Questions? (212) 986-0989
"I will remember the ISPL Russia program forever."
- Maria, Mary Washington College
"A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma"-that is how Winston Churchill once characterized Russia. Today, this thousand-year old civilization still delights and challenges visitors as it changes, and doesn't change. New wealth and new poverty exist side by side in a nation that has been a major player in world events for centuries. Now, surrounded by newly-independent neighbors and arguing about newly-found oil and gas wealth, Russia is making decisions that will affect its cultural, ethnic, and economic identities for decades to come. Service-learning in Moscow-a city of cathedrals, universities, kiosks, migrant workers, millionaires, open-air markets, and enormous parks-opens a door on this vibrant and complex society.
You will spend the summer (8 weeks) in Moscow, studying Russian society and language, and engaging in substantive volunteer service. Your studies are linked closely with your service and with your experience of living in Moscow and learning about historic and contemporary Russian cultural, political, and economic issues. Your volunteer service immerses you in the culture and deepens your understanding of Russian society in a way that goes beyond that experienced in traditional study abroad programs. It also contributes to your knowledge and use of the Russian language.
