June 29th-July 6th, 2024
Identity, Migration. Leadership. Healing.
The topics for the 2024 Heritage: A Gift of Pride Program were built upon the experience of participants of all ages and stages of life who participated in previous programs. The 2024 program will expand to include additional elements of self-discovery and current global affairs. It will take place in Aculco, Mexico City, Puebla, and Cholula.
The 2024 Heritage: A Gift of Pride Program will provide participants with topics on migration, healing, identity, leadership and professional development. The program’s 2024 topics include Migration: Historical Trauma and Healing, Women Leadership: Influencers of Past and Present; Identity: Solidifying a Sense of Self; and Professional Development: Enhancing Academic Language and an introduction to Mexican Professional Protocols. Sessions on the above topics are led by academics, community leaders, and specialists in the fields.
Heritage: A Gift of Pride will ignite the journey of self-discovery by inspiring participants to reflect on their identity (no matter the country of cultural origin) while providing spaces for the connection and collaboration with leaders who impact the continuance of binational collaboration between the US and Mexico.
Applications Now Open!
DACA Recipients Encouraged to Apply!
*Space is limited
*Must be al least +21 years of age
*Women of all cultural origins are welcome
*Some comprehension of the Spanish language required
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until all spaces are filled or until May 1st, 2024, whichever comes first. Please click on the application button for additional information. For questions please email heritage@nobleled.org
PARTICIPANT SAFETY
Exploring all components of the 2024 Heritage Program has been thoroughly prepared by the Heritage team and partners. Participant safety, both physical and mental, is of the upmost importance to us. Prior to being accepted to the program, team members will conduct interviews with all applicants and will answer all questions pertaining to any safety concerns. Please be aware that women from all stages of life and from any country of cultural origin are welcome to participate as long as they are at least 21 years of age.
DACA PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS
DACA recipients seeking advanced parole to participate in the Heritage program may request a letter of support. Please be aware that you do not need to be enrolled in a higher education program to participate in the Heritage program. Due to the timeline required for applying for advanced parole and receiving the approval notification, we highly recommend you apply to the Heritage program as soon as possible so we may begin your application review. If accepted to the program, we will issue you the Heritage program letter of support.
Legal Consultation
The Heritage program does not provide legal consultation but we can guide you to legal services and attorneys that can provide you the assistance and guidance you need for the advanced parole application process. You may also navigate to the Defending the Dream Initiative guide on Advanced Parole for helpful checklists and answers to frequent questions or to the USCIS Travel Document Application for Advanced Parole.
Identity
For many women growing in a country that is different from that of their grandparents and/or parents creates a question of identity and belonging. The core of the Heritage: A Gift of Pride program involves addressing intersectional aspects of identity that may create confusion as well as opportunities for women during their careers. Heritage introduces the importance of understanding ones identity and solidifying it by exploring and acknowledging cultural background/s and family history.
Migration
Participants will be provided an opportunity to speak to historians, researchers, activists and attorneys who have written on the history of migration, identified current migration patterns, collected data, and fought for migrant rights. Topics of discussion include the history of “El Camino Real”-as a starting point of migration history to the current infamous freight train known as “La Bestia” that has taken the lives of many seeking an American dream.
Leadership
Participants will attend sessions led by women in leadership to gain an understanding of current challenges and successes women have had as leaders in recent years. Sessions will include opportunities to discuss the establishment of binational collaborative efforts between women in leadership and professional development activities to enhance academic language use and learn some common host country protocols in professional spaces.
Healing
Participants will experience personal healing practices in sessions provided by master healing practitioners that will guide them through the importance of a self-discovery journey. Healing practitioners will guide participants through the importance of understanding and acknowledging personal/family/ancestral trauma as a part of growth and actively accepting and healing oneself through the process.
Program Locations
Aculco
June 29-July 1
The Heritage journey begins in the magical town of Acuclo, which is two hours from Mexico City and is known for its amazing artisanal cheeses, its beautiful natural environment, and its historical significance. In Aculco Heritage participants will learn about two migration routes known as “El Camino Real” and “La Bestia”. Historians will explain the impact of these routes on past and current migration, and activists will share their experience on the dedication invested to protecting migrant populations as they travel north. In addition, participants will learn about traditional healing practices to enhance mental wellbeing and will also be guided to explore the impact of layers of identity influenced by social contexts and constructs.
Mexico City
July 2
Mexico City will be the place of arrival and the host to some leadership sessions led by women in government, business, and activism. Heritage participants will have the opportunity to initiate their binational network and learn professional protocols and use of the Spanish language in professional contexts. This one day experience is not complete without visiting the National Museum of Anthropology, which highlights Mexico’s pre-Columbian heritage and is recognized as a national treasure and a symbol of identity.
Puebla
July 3-5
The City of Puebla has been the home of the Heritage program since its inception in 2019. Puebla offers much history, renowned gastronomy, cultural representation of Mexico, and houses the 5th top university in the country-Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla or BUAP- where identity, gender, culture, history, and language are explored with academics and specialists in the field.
Cholula
July 6
Heritage participants will reflect on their experience on the grounds of the Cholula pyramid-the largest pyramid in the world. Buried under layers of vegetation and dirt with a church built on its peak, the Cholula pyramid is a representation of the layers of identity we create to protect our true self. By excavating to pull back the layers of identity influenced by social contexts and constructs we discover, acknowledge, and understand the greatness of heritage pride gifted by our ancestors.
Cost of Program $700
June 29 – July 6, 2024
To subsidize the cost of your experience, program leaders work hard to find sponsorship and speakers who support the vision and concept of the Heritage program.
Includes: sessions, housing, entry fees to museums, in-country transportation, and one meal a day.
*Payment Plans: Considered when requested
*Does not Include: Airline transportation to Mexico City.
*Research Practicum: Is optional and the applicant is responsible for any additional cost the practicum may incur such as, room and board, in-country transportation, and additional miscellaneous fees. To qualify the applicant must select the research practicum option and provide a summary of the research project.
*Application Deadline: June 1st, 2024 or until spaces are filled. To secure your spot a $350 dollar deposit is required.
*Payment Deadline: June 1st, 2024
For questions email: heritage@nobleled.org
Heritage: A Gift of Pride
Heritage: A Gift of Pride Summer Session June 29 – July 6, 2024 ($700.00). Research Practicum is optional and the applicant is responsible for any additional cost the practicum may incur.
$700.00
Research Practicum (Optional)
*Heritage one week program participation is required to qualify for the Research Practicum
July 8 – August 17, 2024
Continue your journey by conducting research. Learn more about yourself and/or your family history as well as the country’s history and current community challenges. The Heritage program has expanded to include a research practicum to facilitate your growing thirst to learn more about yourself, your family, your ancestors or about a country of cultural origin in general . Receive guidance from academic experts or specialists to search for current and historical documents connected to your family, learn about the region your family belongs to, learn about the growing diversity of populations due to migration, history, current population challenges or any other topic you may be interested in. The Heritage team will customize your research practicum and connect you with a specialist to guide you through your research journey.
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