The experience that changes everything
For many of our students, this will be the first time they've left their home state — let alone the country. Each year, approximately 90 African American and Latino high school students (ages 16–18) from underserved communities in South Florida travel to Málaga, Spain, for two weeks of full cultural immersion. They live with Spanish host families. They attend daily language classes. They explore Málaga, Granada, Sevilla, and Ronda through guided cultural experiences. And they return home with something no classroom can provide: the lived knowledge that the world is bigger than they knew, and that they belong in it.
What the Program Includes
Roundtrip airfare from South Florida to Spain
Two-week homestay with a vetted Spanish host family
Daily Spanish language immersion classes
Cultural excursions to Málaga, Granada, Sevilla, and Ronda
All meals, transportation, and program materials
Teacher chaperone ratio of 1:5
Stipends for students and chaperones
Why this matters?
Study abroad is one of the most powerful predictors of academic persistence, career trajectory, and civic engagement. Yet access is overwhelmingly concentrated among affluent students. Global Pathways Málaga exists to change that — creating a fully accessible pathway to international experience for students who have historically been excluded from it. Rooted in Catholic social teaching's commitment to the dignity of every person and the preferential option for the poor, this program treats global exposure not as a luxury but as a right.
