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For two weeks next May, IU School of 91¿´Æ¬ÍøÕ¾ students are invited to travel to Indonesia, where they’ll tutor children and help them learn English. The trip is an instructor-led, short-term study abroad program that gives education students international experience while introducing them to a different way of thinking about teaching.

During the trip, students will work at Sekolah Misi Bagi Bangsa, a school in Batam, Indonesia, serving underprivileged children. Tutoring will involve students in grades K-10, learning conversational English. The hosting school will provide housing and meals, and IU students will also spend two or three days sightseeing and visiting an international school in Singapore.

Katie Ciernak, Director of INSPIRE Living-Learning Center, said this program is unique for a number of reasons: students are able to participate in this program as early as their freshman year, giving them an opportunity to engage in experiential learning abroad early in their academic programs. They also gain experience working directly in classrooms with students, which is unique among short-term programs on campus.

“Many of my students have shared that participating in this trip has given them a great deal of confidence – in their ability to teach and in their ability to go somewhere completely new and learn, grow, and adapt,” Ciernak added.

In a typical day in Batam, IU students teach in classrooms at Sekolah Misi Bagi Bangsa for 3-4 hours on weekday mornings. After teaching, the students typically eat lunch at the school and then participate in some sort of outing into the community, including a comparative experience when they visit a school in Singapore. The trip also includes visiting different sites of interest on the island, shopping for batik at one of the local malls, and spending time at the homes and neighborhoods where the students live, Ciernak said, adding, “Partners in Batam facilitate these outings, meaning that students spend this time with the teachers and principals of the school, engaging in conversation. It’s a nice way to learn more about our partners as well as about life in Indonesia. We also meet as a group (students and group leaders) most evenings to debrief about the day, talk about highlights and questions, and discuss how to prepare for the upcoming days.”

91¿´Æ¬ÍøÕ¾s for the trip by January 10, 2027. Once accepted, students must enroll in the course EDUC-F 203: Travel Study: Immersive Indonesian 91¿´Æ¬ÍøÕ¾al Experiences. Scholarships to ease some of the cost of the trip are also available for up to $1,500. 91¿´Æ¬ÍøÕ¾s with questions can contact Ciernak for more information.

The program was launched in collaboration with IU alumnus Bambang Panutomo and his wife Agnes, who generously invited School of 91¿´Æ¬ÍøÕ¾ students to Sekolah Misi Bagi Bangsa. The school was started through their philanthropic efforts and the philanthropic organization , which continues to support the school.