IPSL: Vietnam - Environmental Science & Youth Leadership and Development

Financial Aid is available for eligible students. IPSL accepts Americorps Segal Education awards, too.

The charming Vietnamese capital of Hanoi has aged well, preserving the Old Quarters, monuments, and colonial architecture while making room for modern developments. Hanoi's lakes, parks, shady boulevards, and more than 600 temples and pagodas add to the appeal of this city. Local cuisine specialties, exotic street food, and numerous dance and music clubs liven up the scene.

IPSL's partner in Hanoi is the founder of Volunteers for Peace Vietnam, a past lecturer at Hanoi National University and the founder of the Center for Sustainable Development Studies (CSDS), which promotes education for sustainable development where the IPSL program is based.

Courses include:
·       Vietnamese culture, language and society
·       Intro to COSA (Community Organizing and Social Activism)
·       COSA in Vietnam

Elective courses may include:
·       Environmental Science and Sustainable Development
·       Sustainable Tourism
·       Global Health and the Environment
·       Sustainable Business in a Globalized World

Students also participate in volunteer service that focuses on leadership training and other assistance and education for less advantaged children, youth and families. Volunteer service immerses you in the culture and deepens your understanding of Vietnamese society in a way that goes beyond that experienced in traditional study abroad programs while contributing to your knowledge and use of the Vietnamese language.

Students live in modern dormitory student housing at CSDS. The dorms accommodate both international and Vietnamese students and volunteers. All meals are included and served at the CSDS center.

Excursions may include:
·       Hanoi City Tour 
·       Bat Trang Ceramic Village
·       Duong Lam Village 
·       Ba Vi National Park
·       Bai-Dinh and Tam Coc
·       The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long
·       Ha Long Bay

IPSL engages students, educators, and grassroots organizations around the world in hands-on service to promote equitable relationships, social justice, sustainable change, and a commitment to our shared humanity. IPSL is the founder of Service-Learning and invests over 83% of their revenues directly back into the communities where they serve.