Our team is comprised of Americans and South Asians who have all participated in many study abroad programs and are committed experiential educators. Years of experience have given us a vast array of contacts and deep insight into the cultures and communities in which our programs operate. Our leaders are committed to embracing different learning styles. They support students as they process and articulate their experiences and encourage students to shape their own learning.

 

Passage staff and students are treated like family; but we also retain the professional touch that comes from our many years of experience conducting study abroad programs.  We are committed to providing the best cultural immersion by drawing from our many years of experience and vast array of contacts with deep insights into the cultures and communities in which our programs operate.

Anil Chitrakar - The Man behind ECCA-Environmental Camps for Conservation Awareness, Anil trained in the United States as an engineer and energy planner.  He implemented the National Conservation Strategy for Nepal, and developed an ecologically sustainable, hydropower project for Nepal.  He received an Ashoka Fellowship for launching Environmental Camps and launched the Kathmandu 2020 campaign aimed at envisioning and attaining a better future for Kathmandu by mobilizing its residents.  Anil ventured funds for environmental groups with support from USAID and is one of the 100 “Global Leaders for Tomorrow” awardees -1993.

ECCA has been a leading organization in the sector of social mobilization and community development. It implements various programs so as to raise the quality of life through the wise use of available local resources and application of alternate and renewable technologies. They work with communities on projects like: Light for All, Adopt a tree Support a child, Safe drinking water, Promotion of Alternate Energy, School Environment Improvement Program, Conservation Education and Community and Kathmandu Participatory River Monitoring.

WCN, a non-governmental organization, was established with a view to protect and conserve natural heritage and disseminate information on environment and wildlife issues. Their mission statement is to involve local communities, civil societies, scientific communities and conservationists in environment protection, natural resource management, promote sustainable use of natural resources so that the benefits accrued reach the grass root level while conserving natural resources.

WCN protects and conserves endangered species by monitoring illegal wildlife trade and conducts field level activities to safeguard wildlife species in their natural habitat. Similarly, it designs and conducts researches, trainings and workshops and enhances capacity of enforcement officials in combating wildlife trade. Furthermore, it provides leadership trainings to young individuals and students so that wildlife is protected in their natural habitat.

An organization in the service to the leprosy victims in Nepal, SEWA runs regular clinics at 4 different locations including its own hospital facility.  Its other clinics are run at the government leprosarium on the outskirts of Kathmandu Valley, a small town on the Kathmandu-Tibet highway, and an Old Age Home.  Sewa also runs a school program for destitute children who now number 65.  With funds that are mobilized from local and foreign individual donors, they study in a government school in the area and are also provided with supplemental tutoring in the hospital premises.  Most importantly, Sewa Kendra teaches skills to disabled leprosy patients to foster a degree of independence and dignity.  It helps leprosy sufferers find a place to live, helps get their children in schools, and provides a social support group.

The Trust saves thousands of poor at-risk Nepali girls from prostitution traffickers by cover the educational expenses they otherwise could not afford.  RHEST is a collaborative project by American Himalayan Foundation (AHF).  Girls who have the chance to go to school have value – they are much less likely to be sold by their parents or lured by traffickers.  RHEST needs volunteers who can help at their office, teaching conversational English to the local staff, writing promotional material for a brochure, helping design a web site, presenting case studies.  Some field trips in neighboring districts are also possible.

 

SAATHI is an NGO established in 1992 to address contemporary challenges being faced by Nepali women. In keeping with this agenda, SAATHI identified being Violence Against Women (VAW) and Children (C) particularly domestic violence as an area requiring urgent attention and intervention. It’s objective is to work towards eliminating violence and injustice against women and children and to provide support to survivors/victims. Their strategy is to work at all levels of the Nepali society.

Due to their growing reputation, providing well-run and effective programs, the demand from the community for their services is increasing rapidly. Skilled volunteers help them cope with the pressure. By volunteering you help expand their services and directly contribute in improving lives of the abused women and children of Nepal.

OGN is a non-profit organization that runs a day care centre.  OGN's criteria is raising and educating children between the ages of 18 months to 5 years. The parents are daily wage earners/laborers, those from low-income groups who cannot meet their kids' basic needs, usually not even two square meals.  The mission is to run the day care center from 9 to 5 (sometimes later if parents work late), taking care of the children (washing/cleaning), providing two meals and a glass of milk daily, with playtime, naptime, and non-formal learning.  It also provides educational scholarships to children over 5 years.  The future plans include covering remote areas in Nepal, working for the welfare of children in prison, and working with disabled kids.

KJC is a music institution where students learn to appreciate and enjoy music.  Lessons begin with Western classical training.  The conservatory encourages classical training as it provides a strong foundation along with the confidence and dexterity to learn other instruments and styles of music.  It also offers classes in Indian classical music – vocals, sitar and flute.  Soon, a new program in audio engineering will also be included.

 

To achieve its goals The Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory is continuously on the lookout for interested and able music teachers and/or advanced music students who love to teach.  This is also an excellent chance to experience life and music in one of the most fascinating cities in the world.  There is also the opportunity to play with different Nepali bands and learn eastern classical music from some of the best musicians in Nepal.

 

photo.circle

photo.circle is a unique platform that highlights the power of visual storytelling. It is a physical space for professional as well as amateur photographers to share work and interact with other storytellers and a larger community of media professionals. It is a network of photographers that hosts presentations, discussions, workshops, multimedia and film screenings and exhibitions.

photo.circle creates an opportunity for photographers to directly communicate with their audience and engage in critique. It also provides time and space to share technical know how on the craft of making pictures and the skills of navigating the larger industry that makes use of these pictures for various communication purposes.

 

TILGANGA EYE CENTER (TEC)

Tilganga Eye Center is the implementing body of the Nepal Eye Program, a non-profit, community based, non-government organization. With an aim to act as a model for treatment research and training, independent of, but in cooperation with all other eye care centres and organizations in Nepal, the current TEC facility was opened in 1994.

TEC is a full-service advanced clinical facility for eye care, which delivers state-of-the-art services to patients. An education and training department, which runs MD Residency Program in Ophthamology, Certificate of Health Science (Ophthalmology) and short applied training for local and international medical personnel and eye health workers. Their outreach unit runs rural district community eye centres and high-volume microsurgical eye clinics for the rural community throughout Nepal. TEC has an eye bank, which undertakes cornea harvesting activity to provide corneas for corneal transplant operations and awareness programs for overcoming resistance to eye donation. A manufacturing facility specializes in the production of world-class state-of-the-art intraocular lenses (IOLs) for use in modern cataract surgery. Their research unit focuses on improving clinical as well as operational activities. TEC has continuously involved itself in research activities for the development of eye care. 

With your application, please send a $500 deposit in order to be considered for acceptance.  Once your application has been received, reviewed and you have been notified via email (or regular mail if email is not possible) of your acceptance, the $500 deposit is non-refundable.

At this point, the balance of your tuition is due eight weeks before the beginning of your trip.  Students who apply within eight weeks of the beginning date of a trip should submit their entire tuition to be considered for acceptance.  If the balance of your tuition is not paid eight weeks prior to the beginning of your trip, we cannot guarantee the reservation of a place for you until your tuition has been fully paid.

If we receive your notice of cancellation (in writing) four weeks or more prior to the starting date of your course and your spot cannot be filled, your tuition will be refunded less a $1,000 cancellation fee and the deposit (a total of $1,500).  If your spot can be filled, your tuition will be refunded less the deposit (a total of $500).

Passage has a track record of success – our programs are well established with years of experience and a solid reputation.

We conduct thorough on-site student orientation programs, especially with respect to student health, safety, security, crime and other risk issues in the country of travel.

Prior to the start of each program, students receive country-specific health guidelines including required and recommended immunizations as specified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Local health issues are later reviewed with students during initial in-country program orientation and are monitored throughout the semester.

As an organization working in various South Asian communities and learning from their ways of life, we want to create projects that provide opportunities for mutual learning. We achieve this by building upon the relationships established through our educational journeys to create Reciprocal Exchange Projects. These projects, such as our unique approach to sponsoring children in need, help to promote individual and global change by creating opportunities for personal exchanges between our communities.