cultural hubs such as Rome, Venice, and Florence. During the day, they studied design thinking and intercultural management at the business school, all while practicing their Italian and networking skills. The students commented that the trip was transformational and greatly influenced their development as global citizens.  

Italy trip in Rome

Another of Mohawk College’s Global Skills Opportunity projects will see 16 Indigenous students, accompanied by staff, faculty, and mentors spend three weeks in New Zealand in May 2024, to experience traditions, thought, and practices of Māori culture.

A key component of the Government of Canada’s International Education Strategy, Global Skills Opportunity is funded by Employment and Social Development Canada and is administered jointly by Colleges and Institutes Canada and Universities Canada. Over four years, Mohawk College will be one of 54 colleges and institutes and 56 universities that will be implementing a total of 124 Global Skills Opportunity-funded projects in collaboration with international partners in more than 100 countries, to the benefit of tens of thousands of students.

2020

Faculty Trip to Ecuador

group photo of Mohawk faculty in Ecuador

In February 2020, a group of 10 Mohawk College faculty and staff travelled to Ecuador for a nine day Food Revolution program organized by Operation Groundswell, a Toronto-based NGO. This trip was partially funded through a generous donation from Guard.me Insurance. The purpose of this initiative was to offer training to faculty who are interested in organizing and facilitating short-term global experiences with students in the future.

Trip Highlights

  • Quito visit: orientation, Spanish language lessons, and cooking lessons
  • Fundacion Brethren y Unidad: tree planting, farming, and working alongside local youth while learning about food sustainability
  • Santo Domingo: stayed with local Tsa'chila families (a small group of indigenous people), learning about traditional crops, medicines and ceremonies; learning how coffee is made
  • Shunka Bee Farm in Machachi: planting flowers, clearing fields, and harvesting bees wax; learning about the importance of bees and the threats that bees are facing with factory farming, mass harvesting, and climate change

2018-2019

Lit up letters of sign saying Campeche Mexico

Mexico

*Funded by Guard.Me

In spring 2019, three students and one faculty member from Mohawk’s Tourism program participated in a 3-week, co-curricular experience in Campeche, Mexico.

In partnership with local hotels (Holiday Inn and Don Gustavo Boutique Hotel), the group gained front line experience, developed social media strategies for the Ministry of Tourism, Campeche, and helped tailor the guest experience through a Canadian customer lens.

The Mohawk team completed their placement by presenting our partners with a summary of their findings and thoughts on how they might be applied to increase tourism in the area.

Two ladies in standing in front of an old building in Italy

Italy

*Funded by Erasmus+

From May to July 2019, four students from Mohawk’s Business - Marketing program participated in unpaid work placements in Milan, Italy. The placements were organized by Mohawk’s partner, Jobs Academy (JAC).

The placements took place at Caronte Law Firm and Price Waterhouse Coopers. The students received enhanced skills and professional growth.

This program was made possible by Erasmus+ funding, a European Union program that sponsors education and training for European students. Mohawk is one of a limited number of approved Canadian partners with the Erasmus+ Program.

In return, Mohawk is hosting four Italian students who are studying at Mohawk’s Fennell campus in Fall 2019!

2017-2018

Funded by the Career Ready Fund from the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities

A girl is smiling at a kid

India

In April 2019, 12 students from the Autism and Behavioural Science and Photography programs volunteered at SOREM in Chandigarh, India. Accompanied by three Mohawk staff and faculty, the Mohawk students worked with students with autism and their teachers at the school which is located in northern India.

In partnership with the non-profit organization Global Autism Project, the trip allowed students to fulfill the placement component of their program while getting hands-on, real life experience helping students and teachers in an international setting.

SOREM is home to 150 students with developmental, mental and physical disabilities such as autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy. They specialize in early intervention programs, rehabilitation, therapy and inclusive educational environments.

A group of students in Jamaica

Jamaica

Phase 1

In November 2018, 12 students and 4 staff members went to Bowden Hill, Jamaica to participate in renovation and renewal efforts at Bowden Hill Primary School. The school has 85 students and 7 teachers and is nestled in the mountains of this small Jamaican town.

The students were from the following programs: Computer Networking, Computer Software, Photography, and Building Renovation.

The Mohawk students installed new computers, set up the computer network, and provided workshops for students and teachers. They took measurements and did specification drawings for Phase 2 of the project, which focused on renovations. They also organized a community engagement event at the school which involved members of the school, parents, and the surrounding community.

Phase 2

In February 2019, 12 students traveled back to Jamaica to implement the renovation plans for Bowden Hill Primary School. They renovated the school’s kitchen, built shelving units for the library, painted, and installed whiteboards in all of the classrooms.;

The students were from the following programs: Construction Engineering Technology, Building Renovation, and Photography. Each student received a credit through the Global Experience general elective.

A group of students in Greece

Greece

In October 2018, a group of students and faculty participated in a service learning trip at the Ritsona Refugee camp in Greece. The camp is located near Chalkida, about one hour north of Athens.

The Ritsona Refugee camp is home to over 900 refugees - primarily from Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and Somalia. Three
NGOs work with Greek authorities and the Air Force to run the camp, including Mohawk's partner, Cross-Cultural Solutions.

Twelve students from the Child and Youth Care, Social Service Worker and Photography programs volunteered at the camp along with College faculty and staff . The group helped residents with daily tasks such as laundry and worked with women and children in the “Female Friendly” space.

Learning about the effects of war, displacement, and how people make a new life in a different land were just some of the meaningful aspects of the trip. Each Mohawk student received credit for their learning through the Global Experience general elective course.